Focal an Lae #147
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: cam (KAHM) [kam]
Meaning: cam = bent, crooked
Usage:
- crann cam (KRAHN KAHM) [kran kam] = a crooked tree
- airgead cam (AR-uh-guhd KAHM) [ær′əgəd kam] = illgotten money
- chomh cam le adharc reithe (KHOH KAHM luh EYE-uhrc REH-huh) [xoː kam lə airk rehə] = a crooked (dishonest) as a ram’s horn.
“Cam” is also the first element in the well known Scottish surnames Campbell (crooked mouth) and Cameron (crooked nose).
History: Old Irish “camb”, Welsh “cam”, Breton “kamm” and Gaulish “cambo-” all come from Common Celtic *kambo-,
from the Indo-European root *(s)kamb- (to curve, bend).
English “change” comes from Norman French “chaunger”, from Gallo-Latin “cambiare”, which seems to be borrowed from Gaulish “cambion” (exchange),
which may be related to “cambo-”.
Scottish Gaelic: cam