Focal an Lae #362
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: lear (LAR, A as in cat) [l′ær]
Meaning: lear = sea, ocean (mainly used in “thar lear”, overseas)
Usage:
- Chuaigh sé thar lear. (KHOO-uh shay hahr LAR) [xuːə s′eː har l′ær] = He went overseas, abroad.
- Bíonn adharca fada ar na buaibh thar lear. (BEE-uhn EYE-uhr-kuh FAH-duh ehr nuh BOO-ihv hahr LAR) [b′iːən airkə fadə er′ nə buːəv′ har l′ær]
= The grass is always greener on the other side. (lit., there are always long horns on the cattle overseas)
History: Old Irish “ler” and Welsh “llŷr” (sea) come from Indo-European *li-ro-, from the root *lei- (to flow).
There is a mythological figure, possibly a god of the sea originally, who is called Lir, the father of Manannán in Irish
and Llŷr, the father of Manawydan in Welsh.
Cognates in English include “libation”, going back through Latin to the IE root, and very probably the name of Shakespeare’s character, King Lear.
Scottish Gaelic: lear