A Dictionary of Hiberno-English: The Irish Use of English

Bertie Speak, D4, circling Shannon, An Bord Snip Nua, chancer, dig-out, dubes and ghost estate.

A Dictionary of Hiberno-English is the leading reference authority on Hiberno-English ― the form of English commonly spoken in Ireland. The words above are a sample of over one hundred new words which have recently slipped into our daily lexicon, and which are included in this third edition of Terence Dolan’s classic Dictionary of Hiberno-English.

It was only at the start of the twentieth century that Hiberno-English was recognised as a fully-fledged dialect. The two tributary streams that create it and that differentiate it from Standard English are loan words, as well as grammar, from the Irish language, and also archaic English words that have fallen out of use in England but remain in common use in Ireland.

T.P. Dolan’s seminal dictionary has established its pre-eminent position as the leading reference authority on Hiberno-English.