Focal an Lae #108
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: ceol (KYOHL) [k′oːl]
Meaning: ceol = music
Usage:
- Níl ceol agam. (NEEL KYOHL AH-guhm) [n′iːl′ k′oːl agəm] = I can’t carry a tune. (lit., is-not music at-me)
- Mo cheol thú! (muh HYOHL HOO) [mə x′oːl huː] = Bravo! (lit., my music you, you’re my music)
- Bhain sé ceol as an saol. (WAHN shay KYOHL ahs uh SEE-uhl) [van′ s′eː k′oːl as ə siːl]
= He really had a good old time. (lit., he reaped, extracted music from life, the world)
History: Old Irish “céol” is probably a doublet of “cétal” (singing, song), the verbal noun of “canaid” (sings).
“Cétal”, Welsh “cathl” (melody, song) and Breton “kentel” (lesson) all come from Common Celtic *kantlom, from the Indo-European root *kan- (sing).
English cognates include “chant”, “recant” and “cantor”. In Modern Irish “can” means “chant; speak”, and in Scottish Gaelic it means “say”.
Scottish Gaelic: ceòl