Focal an Lae #126
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: néal (NYAY-uhl) [n′eːl]
Meaning: néal = cloud; depression; snooze; fit
Usage:
- spéir gan néal (SPAYR guhn NYAY-uhl) [sp′eːr′ gən n′eːl] = a cloudless sky (lit., a sky without cloud)
- Thit néal orm. (HITCH NYAY-uhl OR-uhm) [hit′ n′eːl orəm] = I dozed off. (a snooze fell on-me)
- Bhuail néal feirge mé. (WOO-ihl NYAY-uhl FEH-ruh-gyuh MAY) [vuəl′ n′eːl fer′əg′ə m′eː] = I lost my temper. (lit., a fit of anger struck me)
History: Old Irish “nél” was borrowed from early Welsh “nifwl, niwl”, which was borrowed in turn from Late Latin *nibulus,
a variant of Latin “nebula” (cloud) influenced by “nubilus” (cloudy), both of which come from Indo-European *nebh-elā-,
a suffixed form of the root *nebh- (cloud).
Scottish Gaelic: neul