Focal an Lae #65
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: geal (GYAL, like “gal” but with a y-glide)
Meaning: geal = bright, clear, white; to clear, to brighten
Usage:
- craiceann chomh geal le sneachta (KRA-kuhn xoh GYAL leh SHNAX-tuh, all the A’s as in “cat”) = skin as white as snow
- i lár an lae ghil (ih LAWR uh LAY YILL) = in broad daylight
- Gheal an spéir. (YAL uh SPAYR) = The sky cleared.
History: Old Irish “gel” comes from Common Celtic *gelo-, which comes from the Indo-European root *ghel- (to shine),
which has given rise to a variety of colour names in the daughter languages.
Compare Welsh “gell” (auburn, yellow), Breton “gell” (red brown) and English “yellow”.
The word for “moon” in Irish, “gealach”, derives from “geal”, and other related words are “glan” (clean), “glé” (bright) and “gloine” (glass).
Further cognates in English include “gold”, “gleam” and “glow”.
Scottish Gaelic: geal