deiseal

• deisal, deasil, deisul, deshil

Borrowed from Irish deiseal, from Old Irish dessel, from dess (“right, south”) + sel (“turn”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈdjɛʃəl/, /ˈd͡ʒɛʃəl/, /ˈdɛʃəl/, /ˈdɛsəl/
• Rhymes: -ɛʃəl, -ɛsəl

deiseal (plural deiseals)

1. A motion towards the right, in the direction of the hands of a clock or of the apparent motion of the sun (in the northern hemisphere); a turning in this direction.

deiseal (not comparable)

1. Clockwise; sunwise.
   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses, section 366:

     Deshil Holles Eamus.

   • 1946, T. F. O'Rahilly, Early Irish History and Mythology, Dublin, pages 296–297:

     In the eyes of our early forefathers the daily course of the Sun, bringing about the alternation of light and darkness and the regular succession of the seasons, was the most striking example that man had of that divine order of the universe which served as a model for order and justice in terrestrial affairs. Hence to go dessel or righthandwise, thus imitiating the course of the sun, was not only the right way to make a journey, but was likewise beneficial in other affairs of life, and was likely to lead to a prosperous result; whereas to go in the contrary direction (tuaithbel) would be a violation of the established order and would lead to harm.

• clockwise
• sunwise
• righthandwise

• widdershins
• withershins
• tuaithbel

deiseal

1. A deprecation meaning May it go right, said to someone who sneezes or swallows something awry.
   • 1794, Statistical Account of Scotland: Perthshire, section 11.521:

     If a person's meat or drink were to […] come against his breath, they instantly cry out, Deisheal! which is an ejaculation praying that it may go the right way.

• gesundheit
• bless you
• God bless you

deiseal

1. Alternative form of deasil.
   • 1814, Waverley, Walter Scott, section 24:

     The surgeon […] perambulated his couch three times, moving from east to west, according to the course of the sun […] which was called making the deasil.

• John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “deiseal”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “dessel”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

• Adelies, aediles, dealies, ædiles

From Middle Irish dessel, from Old Irish dess (“right, south”) and sel (“turn”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈdʲeʃəlˠ/

deiseal

1. to the right
2. clockwise
3. sunwise

• tuathal
• tuaithbel

• → English: deiseal, deisal, deasil, deisul, deshil

deiseal m (genitive singular deisil)

1. right-hand side (any absolute geographic location on the right, as one faces the rising sun)
2. the direction of the sun (from east to west)

As an attributive (in the genitive case), this takes on the meaning right (as opposed to 'left'):

• ar taobh deisil ― on the right side

• deisealán
• deiseal agus treiseal (“on all sides, in all directions”)

deiseal!

1. bless you (said after someone has sneezed)

   Synonym: Dia linn!

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “dessel”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language