This is a list of

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

words from the

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

with links provided to pronunciation in all three primarily Irish dialects, spoken by native Irish speakers, provided by Foras na Gaeilge. ;

banshee A banshee ( ; Modern Irish , from sga, ben síde , "woman of the fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Her name i ...

(from Irish ''bainsídhe/beansídhe'', meaning "woman of fairy" or "of a fairy mound":
Bean
' (ban) is the Modern Irish word for ''woman.'' (modern spelling
sí
') is Irish for 'mound' (see Sidhe). In traditional Irish mythology, a spirit usually taking the form of a woman who sings
caoineadh
(lament) warning of impending death in an old Irish family. ; bog (from "boc", meaning "soft" or "marshy" and ''-aigh'' to form bogach meaning "soft soil composed primarily of peat"): Used as the Anglicized "bog" as slang for a mire, but also to become stuck or impeded. ;

bogeyman The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions var ...

(possibly from '' bogaigh'' + English ''

man A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromo ...

''): The wor
bogaigh
is pronounced approximately as "boggy", and the bogeyman legend originates from humanoid-appearing logs and human " bog-bodies" found well-preserved in peat. These occasional discoveries gave rise to unsettling stories some suggest may have been used to encourage good behavior from otherwise misbehaving children. ; boreen (from ''bóithrín'', meaning "country lane"): A narrow, rural Irish road. ;bother (possibly from '' bodhar'', "deaf; bothered; confused"; or from ''bodhraigh'', "to deafen; to annoy"): The earliest use appears in the writings of Irish authors Sheridan, Swift and Sterne. ;brock (from old Irish ''brocc''): A badger. ;brat (from Old Irish
bratt
' meaning "cloak, mantle"): A cloak covering or cloth. Also as swadding-clothes and bird's plumage. ; brogan (from ''bróg'', meaning "shoe" or "boot".): A boot or shoe of untanned leather, often with holes in the sides or over the toes intended for drying while worn in wet conditions. ; brogue (from ''barróg'', meaning "to wrestle or grasp" wit
teanga
(tongue) to mean an impediment of speech.): Though found in wide use in English to indicate a heavy accent, the Irish do not use this term for the negative connotations. ; clabber, clauber: (from ''clábar'') wet clay or mud; curdled milk. ;

clock A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month and t ...

: O.Ir. meaning "bell"; into

Old High German Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050. There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old High ...

as ''glocka, klocka''''Kluge, F. ''Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache'' (1989)

de Gruyter Walter de Gruyter GmbH, known as De Gruyter (), is a German scholarly publishing house specializing in academic literature. History The roots of the company go back to 1749 when Frederick the Great granted the Königliche Realschule in Be ...

(whence Modern German ''Glocke'') and back into English via

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

; cf also Welsh ''cloch'' but the giving language is Old Irish via the hand-bells used by early Irish missionaries.Online Etymology Dictionary
by Douglas Harper ; colleen: (from ''cailín'' meaning "young woman") a

girl A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...

(usually referring to an Irish girl) (OED). ; corrie: a cirque or mountain lake, of glacial origin. (OED) Irish or Scots Gaelic ''coire'' 'Cauldron, hollow' ;

craic ''Craic'' ( ) or ''crack'' is a term for news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland. It is often used with the definite article – ''the'' craic – as in the expression "What's the craic ...

: fun, used in Ireland for fun/enjoyment. The word is actually English in origin; it entered into Irish from the English "crack" via Ulster Scots. The

Gaelicised Gaelicisation, or Gaelicization, is the act or process of making something Gaelic, or gaining characteristics of the ''Gaels'', a sub-branch of celticisation. The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group, traditionally viewed as having spread from Ire ...

spelling ''craic'' was then reborrowed into English. The ''craic'' spelling, although preferred by many Irish people, has garnered some criticism as a ''faux''-Irish word. ;

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

: The ultimate source of this word is Latin ''crux'', the Roman

gibbet A gibbet is any instrument of public execution (including guillotine, executioner's block, impalement stake, hanging gallows, or related scaffold). Gibbeting is the use of a gallows-type structure from which the dead or dying bodies of cri ...

which became a symbol of Christianity. Some sources say the English wordform comes from Old Irish ''cros''.Online Etymology Dictionary
by Douglas Harper Other sources say the English comes from Old French ''crois''''An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language'' by Walter W. Skeat (1888) (900 pages)
Downloadable at Archive.org
and others say it comes from Old Norse ''kross''.''An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English'' by Ernest Weekley (1921) (850 pages)
Downloadable at Archive.org
; drum (ridge),

drumlin A drumlin, from the Irish word ''droimnín'' ("littlest ridge"), first recorded in 1833, in the classical sense is an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated ...

