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What language is sommelier from (guessing French, but I am an idiot so I need to ask.)?
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What is the literal English translation of the word if there is one. I know a sommelier is a wine swami, but taken out of context would the word have a meaning by itself?
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If #2 has an answer, what would it translate to in Old Irish?
Okay, one at a time. Sommelier is indeed French. Petit Larousse says that the etymology is from Old Provençal [a Romance Language kind of between French and Italian] saumalier, ‘conducteur de bêtes de somme.’ [Driver of beasts of burden] The definition given is ‘Personne chargée du service des vins et liqueurs dans un restaurant.’ [Person charged with the service of wines and liquors in a restaurant] Both Provençal ‘saum-’ and French ‘somme’ are from Latin sagma, itself from Greek ságma, ‘saddle, packsaddle.’
The Old Irish word for saddle is sadall, borrowed from Old Norse. Another word for saddle in OI is *díllat * (which also means “clothes,” cf. Welsh dillad, from which it is probably borrowed) or díallait. Caveat: I’m not a native Old Irish speaker, and it’s much easier to translate things out of dead languages than into them. That said, I’d suggest a compound of the noun gilla, “youth, boy, servant” and your saddle word or a wine-word. The dictionary says, “with a defining genitive of the work allotted or the service performed,” so:
- literal gloss of the Provençal: *gilla sadaill * / *gilla díllait * / gilla díallait
- OI equivalent of ‘sommelier’: gilla fíno
A sommelier is more of a wine adviser than a wine server. He or she will help you select the appropriate wine(s), and may serve the first glass, but your waiter will usually pick it up from there.
Most people I’ve heard pronounce it incorrectly, usually saying something like so-MAHL-y-yay. Say it like: sum-UL-yay
I’m changing my suggestion for this to gille áine, as *áin * is “the act of driving [animals etc.].” The first suggestion would probably imply “the guy who takes off & cleans the saddle.”
What’s the term used in modern Irish? Is it something like fìon stiùbhard (“wine steward”)? Or do they just borrow from the French, as English does?
Surprisingly, there’s no entry in De Bhaldraithe for either “sommelier” or “wine steward.” He does give “wine-butler”: buitléir fíona. Foclóir Bia agus Dí: An Irish Dictionary for the Food and Beverage Industry doesn’t have them, either, but gives: “Wine Waiter / Waitress: Fear / Bean an Fhíona.” I tried a quick internet search and at least one Irish writer does use “sommelier.” From an Irish Lottery press release or something (pdf):
Andrea Roche celebrates the bubbly €183 million EuroMillions Jackpot on 17 November, 2006 with a champagne fountain poured by top Irish sommelier Ian Brosnan.
Ceiliúrann Andrea Roche Buaicdhuais bhoilgeogach EuroMillions de €183 milliún ar 17 Samhain, 2006 le scairdéan champagne a dhoirt scoth **sommelier ** Éireannach, Ian Brosnan.