Focal an Lae #33
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: dubh (DOOV, OO as in book)
Meaning: dubh = black; darkness
Usage:
- chomh dubh le gual (xoh DOOV leh GOO-uhl) = as black as coal
- ó dhubh go dubh (oh GHOOV guh DOOV) = from dawn to dusk (lit., from darkness to darkness)
- an fear dubh (uh FAR DOOV, A as in cat) = the devil (lit., the black(-hearted) man; note that “dubh” does not refer to skin color
in most cases; Irish uses “gorm” (GOH-ruhm) to refer to dark skin: fear gorm = a black man, a negro)
History: Old Irish “dub” comes from Common Celtic *dubu-. Compare Welsh and Breton, which both have “du” (black),
and the Gaulish river name Dubis (black; modern name: Le Doubs).
The probable Indo-European root is *dhubh- (to smoke; hazy; darkened). A possible English cognate is “deaf”.
Scottish Gaelic: dubh (DOO)