Focal an Lae #256
The Word of the Day in Irish

Word: riamh (REE-uhv) [r′iːəv]

Meaning: riamh = ever, always (generally in past tense)

Usage:

History: Old Irish “riam” (before him, it) is a pronominal form of the preposition “re” (before), which comes from Indo-European *preis-mo-, which is an extension of *per-, the base of various prepositions meaning “forward, before, toward” etc. Cognates in English include “prime”, “primary” and “primal”, all from Latin “primus” (first). Related words in Modern Irish are “roimh” (before) and “réamh- (pre-).

Scottish Gaelic: a-riamh

2008-06-19 CPD