Focal an Lae #123
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: gorm (GOR-uhm) [gorəm]
Meaning: gorm = blue; bluish-green (leaves, grass); black (skin)
Usage:
- súile gorma (SOO-ih-luh GOR-uh-muh) [suːl′ə gorəmə] = blue eyes
- féar gorm (FAYR GOR-uhm) [f′eːr′ gorəm] = green grass
- duine gorm (DIH-nuh GOR-uhm) [din′ə gorəm] = a black person
History: Old Irish “gorm” was borrowed from early Welsh “gwrm” (dark blue, dark brown, black),
which had been borrowed from Anglo-Saxon “wurma”
(purple; name of a type of marine mollusk, Murex trunculus, which was the source of a costly dye called Tyrian, or royal, purple).
“Wurmu” came from Indo-European *wrmi- (worm), from the base *wer- (to turn, bend).
English cognates include “worm” and “vermin”.
Scottish Gaelic: gorm