: (from ''drom/druim'' meaning "ridge") a ridge often separating two long narrow valleys; a long narrow ridge of

drift Drift or Drifts may refer to: Geography * Drift or ford (crossing) of a river * Drift, Kentucky, unincorporated community in the United States * In Cornwall, England: ** Drift, Cornwall, village ** Drift Reservoir, associated with the village ...

or diluvial formation. ''Drumlin'' is a linguistic diminutive of ''drum'', and it means a small rounded hill of glacial formation, often seen in series (OED). A landscape of many Drumlins occurs in some parts of Ireland (including counties Cavan and Armagh). ''Drumlin'' is an established technical word in geology, but ''drum'' is almost never used. ;

drisheen Drisheen ( ga, drisín) is a type of blood pudding made in Ireland. It is distinguished from other forms of Irish black pudding by having a gelatinous consistency. It is made from a mixture of cow's, pig's or sheep's blood, milk, salt and fat, ...

: (from ''drisín'' or ''drúishin''). ;

dulse ''Palmaria palmata'', also called dulse, dillisk or dilsk (from Irish/Scottish Gaelic '/'), red dulse, sea lettuce flakes, or creathnach, is a red alga ( Rhodophyta) previously referred to as ''Rhodymenia palmata''. It grows on the northern coas ...

:''Collins English Dictionary 21st Century Edition'' Harper Collins (2001) (from Old Irish ''duilesc''). ;

esker An esker, eskar, eschar, or os, sometimes called an ''asar'', ''osar'', or ''serpent kame'', is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North Ame ...

: (from ''eiscir'') an elongated

mound A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded area of topographically higher ...

of post-glacial gravel, usually along a

river valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ...

(OED). Esker is a technical word in geology. ;

Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicated ...

: (from ''

Fianna ''Fianna'' ( , ; singular ''Fian''; gd, Fèinne ) were small warrior-hunter bands in Gaelic Ireland during the Iron Age and early Middle Ages. A ''fian'' was made up of freeborn young males, often aristocrats, "who had left fosterage but had ...

'' meaning "semi-independent warrior band") a member of a 19th-century Irish nationalist group (OED). ; fiacre: a small four-wheeled carriage for hire, a hackney-coach.

Saint Fiacre Saint Fiacre ( ga, Fiachra, la, Fiacrius) is the name of three different Irish saints, the most famous of which is Saint Fiacre of Breuil (c. AD 600 – 18 August 670), the Catholic priest, abbot, hermit, and gardener of the seventh century ...

was a seventh-century Irish-born saint who lived in France for most of his life. The English word ''fiacre'' comes from French. (OED) ;

Gallowglass The Gallowglass (also spelled galloglass, gallowglas or galloglas; from ga, gallóglaigh meaning foreign warriors) were a class of elite mercenary warriors who were principally members of the Norse-Gaelic clans of Ireland between the mid 13t ...

: (from ''gallóglach'') a Scottish Gaelic mercenary soldier in Ireland between mid 13th and late 16th centuries. ; galore: (from ''go leor'' meaning "til plenty") a lot (OED). ;gob: (literally ''

beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for foo ...

'') mouth, though used in colloquial Irish more often to refer to a 'beaky' nose, i.e. a sticky-beak. Perhaps from Irish. (OED) ; griskin: (from ''griscín'') a lean cut of meat from the loin of a pig. ;

hooligan Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events. Etymology There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a ...

: (from the Irish family name ''Ó hUallacháin'', anglicised as ''O'Houlihan'') one who takes part in rowdy behaviour and vandalism. ;

keening Keening (Irish: Caointeoireacht) is a traditional form of vocal lament for the dead in the Gaelic Celtic tradition, known to have taken place in Ireland and Scotland. Keening, which can be seen as a form of sean-nós singing, was performed in ...

: (from ''caoinim'' meaning "I wail") to lament, to wail mournfully (OED). No relation to "keen" = eager. ;

kibosh This is a list of English language words from the Irish language with links provided to pronunciation in all three primarily Irish dialects, spoken by native Irish speakers, provided by Foras na Gaeilge. ;banshee (from Irish ''bainsídhe/beansí ...

