leac uaighe
The Irish word for gravestone is leac uaighe.
leac uaighe refers to a stone marker placed at the head of a grave to identify the person buried there.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of leac, meaning a flat stone or slab and uaighe, which is the genitive form of uaigh (grave).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Connacht, the term Leac uaighe is used to mean grave slab.
Did you know?
- The English word 'plate' is a distant relative of the Irish leac, as both stem from the same ancient root describing a flat surface.
- In some regions of Ireland, a leac is not just for graves but can refer to any large, flat prehistoric standing stone used for ritual purposes.
- Early Irish burial customs often used a leac to seal a cist grave, creating a permanent stone lid that is distinct from the modern upright headstone.
Examples in context
- Tá leac uaighe anseo.There is a gravestone here.
Example conversation
Siobhán and Cian are visiting a local cemetery.
- SiobhánAn bhfuil an leac uaighe soilseach?Is the gravestone clear?
- CianNíl sé soilseach, tá sé salach.It is not clear, it is dirty.
- SiobhánAn féidir linn é a ghlanadh, a Chian?Can we clean it, Cian?
- CianIs féidir linn é a dhéanamh.We can do it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries leac, CC BY-SA 4.0.
