Category: Irish (Gaeilge)

Adventures in Etymology – Harmonious Reason

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Are the words harmony and reason connected? Let’s find out in this Adventure in Etymology.

Singing in Pontio / Canu ym Mhontio

Meanings of harmony [ˈhɑː.mə.ni] include:

  • Agreement or accord.
  • A pleasing combination of elements, or arrangement of sounds.
  • Two or more notes played simultaneously to produce a chord.

It comes from Middle English armonie (harmonious sounds, song, music, harmony), from Old French (h)armonie (harmony, musical instrument), from Latin harmonia (harmony, music, peace), from Ancient Greek ἁρμονία (harmonía – joint, union, agreement, concord of sounds), from or related to ἁρμόζω (harmózō – I fit together), from PIE *h₂er- (to join, fit, fix together) [source].

Meanings of reason [ˈɹiː.zən] include:

  • A cause.
  • A motive for an action or a determination.
  • Rational thinking.

It comes from Middle English reso(u)n (reason), from Anglo-Norman raisun (logic, logical reasoning), from Latin ratiō (reason, calculation, procedure), from reor (to reckon, calculate, think), from Proto-Italic rēōr (to reckon, calculate, think), from PIE *h₂reh₁- (to think, reason, arrange), from *h₂er- (to join, fit, fix together) [source].

Other words from the same roots possibly include arachnid, art, ordinary, ornament, ratio and read in English, Rede (stream, current, flow) in German, araña (spider, chandelier) in Spanish, arment (herd of cattle or horses) in Catalan, гармония [ɡɐrˈmonʲɪjə] (harmony) in Russian [source].

One word for harmony (and melody) in Old English was swinsung, which came from swinsian (to sing) from Proto-West Germanic *swinisōn, from Proto-Germanic *swinisōną, from Proto-Germanic *swin- (to sound), from PIE *swenh₂- (to sound) [source].

Words from the same roots include assonance, sonata, sonnet, sound and swan in English, seinn (to play [an instrument], sing, warble, chatter) in Irish, honni (to claim, assert) in Welsh, and dzon (bell) in Polish [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Flowing Rhythms

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

What does the word rhythm have to do with flowing? Let’s find out in this Adventure in Etymology.

bodhran by the window

Meanings of rhythm [ˈɹɪð.m̩] include:

  • The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter.
  • A specifically defined pattern of such variation.
  • A flow, repetition or regularity

It comes from Latin rhythmus [ˈrʰytʰ.mʊs] (rhythm), from Ancient Greek ῥῠθμός [r̥ytʰ.mós] (vibration, rhythm, measure, order, form), from Proto-Hellenic *hrutʰmós, from PIE *sru-dʰ-mo-s from *srew- (to flow, stream) [source].

Words from the same roots include catarrh, stream, rheumatism and rhyme / rime in English, ρέω (réo – to flow, run) in Greek, ritmo (rhythm, pace) in Spanish, strøm ([electrical] current, flow, stream) in Danish, srūti (to flow, stream, run) in Lithuanian, and sruth (stream, current, flow) in Irish [source].

The word logorrhea (excessive talkativeness, the excessive use of words in writing; excessive and often uncontrollable speaking due to a mental disorder) also comes from the same roots. It’s made up of logo- (word speech) and -rrhea (flowing), and was possibly modelled on verbal diarrhea – diarrhea also comes from the same roots [source].

Part of the word maelstrom (a large and violent whirlpool, a chaotic or turbulent situation) is also related. It comes from Dutch maelstrom (whirlpool), ultimately from PIE *melh₂- (to crush, grind) and *srew- (to flow, stream) [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Plain Planes

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Are the words plain, plane and plan related? Let’s find out in this Adventure in Etymology.

Cheshire Plains

Plain [pleɪn] as an adjective can mean:

  • Simple, unaltered, ordinary, unsophisticated.
  • Obvious, evident.
  • Open, honest, candid.
  • Unattractive
  • Flat, level (rare, regional)

It comes from Middle English pleyn (clear, unambiguous), from Anglo-Norman pleyn (plain), from Old French plain (plain [flat area]), from Latin plānus (level, flat, even, intelligible, clear), from Proto-Italic *plānos, from PIE *pleh₂-no-s (flattened) from *pleh₂- (flat) [source].

As a noun, plain can mean:

  • An expanse of land with relatively low relief and few trees, especially a grassy expanse.
  • A broad, flat expanse in general, as of water.

