Focal an Lae #148
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: ríomh (REE-uhv) [riːv]
Meaning: ríomh = count, calculate, compute; recount, narrate; calculation; narration
Usage: Ríomh is most often encountered as the key element in words relating to computers:
- ríomhaire (REE-wuh-ruh) [riːvər′ə] = computer
- ríomhaireacht (REE-wuh-ruhkht) [riːvər′əxt] = computer science
- ríomhchlár (REE-uhv-khlawr) [riːvxlaːr] = computer program
History: Old Irish “rím” and Welsh “rhif” (number) come from Common Celtic *rī-mā-,
from Indo-European *rī-, a variant of the root *ar- (to fit together).
Irish “áireamh” (counting, number) is related.
Cognates in English include “arithmetic” and “logarithm”, both derived from Greek “arithmos”.