Focal an Lae #305
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: duilleog (DIHL-yohg) [dil′oːg]
Meaning: duilleog = leaf
Usage:
- Chaill an crann a chuid duilleog. (KHYL uh KRAWN uh khwihj DIHL-yohg) [xail′ ə kraːn ə xid′ dil′oːg]
= The tree lost its leaves. (lit., lost the tree its share of-leaves)
- Coinnigh faoin duilleog é. (KWIHN-yee fween DIHL-yohg ay) [kin′iː fiːn dil′oːg eː]
= Keep it under your hat. (lit., keep under-the leaf it = keep it a secret)
- Léigh sí na duilleoga tae. (LAY shee nuh DIHL-yoh-guh TAY) [l′eː s′iː nə dil′oːgə teː] = She read the tea leaves.
History: Classical Irish “duilleóg” comes from Middle Irish “duille” (foliage, leaf) plus the diminutive suffix “-óg”.
“Duille”, as well as Welsh “deilen”, Breton “delienn” and Gaulish *dūla- come from the Indo-European root *dhal- (to bloom, turn green).
Learned cognates in English, from Greek “thallos” (a shoot), include “thallium” and “thallus”.
A closely related word in Irish is “duilliúr” (foliage).
Scottish Gaelic: duilleag