Focal an Lae #130
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: cluin (KLIHN) [klin′]
Meaning: cluin = hear
Usage:
- Ní chluinim thú. (NEE KHLIH-nihm HOO) [n′iː xlin′əm′ huː] = I can’t hear you. (lit., not I-hear you)
- Ná cluinim focal eile uait! (NAW KLIH-nihm FOK-uhl EH-luh WEHCH) [naː klin′əm′ fokəl el′ə vet′]
= Don’t let me hear another word from you! (“ná” is the negative imperative particle)
- An rud nach binn le duine ní chluineann sé é. = A person only hears what he want to hear.
(lit., the thing which-isn’t sweet with a person not hears he it)
History: Old Irish “(ro-)cluinethar” (hears) comes from Common Celtic *kli-nu-tor, which comes in turn from Indo-European *kl-n-ew-ti,
from the root *kleu- (to hear). Welsh “clywed” and Breton “kleved”, both meaning “to hear” are cognate, as are the English words
“loud” and “listen” (where the IE “kl” became “hl” in Germanic, giving Old English “hlūd” and “hlysnan”).
Scottish Gaelic: cluinn