The Melting Pot

It’s Paddy not Patty ya Amadán*

17 March 2024
KITDAFBS

Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhaoibh! That’s Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone for those not blessed with having the Irish and it’s pronounced Law Ale-yeh Pawd-rig Sunna Deev.

Saint Patrick (or Patricus or Padraig, but more on that later) was taken from England as a slave by Irish raiders in the late 5th century. He escaped after 6 years of slavery and studied theology, eventually becoming a priest. Returning to Ireland, he lived in the Emerald Isle for the rest of his life. He is credited with converting the Irish to Catholicism. Many myths and traditions regarding Padraig have sprung up over the years. Myths like driving all the snakes from Ireland. Frankly, there never were any snakes on the Emerald Isle.

Here’s where I parse the three names associated with St. Patrick. I suppose I need to tell you that all three names are the same, just transliterated into different languages. First up is Patricus, meaning  “nobleman” or “patrician” in Latin. That’s the only way the saint himself ever referred to himself. Being the son of a British Roman official, he would have used that particular spelling. Patrick is, of course, the modern English spelling. Padraig – pronounced pow-rig – however is the Gaeilge** version.

Now that’s out of the way, we can get to the point of this piece – Paddy vs Patty. I found this handy info-graphic to show you the difference.

Now on to the actual linguistics of Paddy vs Patty. It’s pretty simple actually, Paddy is the diminutive of Padraig. Patty is not. Patty is either a small flat cake or the diminutive of the feminine name Patricia. You’re not likely to call a police prisoner transport van a patty wagon. It’s a paddy wagon. Why? Because of the high number of Irish cops in major US cities in the early 1900s.

So, in review:

  • Saint Patrick’s day — fantastic
  • Paddy’s Day — Maith sibh***
  • St Pat’s — If you must. . .
  • St. Patty’s — For the love of God NO!
  • St. Pattie’s — I will kill you in your sleep. . .

So, armed with this knowledge, go forth and down a pint of the Black in honor of one of the three***** Patron Saints of Ireland. Slaínte!****

*idiot, dummy (pronounced ama-dawn)

**Irish word for the Irish language (pronounced gael-gyuh)

***well done (pronounced Ma shiv)

****Cheers! (pronounced slawncha)

***** St Brigid and St Columba (or Colmcille)