scél

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *skʷetlom, from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to say”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /sʲkʲeːl/

Noun

scél n (genitive scéuil, nominative plural scél or scéla or sceulu)

story, narration, tale
story told of a particular person, hence fame, reputation
news, tidings
information, account, statement
reproach, accusation
argument, pleading, defence, excuse
happening, event, circumstance, state of affairs
bad news, calamity, misfortune

Inflection

Neuter o-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	scél^N	scél^N	scél^L, scéla
vocative	scél^N	scél^N	scél^L, scéla
accusative	scél^N	scél^N	scél^L, scéla
genitive	scéuil^L	scél	scél^N
dative	scéul^L	scélaib	scélaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

^H = triggers aspiration
^L = triggers lenition
^N = triggers nasalization

Derived terms

scélach (“given to story-telling, gossiping, prattling”, adjective)
scélach (“coll. stories, history”)
scélaige m (“story-teller, historian”)
do·scéulai (“to find out”)

Descendants

Irish: scéal
Manx: skeeal
Scottish Gaelic: sgeul

References

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