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PaperclipPerfector  4d ago (text post)   1768 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for November 29, 2024

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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It's tangentially related, but I'd like to take this opportunity to share one of my favourite bits of linguistic trivia.

The Irish word for "President" is Uachtarán*. (The President is a largely ceremonial role: the leader of the country is the Taoiseach, the Irish equivalent of the Prime Minister in the UK and other countries with a Westminster-style parliament.) The word uachtarán was originally used for the chief of a tribe or village in pre-colonial Ireland. The President's official residence is called Áras an Uachtaráin.

When we had to learn Irish in school, we learned the words for cream (uachtar***) and ice cream (uachtar reoite**** - literally "frozen cream"). I always wondered about the connection between "uachtar* and uachtaráin, as they're obviously from the same root, but I only found out last year. Can you guess?

Uachtar literally translates as "top". It is used to refer to "cream" because the cream floats to the top of the milk. By extension, the uachtarán is the person at the top of the tribe/village/country.

*Pronounced "OOK-tar-awn".

** Pronounced "TEE-shuck".

*** Pronounced "OOK-tar".

**** Pronounced "OOK-tar ROW-it-cha".

My guess: Cream of the crop? Cream is usually important, maybe somebody who was allowed to drink it?

EDIT: cool, makes sense

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