Focal an Lae #29
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: bó (BOH)
Meaning: bó = cow
Usage:
- bó bhainne (BOH WAN-yuh) = milch cow (lit., cow of milk)
- bó fhionn (BOH IN) = white cow; These two words make up the name of the River Boyne, Bóinn, Abhainn na Bóinne,
which is linked to the name of the goddess Boann (or Boand, Boend) (= she of whites cows?).
- Bealach na Bó Finne (BA-luhx nuh BOH FIN-yuh; A as in cat) = The Milky Way (lit., the way of the white cow)
History: Old Irish “bó” comes from Common Celtic *bows, from Indo-European *gwou- (ox, bull, cow), which is
also the source of Latin “bos”, Greek “bous” and Sanskrit “go”. Cognates in English include “bovine” and “cow”.
Scottish Gaelic: bó or bò (BOH)