Focal an Lae #203
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: suan (SOO-uhn) [suːən]
Meaning: suan = sleep, slumber
Usage:
- Tá suan ag teacht orm. (TAW SOO-un uh CHAKHT O-ruhm) [taː suːən ə t′æxt orəm] = I’m feeling drowsy. (lit., slumber is coming on-me)
- Bhí sí ina suan codlata. (VEE shee uh-nuh SOO-uhn KO-luh-tuh) [v′iː s′iː ənə suːən kolətə]
= She was sound asleep. (lit., she was in-her slumber of-sleep)
- suan na muice bradaí (SOO-uhn nuh MWIH-kyuh BRAH-dee) [suːən nə mik′ə bradiː] = an ominous silence (lit., the slumber of the sly pig)
History: Old Irish “súan” and Welsh “hun” come from Common Celtic *sownos, from Indo-European *supnos,
the suffixed zero grade of the root *swep- (to sleep).
Cognates in English include “hypnotic”, from Greek “hupnos” (sleep) and “somnolent”, from Latin “somnus” (sleep).
Scottish Gaelic: suain