Dublin Historical Record

Review by Theo Mortimer, Honorary Editor, Dublin Historical Record (published by the Old Dublin Society)

Since the days of the great lexicographer, Samuel Johnson, many additions to the English language have been recorded. This volume is probably the first devoted to "Irish English", a language that has developed over the years by the intermingling of the two languages, by local idiom and by the introduction of slang expressions from abroad.

Paddy Sammon has gathered together over 2,000 items that define "greenspeak" and shows details of their origins. They cover every aspect of Irish life and are diverse enough to make this volume a source of untold value as well as being a constant enjoyment as one discovers so many words and expressions which are in general use but in some cases not immediately recognisable as being of ancient lineage.

Did you know that a "Kerry witness" is one who will swear to anything for payment, that "craic" is actually a Middle English word, or that "pulsars" were first observed by Jocelyn Bell Burnell in 1967? These and many other items are explored in the book. While the book is very easy to read it is better used as a reference work and better still as one to be savoured by dipping into it either for specific information or just for the enjoyment of the vagaries of both speech and the written word.

TM