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A history of Ireland in 100 Words
Did you know that Cú Chulainn was conceived with a thirst-quenching drink? That 'cluas', the modern Irish word for 'ear', also means the handle of a cup? That the Old Irish word for 'ring' may have inspired Tolkien's 'nazg'? How and why does the word for noble (saor) come to mean cheap? Why does a word that once meant law (cáin) now mean tax? And why are turkeys in Irish French birds? From murder to beekeeping and everything between, discover how the Irish ate, drank, dressed, loved and lied.
This book tells a history of Ireland by looking at the development of 100 medieval Irish words drawn from the Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of the Irish Language. Words tell stories and encapsulate histories and this book captures aspects of Ireland’s changing history by examining the changing meaning of 100 key words. The book is aimed at a general readership and no prior knowledge of the Irish language is required to delve into the fascinating insights it provides. The book is divided into themes, including writing and literature; food and feasting; technology and science; mind and body. Readers can explore words relating to particular concepts, dipping in and out where they please.
This book tells a history of Ireland by looking at the development of 100 medieval Irish words drawn from the Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of the Irish Language. Words tell stories and encapsulate histories and this book captures aspects of Ireland’s changing history by examining the changing meaning of 100 key words. The book is aimed at a general readership and no prior knowledge of the Irish language is required to delve into the fascinating insights it provides. The book is divided into themes, including writing and literature; food and feasting; technology and science; mind and body. Readers can explore words relating to particular concepts, dipping in and out where they please.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 28, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 25, 2024
Not to sound painful but reading this felt like a uniquely spiritual experience
I love Ireland and I love Irish
I love Ireland and I love Irish
July 10, 2020
Admittedly it really is like reading a dictionary, but I enjoyed it and I was informed so 5 stars
February 13, 2021
I received “A History of Ireland in 100 Words” as a Christmas gift back in 2019 but I admit, to my shame, that I only got around to reading it over 13 months later.
The title of this book is a little misleading as it doesn’t really give a coherent history of Ireland. Really this study is more about the etymology of some Irish words and how they evolved from Old Irish to Modern Irish, and while exploring that the book also provides little snippets of social behaviours or small trivia about political structures, laws and the society of the medieval Irish and Ireland. However, a historical narrative it is not. So I’m sure if you are into linguistics that you would enjoy this book more than the average reader.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag really. It does contain some interesting information and it is clear that the authors are certainly knowledgeable of their subject and have conducted plenty of research into it. So I’ll give it a thumbs up for that. However, rather disappointingly, I have to say that overall I found this book a difficult read, it feels too disjointed to me and much of the content is quite dull (leadránach). At times, reading it was like trawling through a dictionary, making the read feel more of a chore than a leisure.
There are some redeeming points to make about this book however. The quirkiness of some of the old language made me giggle, the Annal’s of Ulster for example tell of a ‘hairy star’ (rétlu mongach), meaning a comet. I got a crude laugh out of the fact that the ancient chieftains and kings not only hired court jesters, but also professional farters for court entertainment. Some topics, related to the 100 Words of the title, would be fascinating to read about more deeply and it is a pity the book doesn’t explore these in more detail.
The book is probably more suited to keeping on a coffee table to be sporadically read in quieter moments because the chapters, that can be read independently of one another, are quite short, being usually about 2 pages. So it is a book that you can pick up and leave down easily without worrying about continuity, reading little threads of information at a time rather than reading it from cover to cover as you would a novel.
Also the physical attributes of this book must be mentioned. It is a hardback bound book that has a high quality finish and so has some ornamental value. The pages are of a quirky non-standard size and are thick, with a good texture to them, giving the book a lovely feel in the hand. The printed book has an elegant weight about it and the folksy illustrations within give a sense of hand crafted lino cut prints, lending it charm and character. It’s definitely one to keep around on a table or on display on a book shelf.
I would think if you enjoy reading about the etymology of words, then this book will definitely be for you. Maybe eventually I’ll read some parts of this book again, haphazardly, at my own leisure, and glean some new knowledge and enjoyment from it, but for now, it goes on the shelf.
The title of this book is a little misleading as it doesn’t really give a coherent history of Ireland. Really this study is more about the etymology of some Irish words and how they evolved from Old Irish to Modern Irish, and while exploring that the book also provides little snippets of social behaviours or small trivia about political structures, laws and the society of the medieval Irish and Ireland. However, a historical narrative it is not. So I’m sure if you are into linguistics that you would enjoy this book more than the average reader.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag really. It does contain some interesting information and it is clear that the authors are certainly knowledgeable of their subject and have conducted plenty of research into it. So I’ll give it a thumbs up for that. However, rather disappointingly, I have to say that overall I found this book a difficult read, it feels too disjointed to me and much of the content is quite dull (leadránach). At times, reading it was like trawling through a dictionary, making the read feel more of a chore than a leisure.
