Focal an Lae #332
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: inis (IH-nish) [in′əs′]
Meaning: inis = isle, island
Usage:
- The usual word in Irish for “island” is “oileán”, but “inis” is extremely common in placenames:
- Inis Bó Finne (lit., Isle of the White Cow) = Inishboffin
- Inis Mór, Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr, the three Aran Islands ... and of course “The Legend of Roan Inish”
History: Old Irish “inis”, Welsh “ynys” and Breton “enezenn” come from Commmon Celtic *eni-ssī-,
from Indo-European *eni-stī- (lit., in-standing, i.e., standing in the water), from the roots *en (in) and *stā- (to stand).
Scottish Gaelic: innis