Ulster-Scots
| Irish
|
Â
abacus
beads on a frame to help you count
archaeologist
someone who finds out about how we lived in the past by learning about old buildings, graves, tools and things people used
arithmetic
using numbers to add, subtract, multiply and divide
artefact
something made by a person long ago that helps us learn more about how they lived
astronomers
people who try to learn more about the sun, moon, planets and stars
bazaar (relating to a church bazaar)
a place where people sell things to help raise money
bishop
an important priest or minister
cathedral
like a church but larger
cell (relating to a monastery)
a very small, plain room with very little furniture
commemorate
doing something to help remember someone or something important that happened in the past
confession
to own up to doing something wrong
conqueror
The person who wins
consonants
the 21 letters in the alphabet that are not vowels (a, e, i, o, u)
crosier
a long decorative stick often carried by a bishop
curragh
a small boat used long ago and made from stretched animal skins and wood
deacon
someone whose job is to help a priest or minister in a church
decipher
to work out what something means or solve a puzzle
donations
gifts of money or things given to help a charity
druid
a priest who follows a very old religion that worships nature
empire
lots of different countries ruled by one country or group of people
excavation
to dig up things things that have been buried long ago in the earth
extinct
something that is no longer alive
fact
something that is true and can be proved
fasting
going without food for a while
fawn
a young deer
folklore
old stories or legends that have been passed on from person to person
fort
a strong, safe building, often on a small hill and used by soldiers to help them protect the area
Great Famine
when many people died of hunger and disease in Ireland around 1846 - 1851
illuminated manuscripts
very beautifully decorated handwriting often done by monks many centuries ago before there were machines to print pages or books
kidnapped
stealing a person from where they are meant to be and holding them as your prisoner
learned
spoken as "learn-ed" this means knowing a lot of things
lent
40 weekdays from "Ash Wednesday" Christians prepare for Easter, sometimes by not eating particular foods
manuscripts
handwritten pages or books, usually from long ago when there were no printing machines
medieval
from the "middle ages", so the time in history between 500AD and 1300AD
megalith
a huge stone put in a special place by people a very long time ago
merchants
people who buy and sell things
midden
a muck heap, like a compost heap where people used to leave their rubbish
missionary
a person sent by a church to tell people in another place about God
monastery
a house or small group of buildings where monks live, work and worship God together
mosaics
small pieces of coloured stone or tiles put together to make a pattern, picture or decoration
myth
a made-up story from the past
ogham
very early writing in Ireland where the letters look like groups of short lines cut into a stone or piece of wood
oratory (place)
a small room for prayer
oratory (person)
public speaking
oxen
similar to cows or buffalo
pagan
Someone who isn't Christian, Jewish or Muslim and who worships more than one god
patron saint
a holy person now believed to have been very special when they were alive
pilgrimage
a journey you make for religious reasons, sometimes to a special holy place
plumage
bird's feathers
primate
the most important minister or priest in the country
quill
a pen made from a big feather from a goose or sometimes a turkey or swan
rath
a large circle of earth or stone built long ago to protect the people who lived inside
refectory
a large room for a group of people to eat meals
relics
Something very old that once belonged to a very holy person
Roman Empire
a group of countries ruled by the Romans
sacristy
the room in a church where things used in worship are kept, for example special clothes
saint
a very good, kind person who other Christians believe to be very special
scholar
someone who studies a subject in great detail
scriptorium
the writing room in a monastery where monks worked on beautiful manuscripts
settlement
a place where people come to live
shrine
a special place to remember someone who has died, especially someone holy
slavery
being owned by someone else and having to work hard for them
souterrain
an underground passage way in a rath
spires
tall points on top of a church tower
spiritual
having deep feelings and beliefs about religion
stained glass windows
coloured glass cut into shapes to make pictures, especially in churches
Stonehenge
a very ancient place in England with many large stones in a circular pattern
swineherd
someone who looks after pigs
toga
a long piece of cloth wrapped around your body and hanging loose at your shoulders; worn a long time ago by the Romans
torc or torque
a beautiful neck ring or arm ring, open at the front and often made with gold or bronze
tranquil
very peaceful and calm
tribes
a group of people born in the same place who live together and speak the same language
Trinity
Christians believe God lives in three different ways; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit
urn
a large container, often with a lid
vellum
what monks wrote on; the specially treated skin of young animals
vigils
staying awake to pray
villas
the kind of house important Romans lived in
vowels
the 5 letters in the alphabet that are not consonants - they are a, e, i, o, u
wealthy
being rich, having a lot of money or good things
wilderness
land that hasn't been used to grow things or to build on
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