First Irish dictionary aims to end need to understand words through 'lens of English'

Ottoline Spearman

A first of its kind Irish dictionary has been launched, which aims to end the need for words being understood "through the lens of English."

The dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge was launched on Tuesday by President Catherine Connolly and can be accessed for free online at Fócloir.ie.

The dictionary is aimed at giving a new way to understand and use the Irish language without relying on dictionaries in English or in other languages.

CEO of Foras na Gaeilge told the Irish Examiner: "For generations, Irish speakers who encountered unfamiliar Irish words were forced to translate them into English and then search for definitions in English dictionaries.”

“The new monolingual Irish dictionary changes this paradigm. Instead of asking ‘What’s the English for X?’, speakers will now be empowered to ask ‘What does X mean?’ in their own language.”

The dictionary includes more than 40,000 words and is meant to cater to all levels of Irish speakers.

Patricia Nic Eoin from All About Irish said on Newstalk: "It's there for the learner, which is fantastic, but also for somebody who's working through Irish, the native Irish speaker as well, people with a high level of Irish.

"It has to cater to both, and I think it's going to do that."

President Connolly told the Irish Examiner: "A contemporary monolingual dictionary is an essential resource in any living language, in which the language itself and its uniqueness are defined in its own words and by its own community, instead of constantly being defined through the medium of another language.

“This new dictionary places the Irish language and Irish speakers on an equal footing with other modern languages and communities."