mar ea

Irish

FWOTD – 19 April 2018

Alternative forms

• mar eadh (superseded)

Etymology

Apparently contracted from mar bha ea (“as it were”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mˠaɾˠ ˈja/ (as if spelled mar dh’ea)
• (Munster) IPA^(key): /mˠɑɾˠ ˈjɛ/ (as if spelled mar dh’e)

Phrase

mar ea

1. used to express skepticism or doubt about the accuracy or veracity of a claim

   rí mar ea ― a pretended king

   — Lá breá atá ann inniu. —Tá mar ea!

   —It’s a fine day today. —The hell it is!

   Tá mar ea gabhar ar an mbóthar romham.

   There is what seems to be a goat on the road before me.

   • 1939, Peig Sayers, “Inghean an Cheannaidhe”, in Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Description d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études; 270) (overall work in French), Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, page 194:

     Bhí an aimsir caithte agus nuair a bhí an t-árthach chun cuain a fhágaint ní raibh an máta ábalta ar dhul ar bórd, mar bhí sé breóidhte, mar eadh.

     The time was up, and when the vessel was about to leave the harbor, the mate was not able to go aboard because he was ill, he claimed.

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927) “mar”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society