Focal an Lae #247
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: fia (FEE-uh) [f′iːə]
Meaning: fia = deer
Usage:
- fia rua (FEE-uh ROO-uh) [f′iːə ruːə] = red deer
- fia mór (...MOHR) [...moːr] = elk
- ag fiach na bhfianna (uh FEE-uhkh nuh VEE-uh-nuh) [ə f′iːəx nə v′iːənə] = hunting the deer
History: Old Irish “fíad” (wild game, deer; wild, uncultivated), Welsh “gwydd” (wild) and Breton “gouez” (wild)
come from Common Celtic *wēdu-, from the Indo-European root *widhu- (tree).
The earliest evidence of this word in the language is the Primitive Irish Ogam inscription VEDACUNAS.
This is the genitive of the name *vēdacū, which became Fíadchú (wild dog) in Old Irish.
An English cognate going directly back to the IE root is “wood”.
Related words in Irish are “fiodh” (wood), “fiáin” (wild) and “fiach” (hunt).
Scottish Gaelic: fiadh