deiseal

English

Alternative forms

• deisal, deasil, deisul, deshil

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Noun

deiseal (plural deiseals)

1. 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.

Adverb

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.

Synonyms

• clockwise
• sunwise
• righthandwise

Antonyms

• widdershins
• withershins
• tuaithbel

Interjection

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.

See also

• gesundheit
• bless you
• God bless you

Noun

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.

References

• 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

Anagrams

• Adelies, aediles, dealies, ædiles

Irish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdʲɛʃəlˠ/

Adverb

deiseal

1. to the right
2. clockwise
3. sunwise

Antonyms

• tuathal
• tuaithbel

Noun

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)

Usage notes

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

• ar taobh deisil ― on the right side

Declension

Declension of deiseal (first declension, no plural)

bare forms case singular nominative deiseal vocative a dheisil genitive deisil dative deiseal forms with the definite article case singular nominative an deiseal genitive an deisil dative leis an deiseal don deiseal

Derived terms

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

Interjection

deiseal!

1. bless you (said after someone has sneezed)

   Synonym: Dia linn!

Mutation

Mutated forms of deiseal

radical	lenition	eclipsis
deiseal	dheiseal	ndeiseal

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

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