Irish phrases involving colours

Brian O'Cathain · **Joined:** Fri 09 Mar 2012 10:01 am **Posts:** 84

Now that is very interesting. In the same passage of the Saltair of Cormac the people at the funeral ran away screaming, thinking that the crossans were devils.

Bríd Mhór · **Joined:** Sun 28 Aug 2011 8:29 pm **Posts:** 3001

Brian O'Cathain wrote:

Fear Gorm; I asked that question over sixty years ago and here is the answer I got. Though the Saltair of Cormac mentions black crossans at King Cas's funeral the gorm bit comes from the raids
along the Cork/Kerry coast in the 15th and 16th centuries. These pirates/slave traders were Muslims from Spain and Berbers from North Africa and they wore Indigo cloaks and headdresses. So though
many of them were either black or dark-skinned, people only described them by their clothes ie daoine gorma. Is this true? I don't know but it makes a good story (one I've told several black people over the years).

Very interesting. I never heard that before.

I was thinking it was from the very black skin of some sub-Saharan Africans, which can look kinda bluish black. And another term was needed as "fear dubh" was a man with black hair.
Today most people say "duine dubh" for "black person". I've even heard it on the Nuacht.

Mick · **Joined:** Fri 18 Nov 2011 2:27 pm **Posts:** 622

Saoirse wrote:

I have also heard that 'an fear dubh' may have referred to an diabhal and so obviously couldn't be used for black people.

Is that what you meant, Saoirse?

I always thought fear dubh referred to a man with black hair.

Edit: Crossed posts with Bríd.

I saw an interview with Forest Whitaker one time. He played Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Apparently, his skin was the wrong shade of black for a Ugandan, and they had to put a layer of blue foundation under his makeup to get the right tone.

Saoirse · **Posted:** Wed 11 Apr 2012 1:26 pm

Yup. Typed gorm by mistake; edited earlier post to fix. Grma.

beagle · **Joined:** Mon 05 Sep 2011 1:45 am **Posts:** 267

That's the story I heard. The devil was an fear dubh so it couldn't be applied to black people

Bríd Mhór · **Joined:** Sun 28 Aug 2011 8:29 pm **Posts:** 3001

beagle wrote:

That's the story I heard. The devil was an fear dubh so it couldn't be applied to black people

An Fear Dubh - when you are personifying (no is that the wrong word

)it is The Devil.
But any old fear dubh is a black haired man.

Although I've never heard my parents use that expression. Or anybody I know.
We only said - An Diabhal.

franc 91 · **Posted:** Thu 12 Apr 2012 11:48 am

I remember that there was quite a long discussion on the usage of rua and dearg on the other forum which wasn't very conclusive one way or the other - though rua is definitely for hair.
If you look dearg up on Pota Focal you see that it's used as an intensifier -
tá an t-ádh dearg orm - I'm extremely lucky
an t-ádh dearg - the luck of the Irish
dearg ar meisce - blind drunk
cosán dearg - a beaten track
an ghráin dhearg - utter hatred

carrots are meacain dhearga (I suppose it's to distinguish them from parsnips which are bán)
and another expression for dawn they give is - dheirge an dá néal

Saoirse · **Posted:** Sat 14 Apr 2012 7:32 pm

I just came across this one, but had never heard it before:
'Is buí le bocht an beagán' = 'Beggars can't be choosers'

AnFearGaelach · **Joined:** Thu 12 Apr 2012 11:05 am **Posts:** 8

Chomh dubh le Súiche
chomh rua le sionnach;
chomh gorm leis an spéir;
chomh glas leis an bhféar
chomh dearg le fuil

AnFearGaelach · **Joined:** Thu 12 Apr 2012 11:05 am **Posts:** 8

AnFearGaelach wrote:

Chomh dubh le Súiche/leis an bhfiach Dubh

chomh rua le sionnach;
chomh gorm leis an spéir;
chomh glas leis an bhféar
chomh dearg le fuil;

Forum rules

Irish phrases involving colours

Who is online