Focal an Lae #314
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: glas (GLAHS) [glas]
Meaning: glas = green, grey; inexperienced
Usage:
- chomh glas le féar (khoh GLAHS luh FAY-uhr) [xoː glas l′ə f′eːr] = as green as grass
- Bhí mé óg is glas. (VEE may OHG iss GLAHS) [v′iː m′eː oːg is glas] = I was young and green.
- Is glas iad na cnuic i bhfad uainn. = The grass is greener on the other side. (lit., tis green they the hills in distance from-us)
History: Old Irish “glas”, Welsh “glas” (blue, green, grey), Breton “glaz” (blue, green (of plants)) and Gaulish “glastum” (woad)
come from the Indo-European root *ghel- (to shine, with many derivations referring to colours).
English cognates include “glitter” and “gleam”.
Irish “geal” (bright, clear, white) is also cognate.
The earliest attestations of “glas” in Irish are in the Ogam inscriptions GLASICONAS (= “of a greyhound”) and INEQAGLAS (= “grey face”).
Scottish Gaelic: glas