DictionaryAI

Irish

EYE-rish/ˈaɪɹɪʃ/

7 meanings of Irish

Practice

  1. 1
    of Irelandadjective
    Of, from, or relating to Ireland, its people, or the Irish language.

    The festival celebrated Irish dance and traditional cooking.

    Many Irish writers gained international fame in the twentieth century.

    UsageWritten with a capital letter: Irish music (not incorrect: irish music). It can be graded too: very Irish, more Irish.

    Note

    The adjective is gradable as well as factual. With more Irish and most Irish, it can measure how strongly something seems Irish, not only where it comes from. That scale invites caricature: a 1992 episode of Jeeves and Wooster has Fink-Nottle scoff at a line of "Sure and begorrah", the stage-Irish phrase outsiders long passed off as the way Irish people talk.

    Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

    • The episode containing the exchange first aired in 1992: “Hot Off the Press”, on 26 April. en.wikipedia.org
    • Fink-Nottle scoffs at a script containing the quoted words “Sure and begorrah”. en.wiktionary.org
    • The phrase is a stereotypical representation of Irish speech. en.wiktionary.org
    • The phrase was attributed to Irish speakers long before the episode; a 1955 Canadian parliamentary debate provides an example. docs.legassembly.sk.ca
  2. 2
    peopleproper noun
    The people of Ireland, considered collectively as a nation.

    The Irish have long been celebrated for their storytelling and song.

    Throughout history, the Irish have settled in communities across the globe.

    UsageThe Irish takes a plural verb (the Irish are). For one person, say an Irish person (not incorrect: an Irish).

  3. 3
    languageproper noununcountable
    Ireland's native Celtic language, belonging to the Gaelic branch and also called Irish Gaelic.

    He gave the entire speech in Irish without using any notes.

    The university offers courses in Irish alongside other Celtic languages.

    UsageUsually speak Irish or in Irish, with no article. The Irish usually means the people, but can mean the language in phrases such as translated from the Irish.

    SimilarGaelic

    Note

    The language carries the island's old name inside it. The English word goes back through Old English Īras, "Irishmen", perhaps by way of Old Norse Írar, to Old Irish Ériu, whose modern form is Éire. It is the first official and national language of Ireland.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of Irish apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

The word passed through Middle English from Old English *Īrisċ, based on Īras ("Irishmen"), which perhaps came from Old Norse Írar and ultimately from Old Irish Ériu (modern Irish Éire, "Ireland"). The deeper origin is heavily debated but probably traces to Proto-Celtic *Φīweriyū ("fat land, fertile") and Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to swell or be fat," akin to Ancient Greek píeira ("fertile land") and Sanskrit pīvarī ("fat").

Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 6 facts

  • The reconstructed form is *Īrisċ, with s and ċ, rather than ṣ and č. en.wiktionary.org
  • The Old English base Īras means Irishmen. en.wiktionary.org
  • Old Irish Ériu corresponds to modern Irish Éire, meaning Ireland. en.wikipedia.org
  • The disputed deeper etymology probably involves Proto-Celtic *Φīweriyū, interpreted as fertile land. en.wiktionary.org
  • The proposed Indo-European root means to swell or be fat. en.wiktionary.org
  • The proposed etymology is related to Greek píeira and Sanskrit pīvarī with the stated meanings. en.wiktionary.org