# What is Irish for Silver and Gold?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-irish-for-silver-and-gold/220640>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 23, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-irish-for-silver-and-gold/220640 "2003-12-23T14:08:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-irish-for-silver-and-gold/220640/1 "2003-12-23T14:08:45Z")

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I am curious to know if the name “Argent” could mean silver in Irish? If not, what is the correct Irish word? Also, I understand the last name “Ormond”, or similar variants, can be an old Irish name meaning “red”, but could it also mean gold? Again, if not, what is Irish for gold?

Thanks,

- Jinx

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**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-irish-for-silver-and-gold/220640/2 "2003-12-23T14:14:06Z")

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As far as I know, gold is _ór_, and silver is _airgead_ (googled that one!). I believe there is some Latin influence on the language.

Red is _rua_, as **ruadh** will hopefully confirm!

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**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-irish-for-silver-and-gold/220640/3 "2003-12-23T14:42:43Z")

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Both are, I believe, borrowings from Old French, through the Anglo-Norman invaders (e.g., Strongbow) – _or_ and _argent_ are gold and silver, respectively, in the technical language of heraldry drawn from Old French.

Latin for them is _aurum_ and _argentum_ respectively, whence the chemical symbols Au and Ag. And I think it’s clear how these gave rise to the Old French. But I suspect that the likelihood, especially given the almost-exact mod., is that Irish borrowed not from Latin directly but from the tongue of the invaders who were attempting (and often succeeding) to establish an ascendancy over the native Irish, and who would have some control over the precious-metal supply on the island in consequence.

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**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-irish-for-silver-and-gold/220640/4 "2003-12-23T14:45:49Z")

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I don’t doubt that, though I would also point out that the Latin-speaking Church preceded the Normans in Ireland by a couple of centuries.

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**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-irish-for-silver-and-gold/220640/5 "2003-12-31T18:43:50Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jjimm \*  
> \*\*Red is _rua_, as **ruadh** will hopefully confirm! \*\*

Basically only when referring to haircolour. Otherwise red is _dearg_.

As for “Ormond”, I believe that’s a Norman name, not Irish (Gaelic) at all.

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**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-irish-for-silver-and-gold/220640/6 "2003-12-31T20:40:03Z")

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I thought that Irish for silver was Coors Silver Bullet 12 pk and gold was Miller Draft Gold 12 pk…Just joking…Don’t want to create any stereo types just because I am Irish myself.