Is the Irish Language rasist?

[fatandfortysomething]

Something I heard on TV the other night made me think. The term in Irish for a coloured gentleman is Fear Gorm, which literally translates as Blue Man. Fear Dubh, which is the literal translation for "Black Man" a term which is nowdays politically incorrect, is a phrase used in the Irish language to refer to Satan.

Brendan, is this true or did my beloved Telly lie to me.

[mralphabet1984]

Something I heard on TV the other night made me think. The term in Irish for a coloured gentleman is Fear Gorm, which literally translates as Blue Man. Fear Dubh, which is the literal translation for "Black Man" a term which is nowdays politically incorrect, is a phrase used in the Irish language to refer to Satan.

Brendan, is this true or did my beloved Telly lie to me.

You were watching In America To :) Love that movie! I dunno if its racist .. I would have thought it means Dark Man to which Satan is ... I dunno any Irish experts amongst us ??:cool:

[madonnalucia]

Something I heard on TV the other night made me think. The term in Irish for a coloured gentleman is Fear Gorm, which literally translates as Blue Man. Fear Dubh, which is the literal translation for "Black Man" a term which is nowdays politically incorrect, is a phrase used in the Irish language to refer to Satan.

Brendan, is this true or did my beloved Telly lie to me.

Fear Gorm is the correct phrase and literally means blue man. The term coloured is considered a derogatory and racist term, and the correct term is black.

x

[fatandfortysomething]

Fear Gorm is the correct phrase and literally means blue man. The term coloured is considered a derogatory and racist term, and the correct term is black.

x

I am not into the whole P.C. caper really. I believe in calling a spade, a spade.








Joking

[fada]

Yes, the Correct term for a black person is "Fear Gorm" as to call them a "Fear Dubh" would be calling them the devil.
To be more PC one could use the term coloured person: "duine le dath" but to say duine dathuil would be calling them good looking...

But no.... the Irish language isn't really racist.... it's just got some interesting ways of describing things!

[Stupid Cupid]

But no.... the Irish language isn't really racist.... it's just got some interesting ways of describing things!

I never spotted this thread before...

Isn't masturbation called feintruallach, or some such in irish? Which means self polluting? I think that is gonna be my favourite term from now on.

'Go self pollute yourself!'

[ryato]

But no.... the Irish language isn't really racist.... it's just got some interesting ways of describing things!

Yes, I think that is a good way of describing it. It's an old language that was very inclusive in itself (i.e. only dealt with things in Ireland) so that when change started happening e.g. people of different races, it had to use what words it already had to best describe them.
So it's not really it's fault it's a little bit racist, it's just old so it can say whatever it wants.