uisce

Uisce is the Irish word for water, the clear, tasteless liquid essential to life. It is the standard term for water in everyday Irish and is used across science, literature, media, and daily speech. In ordinary contexts it can refer to natural bodies of water as well as drinking water, depending on the surrounding words.

Etymology and cognates: Uisce belongs to the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. It is cognate with Scottish Gaelic uisge, reflecting a shared Celtic word for water. A well-known compound is uisce beatha, literally “water of life,” which historically referred to distilled spirits and is the origin of the English word whiskey.

Uses and cultural context: Water is a common symbol in Irish folklore and poetry, often associated with life, renewal, and boundary. Rivers, lakes, and wells appear in legends and literature, and the term uisce appears in various Gaelic expressions and place-name traditions. In modern Irish, uisce beatha remains the source of historical reference to spirits, notably in discussions of whiskey’s origins and terminology.

Modern usage and language context: Uisce is the ordinary term for water in Irish and appears in education, media, and everyday communication. It forms part of standard vocabulary in dictionaries and Gaelic-language resources, reflecting the language’s everyday relationship with the natural environment.