Focal an Lae #302
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: lom (LOHM) [lo(ː)m]
Meaning: lom = bare; bareness; lay bare, mow, shear
Usage:
- bainne lom (BAHN-yuh LOHM) [ban′ə lom] = skim milk
- Lom siad na caoirigh. (LOHM SHEE-uhd nuh KWEE-ree) [lom s′iːəd nə ciːr′iː] = They sheared the sheep.
- lom na fírinne (LOHM nuh FEE-rihn-yuh) [lom nə f′iːr′ən′ə] = the naked truth (lit., bareness of the truth)
History: Old Irish “lomm” and Welsh “llwm” come from Indo-European *lup-smo- or *lub(h)-smo-, from the root *leup- (to peel, break off).
The earliest attestation of this word in Irish is in the Ogam inscription LLOMINACCA,
a name which appears in Old Irish as “Lomainech”, broken down as “lomm” (bare) + “enech” (face), i.e., bare-faced, beardless.
An English word which goes back to the same IE root is “leaf”.
Scottish Gaelic: lom