Focal an Lae #363
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: slua (SLOO-uh) [sluːə]
Meaning: slua = throng, crowd, host
Usage:
- an slua sí (uhn SLOO-uh SHEE) [ən sluːə s′iː] = the fairy host
- Tá sé ar shlua na marbh. (TAW shay ehr HLOO-uh nuh MAH-ruhv) [taː s′eː er′ hluːə nə marəv]
= He is among the host of the dead. He has joined the great majority.
- D’fhógair sé os comhair an tslua é. (DOH-gwihr shay os KOH-ihr uhn TLOO-uh ay) [doːgər′ s′eː os koːr′ ən tluːə eː]
= He announced it before the crowd, publicly.
History: Old Irish “slúag” or “slóg” (host, army) and Welsh “llu” (host, throng) come from Common Celtic *slōgos,
from Indo-European *sloug-o-, from the root *sloug- (to help, serve).
The Irish and/or Scottish Gaelic word has been borrowed into English twiceː as “slew”, and in the compound word “slogan” (< sluagh-ghairm “host-call”).
Scottish Gaelic: sluagh