This month’s word is fáilte
You have already seen this word; it’s right at the homepage of this website and was used in our first post. So you probably know its meaning already – it is the word used in Irish Gaelic to welcome someone to a house, a common space and especially to your home. But it means so much more than that.
🗣️ How do you say it?
The pronunciation of Fáilte varies by Irish dialect – the final sound especially varies throughout the provinces of Ireland. Roughly it is either FAWL-cheh in the more northern counties or FAWL-teh in the southernmost regions. The f is pronounced like in English, while the t is softened, giving the word its distinctive -cheh or -teh ending. Around areas of Dublin you might even hear hear a much more throaty FAWL-tcha too!
📖 How is it used?
You will often hear fáilte in phrases such as Fáilte romhat as a welcome (literally, “welcome before you”), or Céad míle fáilte, meaning “a hundred thousand welcomes.” On the opening post of this blog we said Tá fáilte romhaibh go léir! This means ‘you are all very welcome’. These are pronounced using English phonetics as:
Fáilte romhat – fawl-cheh row-it
Céad míle fáilte – cade meela fawl-cheh
Tá fáilte romhaibh go léir – taw fawl-cheh row-av guh lair
🌱 Where does it come from?
The word Fáilte was the same in Old Irish, so its history goes back well over a thousand years! It means welcome or hospitality, and is related to the idea of receiving or welcoming someone and the joy associated with their arrival (this of course depends on who you or they are). This gives fáilte a richer sense than the plain word welcome, as it captures the positive reception or gladness associated with their arrival. The word has remained part of the Irish language for centuries and is now one of the most recognisable Irish words, appearing on signs, in greetings and in the names of organisations throughout Ireland. You will no doubt have seen it if you came through Dublin Airport. So, whether you’re arriving in Dublin for the first time or coming back for the hundredth: fáilte!
Text by Max