, kybosh: to finish, to put an end to: "That's put the kibosh on it". The OED says the origin is obscure and possibly Yiddish. Other sources suggest that it may be from the Irish meaning "the cap of death" (a reference to the "

black cap The black cap is a plain black fabric square formerly worn as symbolic headgear by English, Welsh, Irish and Northern Irish judges in criminal cases when passing a sentence of death. When worn, the square was placed on top of the judicial wig, ...

" worn by a judge passing sentence of capital punishment, or perhaps to the gruesome method of execution called

pitchcapping Pitchcapping is a form of torture which involves pouring hot pitch or tar (mainly used at the time for water-proofing seams in the sides of ships and boats) into a conical paper cap and forcing it onto an individual's head, which is then allow ...

); or else somehow connected with "bosh", from Turkish "boş" (empty). (Caip bháis - pronounced as kibosh - is also a word in Irish for a candle-snuffer.) ;

Leprechaun A leprechaun ( ga, leipreachán/luchorpán) is a diminutive supernatural being in Irish folklore, classed by some as a type of solitary fairy. They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. ...

: (from ''leipreachán'', based on Old Irish luchorpán, from lu 'small' + corp 'body' (ODE). ;

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

: (from ''Luimneach'') ;

lough ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch. In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spel ...

: (from ''loch'') a lake, or arm of the sea. According to the OED, the spelling "lough" was originally a separate word with a similar meaning but different pronunciation, perhaps from Old Northumbrian: this word became obsolete, effectively from the 16th century, but in Anglo-Irish its spelling was retained for the word newly borrowed from Irish. ; phoney: (probably from the English meaning "gilt brass ring used by swindlers", which is from Irish meaning "ring") fake. ; poteen: (from ''póitín'') hooch, bootleg alcoholic drink (OED) ; shamrock: (from ''seamróg'') a clover, used as a symbol for Ireland (OED). ; Shan Van Vocht: (from ''sean-bhean bhocht'' meaning "poor old woman") a literary name for Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries. ;

shebeen A shebeen ( ga, síbín) was originally an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages were sold without a licence. The term has spread far from its origins in Ireland, to Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, the ...

: (from ''síbín'' meaning "a mugful") unlicensed house selling alcohol (OED). ;

shillelagh A shillelagh ( ; ga, sail éille or , "thonged willow") is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty blackthorn stick with a large knob at the top. It is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore. Other ...

: (from ''sail éille'' meaning "a club with a strap") a wooden club or cudgel made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob on the end. ; Sidhe: () the fairy folk of Ireland, from ''(aos) sídhe'' (OED). See

. ; sleveen, sleiveen: (from ''slíghbhín/slíbhín'') an untrustworthy or cunning person. Used in Ireland and Newfoundland (OED). ;slew: (from ''sluagh'' meaning "a large number") a great amount (OED). Note: as in ''a slew of new products'', not as in ''slay''. ;slob: (from ''slab'') mud (OED). Note: the English words slobber and slobbery do not come from this; they come from Old English. ; slogan: (from ''sluagh-ghairm'' meaning "a battle-cry used by Gaelic clans") Meaning of a word or phrase used by a specific group is metaphorical and first attested from 1704. ;smithereens: small fragments, atoms. In phrases such as 'to explode into smithereens'. This is the word ''smithers'' (of obscure origin) with the Irish diminutive ending. Whether it derives from the modern Irish ''smidrín'' or is the source of this word is unclear (OED). ;tilly: (from ''tuilleadh'' meaning "a supplement") used to refer to an additional article or amount unpaid for by the purchaser, as a gift from the vendor (OED). Perhaps more prevalent in Newfoundland than Ireland. James Joyce, in his '' Pomes Penyeach'' included a thirteenth poem as a bonus (as the book sold for a shilling, twelve poems would have come to a penny each), which he named "Tilly," for the extra sup of milk given to customers by milkmen in Dublin. ;

tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

: originally an Irish outlaw, probably from the Irish verb ''tóir'' meaning "pursue" (OED). ; turlough: a seasonal lake in limestone area (OED) Irish ''tur loch'' 'dry lake' ;

whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ...

: (from ''uisce beatha'' meaning "water of life") (OED).

See also

References

Further reading