speur
/s̪peːɾ/masculine
The Gaelic word for sky is speur.
Speur refers to the atmosphere above a given point, specifically the area visible from the Earth's surface where one sees the sun, moon, stars and clouds.
Meaning: atmosphere above a given point, especially as visible from the surface of the Earth as the place where the sun, moon, stars, and clouds are seen (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Speur is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/s̪peːɾ/
Did you know?
- In some poetic Gaelic contexts, speur is used to denote a 'canopy', reflecting an ancient view of the sky as a solid dome over the earth.
- The word speur is a linguistic descendant of the Latin word sphaera, meaning 'sphere' or 'globe'.
- While speur describes the visible sky, Gaelic uses a completely different word neamh to refer to 'heaven' as a spiritual paradise.
Examples in context
- Thit na réaltaí ón neamhThe stars fell from the sky
- Tha an speur gorm.The sky is blue.
- Tha an speur gorm an-diugh.The sky is blue today.
- Tha na réaltaichean anns an speur.The stars are in the sky.
- Tha an t-speur lán le neul.The sky is full of clouds.
Example conversation
Isla and Finlay are looking up at the night sky.
- IslaCoimhead air an speur, a Finlay!Look at the sky, Finlay!
- FinlayTha e gu math dorcha.It is very dark.
- IslaTha na rionnagail sgoinneil san speur.The stars are wonderful in the sky.
- FinlayTha iad brèagha.They are beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sky” translations and entries speur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries speur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
