Nationality: American

Occupation: Student

Residence: New York, NY

Text: “Níl a fhios agam” (literal translation: its knowledge is not at me) – Irish Phrase

Context: While studying abroad in Dublin, my sister heard multiple non-Irish speakers say this. The phrase in Irish means “I don’t know”, however when my sister heard it said in Irish it was generally referring to a more abstract unknown, such as questions about the distant future. My sister also found the phrase interesting due to the lack of verbs, which is a feature of the Irish language.

Analysis: The use of the Native Irish language was used to emphasize the point. Saying “I don’t know” in English is not very impactful, and often shuts down a conversation. When the Irish language is used, it does not shut down a conversation; it more often was used to begin exploring what could happen. This is also a way that the Irish language remains alive outside of the classroom, even as English becomes the dominant language in Ireland. Using Irish phrases to have slightly different meanings to their English counterparts keeps the language and culture of Ireland alive.