Focal an Lae #55
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: guth (GOOH, OO as in “book”)
Meaning: guth = voice
Usage:
- An bhfuil guth agat? (uh will GOO HAH-guht) = Can you sing? (lit., is voice at-you = do you have a voice?)
- in ard a ghutha (uhn AWRD uh GHOO-huh) = at the top of his voice
- d’aon ghuth (dayn GHOOH) = unanimously (lit., of one voice)
History: Old Irish “guth” comes from Common Celtic *gutus, from the Indo-European root *gheu- (to call, invoke).
The Gaulish term “gutuater”, referring to a class of priests, may be analysed as “invocation-father”, cognate with the Irish words “guth + athair”.
An English cognate of “guth” is “god”, from Indo-European *ghu-to- (the invoked one), the suffixed zero-grade of the same root.
Scottish Gaelic: guth