Irish

The word “Irish” means relating to Ireland, its people, or its culture. In plain terms, of or from Ireland — the people, the language, or the culture.

“Irish” is pronounced EYE-rihsh (/ˈaɪɹɪʃ/ in IPA).

Here is “Irish” used in a sentence: “They enjoyed a night of Irish music and dancing.”

Depending on how it is used, “Irish” can be an adjective and a name.

The word “Irish” comes from Old English. From Old English Īras ("Irishmen"), from Old Norse Írar, ultimately from Old Irish Ériu ("Ireland").

“Irish” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Irish” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to Ireland, its people, or its culture.

Being Irish means belonging to or coming from Ireland, or sharing its people, heritage, and culture. It can describe nationality, ancestry, the Irish language, or cultural identity — Irish music, Irish traditions. It applies to the Republic of Ireland and, for many, the wider island and its global diaspora.

Yes. 'Irish' is both an adjective for anything relating to Ireland and the name of the Celtic language also called Irish Gaelic or Gaeilge. It is an official language of the Republic of Ireland. So a person can be Irish by nationality and also speak Irish as a language.

'Irish' relates to Ireland, its people, culture, and native language. 'Gaelic' is a broader term for a group of Celtic languages that includes both Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic. In Ireland the language is usually just called 'Irish', while 'Gaelic' alone can be ambiguous between the Irish and Scottish forms.

Examples include traditional music with fiddles and tin whistles, Irish dancing, Gaelic games such as hurling and Gaelic football, St Patrick's Day, and the Irish language. The word also covers food, literature, and folklore rooted in Ireland, from Irish stew to writers such as Yeats and Joyce.