da-rìribh

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

da-rìreadh, dha-rìreadh, ga-rìreadh, dha-rìribh, ga-rìribh, a-rìribh, rìribh
an da-rìreadh, an da-rìribh, ann an da-rìreadh, ann an da-rìribh

Etymology

From Middle Irish darírib, apparently from de ḟírib (literally “from truths”), but the source of the first r is unclear; it may have arise through conflation with expressions like ar fír (literally “on truth”) and iar fír (literally “through truth”).

Pronunciation

This word has several different common variations, generally spelled according to pronunciation, though the spellings prescribed by the Gaelic Orthographic Conventions are da-rìribh and dha-rìribh.

IPA^(key): /ɡ̊aˈɾʲiːɾʲiv/, /ɡ̊aˈɾʲiːɾʲʊ/ (corresponding to the form ga-rìribh)^{[note 1]}
IPA^(key): /ɣaˈɾʲiːɾʲiv/, /ɣaˈɾʲiːɾʲʊ/^[1], /ɣaˈɾʲiːɾʲi/^[2] (corresponding to the form dha-rìribh)^{[note 2]}
IPA^(key): /d̪̊aˈɾʲiːɾʲiv/, /d̪̊aˈɾʲiːɾʲʊ/^{[note 3]}
IPA^(key): /d̪̊aˈɾʲiːɾʲəɣ/^[3] (corresponding to the form da-rìreadh)^{[note 4]}
IPA^(key): /ˈɾʲiːɾʲʊ/ (corresponding to the form rìribh)^{[note 5]}

Adverb

da-rìribh

in earnest, seriously, for real, indeed, truly, verily

Derived terms

math dha-rìribh

Notes

^ Attested in Lewis, Harris, Uist, Barra, Skye, Ross-shire, Lochaber, Lochalsh
^ Attested in Lewis, Harris, Sutherland
^ Attested in South Uist, Skye, Tiree, Argyll, Arran
^ Attested in Argyll, Arran
^ Attested in Sutherland, Badenoch, Strathspey, Perthshire

References

^ Oftedal, M. (1956), A linguistic survey of the Gaelic dialects of Scotland, Vol. III: The Gaelic of Leurbost, Isle of Lewis, Oslo: Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap
^ Wentworth, Roy (2003), Gaelic Words and Phrases From Wester Ross / Faclan is Abairtean à Ros an Iar, Inverness: CLÀR, →ISBN
^ Holmer, Nils M. (1938), Studies on Argyllshire Gaelic, Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksells boktryckeri-A.-B., page 151