Focal an Lae #52
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: nead (NYAD, A as in “cat”)
Meaning: nead = nest
Usage:
- nead iolair (NYAD IH-lihr) = an eagle’s nest
- Dhéanfadh sé nead i do chluas. (YAY-nuhx shay NYAD ih duh XLOO-uhs)
= He’d bamboozle you completely. (lit., He’d make a nest in your ear.)
History: Old Irish “net” comes from reconstructed Insular Celtic *ni₫dos, as does Welsh “nyth”.
The Celtic word comes from Indo-European *nizdos (nest), a prefixed form based on the root *sed- (to sit).
English “nest” and Latin “nidus” are cognates.
Scottish Gaelic: nead