There are some redeeming points to make about this book however. The quirkiness of some of the old language made me giggle, the Annal’s of Ulster for example tell of a ‘hairy star’ (rétlu mongach), meaning a comet. I got a crude laugh out of the fact that the ancient chieftains and kings not only hired court jesters, but also professional farters for court entertainment. Some topics, related to the 100 Words of the title, would be fascinating to read about more deeply and it is a pity the book doesn’t explore these in more detail.
The book is probably more suited to keeping on a coffee table to be sporadically read in quieter moments because the chapters, that can be read independently of one another, are quite short, being usually about 2 pages. So it is a book that you can pick up and leave down easily without worrying about continuity, reading little threads of information at a time rather than reading it from cover to cover as you would a novel.
Also the physical attributes of this book must be mentioned. It is a hardback bound book that has a high quality finish and so has some ornamental value. The pages are of a quirky non-standard size and are thick, with a good texture to them, giving the book a lovely feel in the hand. The printed book has an elegant weight about it and the folksy illustrations within give a sense of hand crafted lino cut prints, lending it charm and character. It’s definitely one to keep around on a table or on display on a book shelf.
I would think if you enjoy reading about the etymology of words, then this book will definitely be for you. Maybe eventually I’ll read some parts of this book again, haphazardly, at my own leisure, and glean some new knowledge and enjoyment from it, but for now, it goes on the shelf.
January 6, 2020
The Irish language has seen great revival and growth in modern relevance in recent years, this book is another fantastic example.
I read this book cover to cover and I found myself marvelling at the way the authors combined snapshots of Ancient Ireland, Irish literature, poetry, society and law with modern day usage of the language. It made Gaeilge feel like this wonderful, alive thing and made me feel connected to my country's history in a way that few other books about the language have.
The beauty of this book is because the excerpts for each of the 100 words are only 2-3 pages each, the reader can jump in and out and revisit ones they find intriguing with ease.
This book is hugely successful and whether you're a born and bred Gaeilgeoir or a complete novice to the language, this book has something for you.
I read this book cover to cover and I found myself marvelling at the way the authors combined snapshots of Ancient Ireland, Irish literature, poetry, society and law with modern day usage of the language. It made Gaeilge feel like this wonderful, alive thing and made me feel connected to my country's history in a way that few other books about the language have.
The beauty of this book is because the excerpts for each of the 100 words are only 2-3 pages each, the reader can jump in and out and revisit ones they find intriguing with ease.
This book is hugely successful and whether you're a born and bred Gaeilgeoir or a complete novice to the language, this book has something for you.
January 9, 2022
Entertaining short chapters each on a word. You do not have to be a fluent speaker of Irish or anything. There is a fair bit of linguistic fun in here where the word roots are found back in earlier languages.
The art work is brilliant. Many would make great posters by themselves. Also physically the book is really well made with a great font, size, paper etc. This seems a small thing but when holding the book it makes it a really pleasant physical object.
The art work is brilliant. Many would make great posters by themselves. Also physically the book is really well made with a great font, size, paper etc. This seems a small thing but when holding the book it makes it a really pleasant physical object.
May 20, 2021
Excellent. Each word and associated words discussed in about two pages. A book written by scholars for the lay person. For those who want to go deeper there is a large 'Guide to further reading' section and a large 'Sources cited' section. The information about each word can be read in a few minutes. You can read a word a day at random or start at the beginning and read for several hours.
March 4, 2024
Es un libro súper interesante y lleno de curiosidades. Se mezcla la historia con la lengua y ha sido muy bonito descubrir aspectos de la vida irlandesa a lo largo de los siglos a través de su lengua. Pero tambien es cierto que el formato en el que se presenta la información es homogéneo en todo el libro y hace que a veces la lectura se haga pesada.
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January 2, 2025great book, which I picked up few years ago in a bookshop in Dublin. Beutiful colored illustrations accompany short texts about 100 Irish words that bring you closer to the Irish history and culture. Definitely an inspiration to dig deeper into Irish language.
October 3, 2020
Absolutely delightful. Wish I'd read this earlier in the year but this was fun from beginning to end.
October 15, 2023
Philology at its best. A gentle introduction to the rich verbal lore and lure of the Irish language as a window into Irish culture and history. Beautifully produced, and the square pages that fall open make the book easy to hold. Content even more alluring. Ar fheabhas!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews