Hiberno-English is the form of the English language used in Ireland.
The standard spelling and grammar are the same as British English but, especially in the spoken language there are some unique characteristics.
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2 Grammar Derived From Irish 3 Preservation of Older English usage |
Like other Celtic languages, Irish has no words for "yes" and "no", instead the verb in a question is repeated in an answer. People in Ireland have a tendency to use this pattern of avoiding "yes" or "no" when speaking English:
Irish speakers of English use a "does be/do be" (or "bes", although less frequently) construction to indicate this latter continuous present:
When describing something, Irish people may describe this as something that is 'in it', which can also be translated into English as 'so it is'.
Vocabulary Derived From Irish
Grammar Derived From Irish
Irish verbs have two present tenses, one indicating what is occurring at this instant and another used for continuous actions. For example, 'you are now' is tá tú anois (literally 'are you now'), but 'you are every day' is bíonn tú gach lá (literally 'be you each day').
Irish uses the same phrase tar eis to mean "after" and as a modifier on a verb to indicate that the activity is recently completed. As a result Irish people tend to use a construction where they use "after" as a verb modifier:
It is also common to end sentences with 'no?' or 'yeah?'
Irish English also always uses the "light l" sound, and the pronunciation of the letter 'h' as 'haitch' is standard.
A person or place may be described as being 'where it's at', as this is the translation of the verb to have:
Similarly, somebody who can speak a language, 'has' a language.
Another idiom is this thing or that thing described as 'this here man ' or 'that there man ', which also features in Newfoundland English in Canada.
The verb "to avail of" is common in Ireland, meaning to choose or get: Customers can avail of our new service. The verb "mitch" is common in Ireland indicating playing truant from school. This word appears in Shakespeare, but is seldom used anymore in British English, although pockets of usage persist in some rural areas.
For influence from Scotland see Ulster Scots.