This comes from the same roots as the adjective plain, but directly from Old French plain [source].

Words from the same roots include plane (flat surface), explain, plan, palm, piano, floor, flat and maybe plant and field in English, plan (map, plane, plan) in French, llano (even, flat, level, plain) in Spanish, flor (thin, transparent fabric) in Swedish, and llawr (floor, deck, stage, platform, cellar, ground) in Welsh [source].

The word clan (a group of people all descended from a common ancestor; a traditional social group of families in the Scottish Highlands having a common hereditary chieftain) possibly comes from the same roots via Irish clann (children, clan) or Scottish Gaelic clann (children, clan, tribe), both of which are from Old Irish cland (children, family, plant), from Old Welsh plant (children), from Latin planta (shoot, offspring), from PIE *pleh₂- (flat).

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Doomed Pride

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we find out what links the word doom with words for judgement, courts and pride.

Maribo - Domhus (courthouse, 1920)

As a noun, doom [duːm] can mean:

  • Destiny, especially terrible
  • An undesirable fate
  • Dread; a feeling of danger

As a verb, to doom can mean:

  • To pronounce judgment or sentence on sb
  • To condem
  • To fix irrevocably the ill fate of sb

It comes from Middle English doom [doːm] (a judgement, [legal] decision, justice, authority), from Proto-West Germanic *dōm (judgement), from Proto-Germanic *dōmaz (judgement, fame, repute), from PIE *dʰóh₁mos (that which is put), from *dʰeh₁- (to do, put, place) [source].

English words from the same roots include deed, deem, defect and wisdom and other words ending in -dom [source].

Words in other languages from the same roots include doem (doom, condemnation, verdict, judgement) in Dutch, domare (judge, referee, umpire) in Swedish, domhus (courthouse) in Danish, дума (thought, meditation, duma [Russian legislature]) in Russian, duma (pride) in Polish, and dáil (tryst, betrothal, legislature) in Irish [source].

Incidentally, one word for court in Old English was dōmhūs (“judgement house”). It’s cognate with Danish domhus, and became dome-howse (a judgement hall) in Middle English [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Absurdity

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we investigate the origins of the word absurd.

Absurdity

Absurd [əbˈsɜːd / æbˈsɚd] can mean:

  • Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; silly.
  • Having no rational or orderly relationship to people’s lives; meaningless; lacking order or value.

In the past in meant inharmonious or dissonant.

It comes from Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus (incongruous, dissonant, harsh, silly, stupid), from ab- (away from, out), and surdus (deaf, inattentive, silent, indistinct), from PIE *swer- (to resound, speak loudly, ringing, whistling) [source].

Words from the same roots include chwerw (bitter) in Welsh, searbh (bitter, sour, acid) in Irish, sword in English, zwaard (sword) in Dutch, assurdità (absurdity, rubbish) in Italian, and sordo (deaf, dull, muted) in Spanish [source].

The English word surd also comes from the same roots, and refers to an irrational number, a voicelss consonant, unvoiced or voiceless, and used to mean deaf or unheard [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Nemesis

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we investigate the origins of the word nemesis.

Nemesis

Nemesis [ˈnɛməsɪs] can mean:

  • An enemy, especially an archenemy.
  • A person or character who specifically brings about the downfall of another person or character, as an agent of that character’s fate or destiny, especially within a narrative.
  • The personification of the “fatal flaw” of a dramatic hero in the style of Greek tragedy.
    Other meanings are available

It comes from Νέμεσῐς (Némesĭs – the Greek goddess of retribution), from Ancient Greek νέμεσις (némesis – distribution of what is due, righteous assignment of anger, wrath at anything unjust), from νέμω (némō – to deal out, distribute, dispense, count, hold, possess, pasture flocks), from Proto-Hellenic *némō from Proto-Indo-European *nem(h₁)- (to distribute, give, take) [source].

Words from the same roots include ņemt (to take, seize) in Latvian, nehmen (to take, hold, grasp) in German, nimma (to understand) in Swedish, nimble and number in English, nimh (poison, venom) in Irish and possibly nant (stream, brook) in Welsh [source].

The English word numb also comes from the same roots. It was originally the past participle of nim (to take, seize, steal – obsolete / archaic), which comes from Middle English nimen (to (under)take, draw, enter), from Old English niman (to take), from Proto-West Germanic *neman (to take), from Proto-Germanic *nemaną (to take), from PIE *nem(h₁)- (to distribute, give, take) [source].

