Thread: some Irish names for wild animals

Starting off with a favourite. Jellyfish is known as 'Smugairle Róin', which translates as 'Seal Snot'

Bats have a few names in Irish including, Sciathán Leathair, literally 'Leather Wings', or more sinisterly, Bás Dorcha, which translates as 'Black Death' #poorbats

(photo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat#/media/File:Big-eared-townsend-fledermaus.jpg

The Irish name of the pine marten reflects the animal's preference for woodland habitats, it is known as 'Cat Crainn', or in English 'The Tree Cat'

Photo: Ellis Lawrence (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Irish name for the wolf is 'Mactíre' which roughly translates as ‘Son of the Land’

Photo: Barnaby_S (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The Irish name for the Shrew is 'Dallóg Fhéir' or ' Little Blind One of the Grass'

Photo: Hanna Knutsson (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

One of the Irish names for a stoat is 'an bheainín uasal' or 'the little lady'.

Photo: Kentish Plumer (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0),

One of the old Irish names for a hare is 'Mìl maige' or in English: 'Animal of the plains/open spaces'

Photo: Steve Childs (CC BY 2.0)

An old Irish name for the wild boar was 'Fíaclach Coilleadh'' which roughly translates as 'Tusked one of the Forests' http://dil.ie/search?q=f%C3%ADaclach&search_in=headword

(Photo Philippe Rouzet CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

One of the Irish names for the rabbit is 'Preabaire Poill' or the 'Bouncer/Hopper of the Holes'

Photo: Joel Tonyan (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

In Irish the porpoise is know as 'Muc Mhara' or 'Pig of the Sea' and also 'Torc na Tuinne' or 'Boar of the Waves' http://dil.ie/search?q=porpoise…

Photo: Ecomare/Salko de Wolf Den Hoorn Texel (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Another Irish name for the Seal is 'Lao Mara' or 'Calf of the Sea'.

Photo: David Hsiao (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The native Irish lizard is know as 'Earc Luachra', which roughly translates as the the 'Speckled one of the Rushes'.

Photo: Nick Ford (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

And finally.... The old Irish for an otter is 'Doburchù' or in English 'Water Hound' http://dil.ie/17278 

Photo: Dmitry Azovtsev • CC BY-SA 3.0