Word of the day - spotçhal
spotçhal = joking
Examples of usage
Vel oo spotçhal? = are you joking?
Cha nel mee spotçhal noadyr = I’m not joking at all
Son spotçh ren mee eh = I did it for a joke
Lhig eh shaghey myr spotçh eh = He passed it off as a joke
Related words
spotçh / spring, noun = joke
spotçheraght / springaght, verb = to joke
This word came up in the Manx lesson I was listening to while making toast this morning, and it really appealed to me.
The equivalent words for joking in the other Celtic languages are:
Irish Gaelic - magadh
Scottish Gaelic - fealla-dhà
Welsh - jocio, cellwair, ffraetheb, smalio
Ta my laa ruggyree ayn jiu, liorish yn raad. Ta mee shey bleeaney jeig as feed.
By the way, it’s my birthday today.
6 Responses to “Word of the day - spotçhal”
Benjamin on 09 Apr 2006 at 11:17 pm #
Vel oo spotçhal? No?
Congratulations Simon, then!!
Bill Walsh on 10 Apr 2006 at 12:12 am #
Laa-ruggyree sonney dhyt!
And, yes, I stole that from your very own site. (Son spotçh ren mee eh…)
Happy happy!
TJ on 10 Apr 2006 at 4:48 am #
Lá Breithe Shona Dhuit!
an aries is talking to us here! ……. MAKE WAY
Simon on 10 Apr 2006 at 9:22 am #
Benjamin - Cha row mee spotçhal - va dy feer my laa-ruggyree ayn jea (I wasn’t joking, it really was my birthday yesterday).
If you can decipher the second sentence in Manx, you’ll know how old I am as well.
Benjamin on 10 Apr 2006 at 12:50 pm #
Hm, too bad that I don’t speak Manx. ;) Yet, I “have” to try a translation…
Ta mee shey bleeaney jeig as feed.
ta = it is
mee = my
shey = 6
bleeaney = anniversary
jeig = 10
as = and
feed = 20
Though the syntax seems confusing to me I would say it was your 36th birthday, using my “incredible” math skills. ;)
Simon on 10 Apr 2006 at 4:42 pm #
Well done Benjamin! It was indeed my 36th birthday.
The literal meaning of the sentence is “Is I 6 years 10 and 20″ - this is the rather strange way you write some numbers in Manx, and the other Gaelic languages. They count in 20s, so 36 is 6 10 (16) + 20. Then you stick the years after the six, but only when the wind is from the east and and moon waxing. Cha nel mee agh spotçhal! (only joking) - it’s actually only on Tuesdays they do this.