Emerald?

[SpíosraCeilteach]

I’m a bit confused on the use of “Emerald.”

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus – What word would one use for “emerald” here? [cite]Smaragaide[/cite]? [cite]Iathghlas[/cite]? [cite]Glas Smaragaide[/cite]? And in what contexts are the different constructions for “emerald” used?

Just an interesting thing I’d like to point out… According to [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Tablet]Wikipedia[/url], two other names for the Emerald Tablet are Smaragdine Table and Tabula Smaragdina; “Smaragdine” and “Smaragdina” sound very close to [cite]Smaragaide[/cite]. Are they related somehow?

[cite]Go raibh maith agat[/cite].

[aonghus]

If it is *made* of Emerald, Smaragaid.
If it is Emerald coloured, Iathghlas.

And yes Smaragaid:

smarag
an emerald, Irish smaragaid; from Latin smaragdus, whence through French comes English emerald.

http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/MB2/mb35.html

[Onuvanja]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t “iathghlas” literally mean “evergreen” (something that always remains green), rather than “emerald”? So, perhaps it would be better to use just “glas” when referring to a particular type of colour. Don’t know if “glas smaragaide” would be okay.

[aonghus]

Perhaps but it is always translated as emerald as far as I know. (I have to say that I rarely come across the use of iathghlas other than referring to Ireland)

http://potafocal.com/Search.aspx?Text=iathghlas

Evergreen is síorghlas.

[SpíosraCeilteach]

Go raibh maith agaibh.

So what about Glas Smaragaide? I’ve seen the construction being used as “emerald” several times:

http://www.irishdictionary.ie/dictionary?language=irish&toLanguage=english&word=smaragaid
http://talkirish.com/forums/t/2856.aspx?PageIndex=4
http://www.potafocal.com/Search.aspx?Text=Glas+Smaragaide

[aonghus]

I think those all go back to the same source.

It would be unusual I think.

I’d expect an article: glas na smargaide

[aonghus]

In any case, as far as I can make out the original text was supposed to have been engraved on an emerald.

Mar sin, Tábla smargaide

[SpíosraCeilteach]

Maith go leor.
So you would recommend iathghlas when referring to the emerald colour, mar sin?

[aonghus]

Probably. But as I said I’ve only seen it used in conjunction with Ireland so I’m not certain.

And http://corpas.focloir.ie/ confirms that impression.

The only reference DIL has is also to Ireland

dár ghiall Muicinis iathghlas uillean- nach, Ó Bruad. i 200

(Muicinis – Island of Pigs – is one of many ancient aliases for Ireland)

[SpíosraCeilteach]

I’ve seen Smaragaidghlas used as well, but I don’t know about that one.

Go raibh maith agat, arís!

Any other information anyone could give would be useful.

[aonghus]

I’ve just googled Smaragaidghlas

There are several hits all right but all deeply suspicious!

[SpíosraCeilteach]

Sin é a cheap mé.
I’ll go with iathghlas for the time being.
Something worth investigating further.

[Onuvanja]

Sorry, I was wrong about the meaning of “iathghlas” earlier. Still, it might interest you to know that according to O’Donaill’s dictionary the first half of the word means “meadow”, so “iathghlas” would be “of green meadows”. I would go for “Tábla smaragaide” then, as Aonghus suggested.

[SpíosraCeilteach]

I had thought that “Emerald Tablet” would be “Tábla Smaragaide,” Smaragaide referring to an actual emerald. I just put that out there to have something to work with. %-P
The main thing that was confusing me was how one would convey “Emerald Green.” For example:

[url=http://www.irishdictionary.ie/dictionary?language=irish&toLanguage=english&word=smaragaide]Here[/url] it’s “Glas Smaragaide.”

[url=http://talkirish.com/forums/p/2856/7337.aspx]Here[/url] somebody says that “Smaragaidghlas” is an acceptable construction.

And, of course, you have Oileán Iathghlas na hÉireann as “The Emerald Isle.”

Go raibh maith agat for explaining the “Iath” part! I couldn’t find that anywhere in my (one) dictionary.
Any other information would be appreciated!
Go raibh maith agat, arís!

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