Focal an Lae #92
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: earrach (A-ruhkh, A as in “cat”) [ærəx]
Meaning: earrach = spring, springtime
Usage:
- san earrach (suh NYA-ruhkh) [sə n′ærəx] = in the spring
- Bhí muid ag fanacht leis an earrach. (VEE mwihj uh FAH-nuhkht lesh uh NYA-ruhkh) [v′iː mid′ ə faːnəxt l′es′ ə n′ærəx]
= We were waiting for springtime.
- Anois teacht an earraigh, tá an lá ag síneadh. (uh-NISH CHAKHT uh NYA-ree, TAWN LAW uh SHEE-nuh) [ənis′ t′æxt ə n′æriː taːn laː ə s′iːnə]
= Now with spring come, the days are getting longer.
History: Old Irish “errach” is apparently the lenited form of an earlier *ferrach, from Indo-European *wesr-āko-,
based on the simple word *wesr(spring). The Latin cognate “ver” (spring) gives us “vernal” in English.
Scottish Gaelic: earrach