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 thoughts on “Word of the day – spotçhal

  1. Laa-ruggyree sonney dhyt!

    And, yes, I stole that from your very own site. (Son spotçh ren mee eh…)

    Happy happy!

  2. 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.

  3. 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. 😉

  4. 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.

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