2026-07-23 14:30 UTC
It comes from the Old Irish word "caile" (maid, female servant) combined with the small or tender suffix "-ín". "Caile" is the root word meaning maid or girl. It connects far back to old Latin ("pellex", meaning concubine or mistress) and "-ín" is a standard Irish suffix used to make a word mean a little version of something.
#ireland #slang #language
Replies (1)
-
@Fionnbharr@mastodon.ie 2026-07-23 14:30
"Gruth do Thadhg agus meadhg do na cailíni" (proverb), "the best of everything for the menfolk (lit. Curds for Tadhg [typical man's name]) and whey for the girls". Here are a few more cailíni: Cailín aimsire - a hired female (seasonal) labourer. Cailín cumhra - a careful, sensible, wise type of girl. Cailín báire - a tomboy. Cailín Domhnaigh - a lazy, well-dressed girl (literally “Sunday girl”). #ireland #slang #language