Focal an Lae #128
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: Bealtaine (BYAHL-tih-nuh) [b′altən′ə]
Meaning: Bealtaine = May
Usage:
- Lá Bealtaine (LAW ...) [laː ...] = May Day, May 1st
- mí na Bealtaine (MEE nuh ...) [m′iː nə ...] = the month of May
- idir dhá thine Bhealtaine (IH-jihr GHAW HIH-nuh VYAHL-tih-nuh) [id′ər′ ghaː hin′ə v′altən′ə] = in a quandary, dilemma
(lit., between two Beltane fires, bonfires specially kindled for the May Day holiday, between which the cattle were driven for purification)
History: Old Irish “belltaine” consists of two elements, “bel” and “tene” which together mean “bright fire”.
The first element comes from Common Celtic *belo- (shining, white), which appears in second position in Old Irish “oíbell”
(spark, flame, ember; Modern Irish “aoibheal”). It comes from the Indo-European root *bhel- (to shine, flash, burn; be white).
For the history of the second element, please see
Focal #42 (tine).
English cognates of the “bel” element include “blaze”, “bleach”, “blond” and “bale”,
a word meaning “bonfire, pyre” used in Northern England and Scotland.
Scottish Gaelic: Bealltainn