Focal an Lae #249
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: laghad (LIED, rhymes with “cried”) [laid]
Meaning: laghad = smallness, scantness
Usage:
- ar a laghad (ehr uh LIED) [er′ ə laid] = at least (lit., on its smallness): punt ar a laghad = at least a pound
- Níl ciall dá laghad agat. (neel KEE-uhl daw LIED AH-guht) [n′iːl′ k′iːəl daː laid agət] = You don’t have the slightest sense.
- You have no sense at all. (lit., is-not sense of-its smallness at-you)
- Is é a locht a laghad. = It’s too bad there’s not more of it. (lit., It is its defect its scantness)
History: Old Irish “lagat” and Welsh “llai” (smaller, less) come from Indo-European *legwh- (light in weight).
English cognates include “light”, “leaven” and “levity”.
Related words in Irish are “lú” (smaller, less) and “laghdaigh” (decrease, reduce).
Scottish Gaelic: lughad