The link between Bart Simpson and the Irish Language.

Matt Groening named the Simpsons family after his own family – apart from Bart. Because Bart is always bold, he used an anagram of the word ‘brat’. But what’s this got to do with Irish?

We have to look at the history of the word ‘brat’.

Brat is an English word that we use for badly behaved kids. However, it originally came from the 1500s when it was used to describe beggar children who wore a ‘bratt’ – a word in Old-English for a type of cloak.

This word actually came from the Irish language, and is still used today. It can mean ‘cloak’ and is the root of the word for ‘flag’.

An nasc idir Bart Simpson agus an Ghaeilge.

D’ainmnigh Matt Groening The Simpsons uilig  i ndiaidh a chlann féin – seachas Bart. Toisc go mbíonn Bart dána i gcónaí, bheartaigh sé anagram den fhocal ‘brat’ i Béarla a usáid. Ana-mhaith, dar leat, ach cén nasc atá leis sin agus an Ghaeilge?

Beidh orainn breathnú ar stair an fhocail ‘brat’.

Is focal ó Shasana ‘brat’ agus sa lá atá inniu ann déanann sé cur síos ar páiste dána. Bhíodh sé in úsáid, áfach, i gcomhair páistí  a bhíodh i mbun déirce (ag lorg airgid) toisc gur minic a bhíodh  ‘bratt’ orthu – focal sa Sean-Bhéarla leis an mbrí ‘cloak’.

Is dócha gur léir duit anois go bhfuil fréamh an fhocail sin sa Ghaeilge toisc go bhfuil sé fós in úsáid againn go mion minic!