Focal an Lae #298
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: fadhb (FYB, Y as in “by”) [faib]
Meaning: fadhb = knot (in wood), lump, problem
Usage:
- Fadhb ar bith! (... ehr BIH) [... er′ b′ih] = No problem!
- Tá fadhb le réiteach againn. (TAW FYB luh RAY-chuhkh AH-gwihn) [taː faib l′ə reːt′əx agən′] = We have a problem to solve.
- Ní fheicim aon fhadhb. (NEE EH-kihm AY-uhn YB) [n′iː ek′əm′ eːn aib] = I don’t see any problem.
History: Old Irish “odb” and Welsh “oddf” (knob, bulb) probably come from Indo-European *ost-bho-, from the root *ost- (bone).
Cognates in English include “ossify” and the prefix “osteo-”.
Scottish Gaelic: faob