The word nimps (easy – northern England) also possibly comes from the same roots, as do overnim (to take away, rob) and nimmer (a petty thief) [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Quintessence

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we search for the elemental origins of the word quintessence.

Quintessence

Quintessence [kwɪnˈtɛs.əns] is:

  • A thing that is the most perfect example of its type; the most perfect embodiment of something; epitome, prototype
  • A pure substance.
  • The essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form.
  • (alchemy) The fifth alchemical element, or essence, after earth, air, fire, and water that fills the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere. (A)ether.
  • (physics) A hypothetical form of dark energy postulated to explain observations of an accelerating universe.

It comes from Middle English quint-essence (quintessence, the fifth essence or element), from Old French quinte essence (quintessence), from Medieval Latin quinta essentia (fifth essence, aether), from Latin quīntus (fifth) and essentia (the being or essence of a thing) [source].

Words from the same roots include quintillion (a billion billion, a million quadrillion, or an unspecified very large number), quintuplex (a collection of 5 things, a building divided in 5 residences or businesses) and quintet (a group of 5 musicians, or any group with 5 members) in English, cinque (5) in Italian, cinco (5) in Spanish, cinc (5) in French [source], and also essence and essential in English, esence (essence, extract) in Czech, essence (petrol, gasoline, essence, essential oil) in French, and ésser (to be, exist, be real) in Catalan [source].

Incidentally, I was inspired to investigate the word quintessence after learning the Welsh word mêr, which means marrow, the best or essential part, quintessence, essence, soul, heart, centre, middle, depth, and (source of) strength.

It’s related to the Irish word smior (marrow, pith, essential part, quintessence), to the English word smear, and to the Swedish word smör (butter – as in smörgåsbord) [more details].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventure in Etymology – Fact & Fiction

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we’re uncovering some facts about the words fact and fiction.

Fact & Fiction

Meanings of fact [fækt] include:

  • Something actual as opposed to invented.
  • Something which is real.
  • Something concrete used as a basis for further interpretation.
  • An objective consensus on a fundamental reality that has been agreed on by a substantial number of experts.

It comes from Old French fact, from Latin factum (fact, deed, act), from faciō (to do, make, construct), from Proto-Italic *fakjō (to make), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁k-yé-ti (to put, place), from *dʰeh₁- (to do, put, place) [source].

Words from the same roots include affair, benefit, credit, deed, factory, family, perfect, thesis and tick in English, fare (to do, make, create) in Italian, hacer (to do, make) in Spanish, Ort (place, location, town) in German, дело (delo – affair, work, deed) in Russian, dáil (betrothal, legislature, Irish parliament) in Irish, and dadl (argument, debate, controversy) in Welsh [source].

Meanings of fiction [ˈfɪk.ʃən] include:

  • A type of literature using invented or imaginative writing, instead of real facts, usually written as prose.
  • A verbal or written account that is not based on actual events (often intended to mislead)

It comes from Middle English ficcioun [ˈfiksjun] (an invention or fabrication), Old French ficcion (dissimulation, ruse, invention), from Latin fictiō (fashioning, forming, fiction), from fingō [ˈfɪŋ.ɡoː] (to shape, fashion, form), from Proto-Italic *fingō / θingō (to knead, form), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰi-né-ǵʰ-ti, from *dʰeyǵʰ- (to knead, form, shape) [source].

Words from the same roots include dough, feign, feint, figment, figure and lady in English, Teig (dough, paste, pastry, batter) in German, देह (deh – body, person) in Hindi, and fingere (to pretend, feign, dissemble) in Italian [source].

Incidentally, in Old English one word for fiction, and also false news or a made-up story, was lēasspell [ˈlæ͜ɑːsˌspeɫ], which comes from lēas (false, vain, worthless, a lie, mistake) and spell (story, news, argument) [source].

Lēas lives on in the English dialect word lease (to tell lies, slander) [source], and spell in gospel and (to) spell [source].

The opposite was sōþspell [ˈsoːθˌspeɫ] (a true story, nonfiction, history), which comes from sōþ (true, real, truth) and spell (story, news, argument) [source].

The English word sooth (truth, augury, blandishment, reality, fact), as in soothsayer (one who attempts to predict the future using magic, intuition or intelligence) and forsooth (indeed, really, truthfully) comes from the same roots, as does sand (truth) in Danish, and sannur (true, authentic, real, genuine) in Icelandic [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Fishing for Fish

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we fish for the origins of the word fish.

