Focal an Lae #288
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: athbhliain (AH-vlee-ihn) [av′l′iːən′]
Meaning: athbhliain = new year
Usage:
- Athbhliain faoi shéan agus faoi mhaise daoibh! (... fwee HAY-uhn ah-guhs fwee WAH-shuh deev) [... fiː heːn agəs fiː vas′ə diːv′]
= Happy New Year! (lit., new-year under good-omen and under beauty to-you-all)
History: Classical Irish “aithbhliadhain” is a compound of the prefix “ath-” which means “re-, again, back, return” and “bliadhain” (year).
Old Irish “ath” comes from Common Celtic *ate, from Indo-European *eti (above, beyond).
Latin “et” (and) comes from this root.
Old Irish “blíadain”, Welsh “blwyddyn” and Breton “bloaz” all come from Insular Celtic *blēdanī, from Common Celtic *bleidnī- (year).
Scottish Gaelic: athbhliadhna (next year). “A’ Bhliadhn’ Ùr” is used for The New Year.