fuil
/ful/feminine
The Gaelic word for blood is fuil.
fuil refers to the vital liquid flowing in human and animal bodies.
Meaning: vital liquid flowing in human and animal bodies (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
This term is used in Scottish Gaelic.
How do you pronounce it?
/ful/
Did you know?
- The word fuil is a cognate of the English word 'will', stemming from an ancient root that relates to flowing or choosing.
- Historically, the word fuil would have been used in many legal and genealogical-related 'brehon' contexts to determine social standing and inheritance.
- In traditional Gaelic songs, metaphors involving fuil often link the heat of the blood to the intensity of emotions like love or anger.
Examples in context
- Is e fuil dearg a th' ann.It is red blood.
- Tha an fuil glan.The blood is clean.
Example conversation
Catriona and Finlay are treating a small cut on a finger.
- CatrionaA bheil fuil air an t-earba?Is there blood on the grass?
- FinlayTha, ach tha e beag جداً.Yes, but it is very small.
- CatrionaFeumaidh sinn glanachadh a' fhuil seo.We need to clean this blood.
- FinlayBidh mi a' cur plastaig air.I will put a plaster on it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blood” translations and entries fuil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fuil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
