Help with Irish word

[KimmySchmidty]

Hi all, I was hoping someone might be able to help me figure something out, it's a bit of a long shot but here goes!

My family are originally from the west of ireland and there's an irish word they use which is basically pronounced something like "queerna" and in my family it is used to describe a person who has been naughty/cheeky etc. Does anyone know what the word might actually be? The closest I have got is Caora/Sheep which might be it, but doesn't really fit how it's used in my family....

If I have to accept it's a made up word then I will! I could have a very romanticised view of this word but it was used to describe an aunt of mine who was sooo brilliant so I'd love to find out more about it.

If anyone has any ideas about how I can trace this word I am all ears!
Thanks!!

Caoine means refined? Could that be it?

There an Irish language board on boards dot ie. have you tried asking there?

touch.boards.ie/forum/31

www.teanglann.ie/ga/fgb/Caor

Caoirne is not on there but is the adjective you might make from caor.

Not sure if it fits but a cluainaire (pronounced cloo-nara) is a charmer or a rogue. Any chance that could be it?

Thank you for the suggestions! It's exciting to feel a little bit closer to finding this word. I will run the suggestions past my dad to see if they ring a bell. I'll try the board.ie suggestion too.

Thanks all!

It is not a word I'm familiar with. Those of us that went to school through Irish will have been called naughty or bold at times by the teachers (páiste dána, páiste dalba). Same for the words for cheeky, nothing comes to mind that is similar to your phonetic spelling.

I'm not from the Galway/Mayo/Donegal and there would be lots and lots of different phrases, idioms, etc. It's very different!

The word you write is very close to the Irish word for "cairns" (chuirne), but it's obviously not that :)

West of Ireland has very different sounding Gaeilges. People did not travel far 100 years ago - I think they lived their lives within 20miles of their homes for the most part.
I'm familiar with Munster (Kerry) Irish which sounds different to Connaught (Galway) Irish. Connaught Irish - I can hardly mke out.

Caoire for sheep would give you caoireach for sheep-like (probably) - not sure where queerna would be. Doesn't ring any bell, sorry.

Is the original word caor thine, I wonder? It would be pronounced almost as queerna , with the TH silent.

It means a fireball, a meteor, a thunderbolt...

'Caor thine ort' means 'bad luck to you'.

Maybe a flash of genius?

OP it could be anything tbh
The Irish language is very localised. If you don't know the spelling it's impossible to understand from
phonetics if that makes any sense

Caor theineadh....., a fireball, a meteor, a thunderbolt
Caoraim = I scold, abuse, lampoon, satirise.
Caorthainn/caorann f., Blaze; rage.

Do any of those describe your aunt?
I love this - have you got any more wee abairtí you can share?

From Dinneen's Foclóir Gaedhilge agus Béarla.