This is a great one from IGTF that really shouldn't be allowed to die! Below is the post that started it all in 2004, with the addition of my latest. For those who never saw the thread at IGTF, here's a link:
http://www.irishgaelictranslator.com/tr ... 15658.htmlPlease add your own!
Finish the sentence: "You know you've been studying Irish too long when..."
You find you have an incredible urge to lenite words following "the," "my," and "your"...regardless of what language they're in.
You run across an English word starting with "ch," "th" etc., and you find yourself automatically converting it to "root" form.
You realize that "ng" seems like a perfectly logical and normal way to start a word.
Even English words start to look wrong if they don't follow the "caol le caol" rule.
You want to look up "lenition" in an English dictionary, and realize after about 10 minutes that the reason you can't find it is because "lenition" doesn't begin with an "s" in English.
After spending time looking at a site with songs in Welsh, Manx, Scottish or Cornish, you find it a relief to run across a song with "normal looking" (i.e., Irish) words.
You find yourself swearing at other drivers on the freeway and realize the reason they're giving you baffled looks is they have no idea what you're saying.
You say "hello" to your neighbor and she gives you a funny look because, in her world, "hello" starts with an "h"...and just who are you calling a "witch," anyway???
And my latest:
You know you've been studying Irish too long when, when you're reading in church, you run across an unfamiliar Hebrew word and, without missing a beat, pronounce it as if it were Irish (I'm fairly certain that "Beth-peor" isn't supposed to be pronounced the way I said it this morning!)