Ceilidh (noun) < > Pronunciation: ['key-li]
Definition: (Scotland and Ireland) A social gathering, especially one at which hosts and guests participate in traditional music, dancing, or storytelling—or a professional “ceilidh” band might be hired for the event.
Usage: Today’s word is clearly a Celtic one adapted for use in Ireland, Scotland, and northern England. It has no relatives in English, so all we have to worry about is the pronunciation: it sounds like ‘Kay Lee’ with the accent on the first syllable.
Suggested Usage: A ceilidh today is usually a party organized around folk music or folklore: “We’re having a wee ceilidh at the house this weekend; would you mind telling your brother that he’s invited?” However, it still may be a gathering, usually around a fire, at which the participants exchange stories: “Everyone at this quiet country ceilidh had a good story to tell about someone who wasn’t there.”
Etymology: Irish Gaelic céilidhe is from Old Irish célide “visit” from céile or céle “companion.” The English spelling follows the Scottish. The stem here developed from Proto-Indo-European *kei- “beloved, dear” and also “bed, couch.” The suffixed form *kei-wi- underlies “city,” “civic,” “civil” from Latin civis “citizen,” probably originally referring to a member of a household. In Sanskrit, this stem became the name, “Shiva,” one of the three figures in the Supreme Trinity of Hinduism, from Sanskrit s’iva- “auspicious, dear.”
Hoch interessant finde ich immer die Verbindungen zum Lateinischen und vor allem auch zum indo-germanischen Wortstamm. Ceilidh und Shiva – wer hätte gedacht, dass diese beiden Begriffe miteinander in Verbindung stehen!
