# Gaelic translation, please (need answer fast-ish) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gaelic-translation-please-need-answer-fast-ish/749781 "2016-03-21T17:16:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gaelic-translation-please-need-answer-fast-ish/749781/42 "2016-09-19T11:21:31Z")
Responding to an earlier post: It’s not unusual for the word for “left” (direction) to be replaced in a language. It’s called taboo replacement – lefties being often seen as weird, even sinister. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gaelic-translation-please-need-answer-fast-ish/749781/43 "2016-09-19T12:25:17Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Just because two languages are in the same language family does not mean that one can make a “word for word” translation between the two languages. Especially between languages with significantly different grammar and structure like English and Irish. The English sentence: “The girl is walking” Word for word the same concept translated from Irish: “Is the girl at walking” In Irish the word order is Verb-Subject-Object as opposed to English which is Subject-Verb-Object. As just one example. Unlike English, you don’t invert the verb and subject order to ask a question. Also, while English will change the ending of words Irish often changes the beginning of words. Another outstanding oddity: Irish has neither “yes” nor “no” as discreet words. If someone asks you “are you doing something?” you have to answer either “I am” or “I am not”, you can’t just say yes or no because neither of those words exist in Irish (though Irish speakers might borrow them a lot these days - they might wind up as language immigrants). That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Which is why word-for-word translations are often confusing, nonsensical, or useless. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gaelic-translation-please-need-answer-fast-ish/749781/44 "2016-09-19T15:16:51Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > It’s called taboo replacement – lefties being often seen as weird, even sinister. I see what you did there.😉 Interestingly, the Spanish words for “left,” _izquierdo_, and “left-handed,” _zurdo_ appear to be derived or related from the Basque terms rather than Indo-European. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gaelic-translation-please-need-answer-fast-ish/749781/45 "2016-09-19T15:45:34Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I see what you did there.😉 > > Interestingly, the Spanish words for “left,” _izquierdo_, and “left-handed,” _zurdo_ appear to be derived or related from the Basque terms rather than Indo-European. Exactly. Perfect example. Apparently, the Germanic words for “bear” (including English) are another example – “the brown one [whose real name must not be spoken, lest it eat me].” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gaelic-translation-please-need-answer-fast-ish/749781.md?page=2)