néal

See also: neal and Neal

Irish

Alternative forms

• neul (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish nél, as also Scottish Gaelic neul. Cognate with Welsh niwl; a Celtic loanword either from Vulgar Latin *nībulus, a modification of Latin nūbilus (“cloudy”), or from Proto-Germanic *nebulaz (“cloud, mist”). It cannot come from a Proto-Celtic form with *-bl-, as this cluster remained in Old Irish (e.g. mebul (“shame”) from *meblā).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /nʲiːa̯l̪ˠ/
• (Connacht, Ulster) IPA^(key): /n̠ʲeːlˠ/, /n̠ʲeːl̪ˠ/

Noun

néal m (genitive singular néil, nominative plural néalta)

1. cloud

   Synonym: scamall

2. depression
3. gloomy expression
4. fit, paroxysm
5. swoon, nap, snooze
6. daze

Declension

Declension of néal

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative néal néalta Vocative a néil a néalta Genitive néil néalta Dative néal néalta

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an néal na néalta Genitive an néil na néalta Dative leis an néal don néal leis na néalta

• Alternative genitive plural: néal

Derived terms

• aisnéal m (“swoon”)
• fonéal m (“small cloud”)
• néalchruthaíocht f (“cloud formation”)
• néalmhar (“nebulous, nebular; clouded, gloomy; sleepy”, adjective)
• néalríomhaireacht f (“cloud computing”)
• néaltach (“cloudy”, adjective)
• réaltnéal m (“nebula”)
• támhnéal m (“swoon, trance”)

 

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “néal”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “nél”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 19
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 60