Focal an Lae #145
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: céad (KAYD) [k′eːd]
Meaning: céad = first
Usage:
- an chéad bhean (uh HYAYD VAN) [ə x′eːd v′æn] = the first woman
- na chéad daoine (nuh HYAYD DEEN-uh) [nə x′eːd diːn′ə] = the first people
- an chéad fhear eile (uh HYAYD AR EH-luh) [ə x′eːd ær el′ə] = the next man (lit., the first man other)
History: The Old Irish prefix “cét-”, Welsh “cynt” (earlier) and “cyntaf” (first), and Gaulish “cintux(os)”
all come from Common Celtic *kintu- (first), which derives from the Indo-European root *ken- (fresh, new, young).
Cognates in English include “Cenozoic” (from Greek elements meaning “new life”) and “recent” (from Latin “recens, recentis” = fresh, new).
Scottish Gaelic: ciad