Focal an Lae #98
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: tanaí (TAH-nee) [taniː]
Meaning: tanaí = thin; shallow
Usage:
- Tá sí ag éirí tanaí. (TAW shee uh GYAY-ree TAH-nee) [taː s′iː ə g′eːr′iː taniː] = She is getting thin.
- Is tanaí an scéal é. (ISS TAH-nee uh SHKAY-uhl ay) [is taniː ə s′k′eːl eː] = It’s a flimsy story. (lit., tis thin the story it)
- uisce tanaí (ISH-kyuh TAH-nee) [is′k′ə taniː] = shallow water
History: Old Irish “tanae”, Breton “tano” and Welsh “tenau” come from
Common Celtic *tanawio-, from Indo-European *ten-u- (stretched, thin), the
suffixed full grade of the root *ten- (to stretch). English “tenuous”,
from Latin “tenuis” (thin), is a good cognate.
Scottish Gaelic: tana