Focal an Lae #183
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: meil (MEHL) [m′el′]
Meaning: meil = grind, crush; waste
Usage:
- Meileann muilte Dé go mall, ach meileann siad go mín. (MEH-luhn MWIHL-chuh JAY guh MAWL, ahkh MEH-luhn SHEE-uhd guh MEEN)
[m′el′ən mil′t′ə d′eː gə maːl, ax m′el′ən s′iːəd gə m′iːn′] = God’s mills grind slowly, but they grind finely. (Justice is sure.)
- Meileann sé mín is garbh. (MEH-luhn shay MEEN iss GAH-ruhv) [m′el′ən s′eː m′iːn′ is garəv]
= He has something to say about everybody. (lit., he grinds fine and coarse)
- Tá siad ag meilt ama. (TAW SHEE-uhd uh MEHLCH AH-muh) [taː s′iːəd ə m′el′t′ amə] = They’re wasting time.
History: Old Irish “meilid” (grinds, consumes), Welsh “malu” and Breton “mala” all derive from the Indo-European root *mel- (to grind, crush).
English cognates include “mill”, “meal” and “maul”.
Scottish Gaelic: meil