Focal an Lae #215
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: caint (KYNCH, Y as in “my”) [kain′t′]
Meaning: caint = speech, talk
Usage:
- caint na ndaoine (KYNCH nuh NEE-nuh) [kain′t′ nə niːn′ə] = everyday speech (lit., speech of the people)
- Bhí mé ag caint leis. (VEE may uh KYNCH lehsh) [v′iː m′eː ə kain′t′ l′es′] = I was talking to him. (lit., was I at speech with-him)
- mórán cainte ar bheagán cúise (MOH-rawn KYN-chuh ehr VYUH-gawn KOO-shuh) [moːraːn kain′t′ə er′ v′ogaːn kuːs′ə]
= much ado about nothing (lit., much of-speech on little of-cause)
History: Old Irish “canaid” (speaks; sings), which gives rise to the verbal noun “cainnt” in the later language,
comes from the Indo-European root *kan- (to sing).
Cognates of Latin origin in English include “chant”, “cant” and “cantor”.
Related words in Irish include “canúint” (dialect) and the verb “can” (chant; sing; speak).
Scottish Gaelic: cainnt