Through an administrative glitch I was sent an internal EU document today in its Irish translation. It wasn't terribly exciting but I was struck by the names of the member states as Gaeilge:
An Bheilg:
An Bhulgáir:
Poblacht na Seice:
An Danmhairg:
An Ghearmáin:
An Eastóin:
Éire:
An Ghréig:
An Spáinn:
An Fhrainc:
An Iodáil:
An Chipir:
An Laitvia:
An Liotuáin:
Lucsamburg:
An Ungáir:
Málta:
An Ísiltír:
An Ostair:
An Pholainn:
An Phortaingéil:
An Rómáin:
An tSlóivéin:
An tSlóvaic:
An Fhionlainn:
An tSualainn:
An Ríocht Aontaithe:
I am puzzled by why Ireland, Malta, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic are allowed to be described without the definite article. (Though I suppose "na Seice" is genitive.) And if you had asked me which EU country is referred to as "an Ísiltír" in Irish, it would have taken me a long time to get there (in the end a process of elimination led me to the right answer).
I am puzzled by why Ireland, Malta, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic are allowed to be described without the definite article. (Though I suppose "na Seice" is genitive.) And if you had asked me which EU country is referred to as "an Ísiltír" in Irish, it would have taken me a long time to get there (in the end a process of elimination led me to the right answer).