Focal an Lae #129
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: cúng (KOONG) [kuːŋ]
Meaning: cúng = narrow, tight
Usage:
- doras cúng (DOR-uhs KOONG) [dorəs kuːŋ] = a narrow door
- Tá an saol ag teacht cúng orm. (TAW uhn SEE-uhl uh CHAKHT KOONG OR-uhm) [taː ən siːl ə t′æxt kuːŋ orəm]
= I’m feeling the pinch. (lit., the world is coming tight on-me)
- cúngaigeanta (KOONG-AG-unh-tuh) [kuːŋæg′əntə] = narrow minded
History: Old Irish “cumung” and Welsh “cyfyng” come from Common Celtic *kom-ingu-, from Indo-European *kom-nghu-.
The first element *kom- is a common prefix meaning “beside, near, by, with”. The second element derives from the root *angh-
(tight, painfully constricted), which also gives us the English cognates “anger”, “anguish” and “anxious”.
Scottish Gaelic: cumhang