#fish

Fish [fɪʃ] can refer to:

  • A typically cold-blooded vertebrate animal that lives in water, moving with the help of fins and breathing with gills.
  • Any animal (or any vertebrate) that lives exclusively in water.
  • As a verb it can mean: To hunt fish or other aquatic animals in a body of water, or to collect coral or pearls from the bottom of the sea.

Other meanings are available, and some would say there’s no such thing as a fish.

It comes from Middle English fisch [fiʃ] (fish, and other animals that live in water), from Old English fisċ / fix / ᚠᛁᛋᚳ [fiʃ / fisk] (fish), from Proto-West Germanic *fisk, from Proto-Germanic *fiskaz [ˈɸis.kɑz] (fish), from Proto-Indo-European *peysk- (fish) [source].

Words from the same PIE root include vis (fish) in Dutch, fisk (fish, Pisces) in Swedish, peixe (fish) in Portuguese, pez (fish, idiot) in Spanish, pêcher (to fish) in French, pysgodyn (fish) in Welsh, iasc (fish) in Irish, and piscine (fishy, pertaining to fish) and piscatorial (pertaining to fish, fishing or fishermen) in English [source].

The Proto-Indo-European *peysk- (fish) only has descendents in the Germanic, Romance and Celtic languages. Another PIE root for fish is *dʰǵʰúHs, which became ձուկ (juk – fish, calf muscle) in Armenian, zivs (fish) in Latvian, žuvis (fish) in Lithuanian, and ιχθύς (ichthýs – fish) in Greek – (archaic) appears mainly in compounds such as χθυοπώλης (ichthyopólis – fishmonger) [source].

ichthyosaur

Some fish-related words in English also come from the same roots, via Ancient Greek ἰχθύς [ixˈθis] (ikhthús, fish, stupid person). These include: ichthyology (fish science), ichthyosaur (any fishlike marine reptiles of the extinct order Ichthyosauria), ichthyolatry (the worship of fish or fish-shaped idols), and ichthyophobia (fear of fish) [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Celtic Pathways – Rich Kingdoms

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we discover the Celtic roots of words for kingdom, rich and related things in Germanic, Romance and other languages.

Kings & Queens

The Proto-Celtic word *rīgyom means kingdom, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (king). Related words in Proto-Celtic include *rīxs (king) and *rīganī (queen) [source]

Related in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • rí [ɾˠiː] = king and banríon [bˠau(n̪ˠ)ˈɾˠiːnʲ] = queen in Irish
  • rìgh [r̪ʲi] = king and banrigh [bãũn̪r̪ʲɪ] = queen in Scottish Gaelic
  • ree [ɾiː] = king and benrein = queen in Manx
  • rhi [r̥iː] = king and rhiain (woman, girl, queen, lady) in Welsh
  • ri = king in Cornish
  • ri [ˈʁiː] = king in Breton

More details of words for king, queen and related things in Celtic languages can be found in the Celtiadur post Kings and Queens.

The Proto-Celtic word *rīgyom (kingdom) was borrowed into Proto-Germanic as *rīkiją (rulership, goverment, authority, realm, kingdom), and is the root of such words as rijk (realm, kingdom, empire, state) in Dutch, Reich (empire, state, realm) in German, říše (realm, empire, kingdom) in Czech, and rike (realm, kingdom, empire, nation) in Swedish [source].

The Proto-Celtic word *rīxs (king) was borrowed into Proto-Germanic as *rīkijaz (kingly, royal, noble, mighty, powerful, rich), which became rich in English, ryk (rich, wealthy) in Afrikaans, ricco (rich, wealthy, affluent) in Italian, and rikas (rich, wealthy, opulent, plentiful) in Finnish [source].

The Proto-Celtic word *rīxs (king) also found its way into names such as Friedrich and Heinrich in German, Henrik in Dutch (and other languages), and Roderick, Frederick, Henry and Richard in English [source].

Other words from PIE root *h₃rḗǵs (king) include rey (king) and reina (queen) in Spanish, रानी (rānī – queen, princess) in Hindi, and royal, regal, viceroy and maybe realm in English [source].

Incidentally, the continents of America (initially it referred just to South America, then to North America as well) were named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, and the name Amerigo comes ultimately from the Proto-Germanic name Amalarīks, from amalą (hard work, stuggle) and *rīks (king, ruler), from Proto-Celtic *rīxs (king) [source].

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.