List of English words of Irish origin: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

This is a list of English language words of Irish origin, including from the Celtic Irish language and the Germanic Hiberno-English and Ulster Scots languages.

• banshee: (from bean sídhe, 'fairy woman') wailing female spirit warning of death
• boreen: (from bóithrín) a small country road
• clan: In Scottish, extended family; in Irish it refers to the children of a nuclear family.
• colleen: (from cailín) girl (usually referring to an Irish girl)
• crack: fun. Although, strictly speaking, not a word of Irish origin, it is often spelled craic in an Irish style by those who mistakenly believe it is an Irish language word. It originates in the north of England. Nothing whatsoever to do with the drug crack.
• eejit: Hiberno-English pronunciation of idiot. A fool.
• galore: plenty, a lot. From go leor, Irish for enough. For the poorest of Ireland, enough was a great deal, more than most people had.
• gob: (literally beak) mouth
• gobshite: a fool, one held in contempt. See eejit.
• keen: (from caoin, 'to cry') to lament, to wail mournfully
• leprechaun: - elf, sprite (from leipreachán)
• poteen: (from poitín, 'small pot') hooch, bootleg alcoholic drink
• phoney: (from fáinne, ring) fake (term originating from Irish immigrants in US referring to fake gold rings illegally marketed there)
• quiz: word allegedly invented by a Richard Daly, a Dublin theatre owner, in the late 18th century as result of a bet that he would introduce a new word to the English language overnight.
• shite: Hiberno-English pronunciation of shit.
• smashing: (from is maith é sin) that's good
• slob: (from slaba) lazy person
• slogan: (from sluagh-ghairm) troop-cry / war-cry
• slew: (from slua) throng
• smithereens: (from smidiríní) little pieces
• whiskey: (from uisce beatha, 'water of life'). In Scotland, the word is spelled whisky.