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Meacaim éagsúla/ Different roots

D'ith mé rís agus meacain dearga anois. Ach, níl siad dearg. Tuigim buí. Is meacain oraiste. Cad chuige sin? Níl fhios agam conas tugann muid glasra sin dath seo as Gaeilge. Silím faoí an ciall le 'glas'. Níl dath sin an radharc go congarach go bhfuil chomh as Béarla.

Measaim go bhfuil chialla éagsúla orthu an focal 'meacain' as Gaeilge. Mar shampla, is míniú 'meacan bán' le 'parsnip' as Béarla. Is ciall 'meacan bistais' le 'beetroot'. Is brí 'meacan ráibe' le 'radish'. Is dhá rudái leis meacain difriúil, mar sin. Is brí 'meacan mara' le 'sea-radish' agus is brí 'meacan ragaim' le 'horse-radish'. Is maith bean a tí an dara seo. Níor caitheann mé ag ithe sin.

Is ciall 'meacan an leonta' le 'fennel.' Is ciall 'leonta' is cosuil 'leon'. Fasaionn sé go fiáin in aice leis teach agam nuair tosaigh an earraigh. Ábalta tú boladh ar an maidín go luath. Mura thagann an grian. Nuair d'éirigh sé, níl tú ag bolú 'meacan an leonta'. Tá sula an breacadh an lae, caitheann tú ag fáil an cumhraíonn seo go gear. Is cuimhne liom aige liocoris. Ní maith liom na blasanna mheacain an leonta nó liocoris, mar sin féin! Níor itheann siad.

Different roots

I ate rice and carrots [literally "red roots"] tonight. But, they're not red. Yellow, I understand. Carrots are orange. Why is that? I don't know how we give in Irish this vegetable that color. I think about the meaning of "glas" [green]. That color does not have the narrow range of vision as it does in English.

I figure that there are different meanings from the word "meacain" in Irish. For example, there's the word-meaning "meacan bán" for "parsnip" in English. There's the meaning "meacan bistais" for "beetroot." There's the meaning "meacan ráibe" for "radish." There's two things for differences in "meacain," however. There's "meacan mara" for "sea-radish" and for "meacan ragaim" the meaning "horse-radish." The wife likes this second one. I cannot eat that.

There's for "meacan an leonta" the meaning of "fennel." The meaning of "leonta" is "lion-like." It grows wild near the my house when spring starts. You are able to smell it early in the morning. Unless the sun comes. When it rises, you couldn't smell "meacan an leonta." Before the break of day, you can find the sharp scent. It reminds me of licorice. I don't like the taste of fennel or licorice, nevertheless. I don't eat them.

Photo/ grianghraf: meacan an leonta agus Loch Tahoe. Fennel & Lake Tahoe.