dorus
The Gaelic word for door is dorus.
dorus refers to a portal of entry into a building, a room or a vehicle.
Meaning: portal of entry into a building, room or vehicle (noun)
Did you know?
- The word dorus shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'door', both descending from the Proto-Indo-European root for 'tree' or 'wood'.
- Historical Gaelic folk tales often feature a 'doorway' that acts as a liminal space between the human world and the 'Sídhe' or fairy realm.
- In traditional Gaelic house building, the 'door' was strategically placed to avoid facing the west, as this was thought to let in evil spirits or bad weather.
Examples in context
- Tha an dorus dearg.The door is red.
- Fàg an dorus fosgailte.Leave the door open.
Example conversation
Mairead and Angus are entering a house.
- MaireadAn do dhùin thu an dorus?Did you close the door?
- AngusCha do dhùin mi e.I did not close it.
- MaireadTòisich air an dorus a dhùnadh.Start closing the door.
- AngusTha e dùinte a-nis, Mairead.It is closed now, Mairead.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dorus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
