beul

Beul is an Irish language word meaning “mouth” or “oral.” It is a noun that is typically used in contexts involving speech, sound, or the anatomical part of the head that functions in eating and speaking. In Modern Irish, beul is a feminine noun, with the genitive singular form beula and the plural beulaí. The word can appear in a variety of idiomatic expressions. For example, beul-gábh (literally “mouth of the goose”) is a saying that warns against gossip that can spread quickly, and the phrase beagán beul againn i bhfocail (we have a mouth for words) indicates someone has a talent for speaking.

In the grammar of Irish, beul is a regular noun of the first declension for feminine words. It can take the definite article sé (the) or nun (another), and it can be combined with prepositions such as ar (on) to form structures such as ar an bhéal (on the mouth). The word often appears in compound terms related to communication technologies, such as beulóg (mouthpiece). Historically, the term has been included in many phrasal verbs that involve exhalation of speech, for instance, leagadh bhéal (to place a mouth, meaning to position the mouth mentally before speaking).

In literature and poetry, beul frequently conveys vivid descriptions of human expression. The Gaelic bardic tradition utilizes the metaphor of the beul to invoke ideas of breath, desire, and the nourishing essence that words provide. Modern Irish usage extends the word to figurative contexts such as beul manuscript (oral tradition archives) and beul bend (a head‑butting rhythm in certain folk games).