làn

Etymology

From Old Irish lán, from Proto-Celtic *ɸlānos (compare Welsh llawn), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l̪ˠaːn/
• (Lewis) IPA^(key): [l̪ˠɑ̃ːn]^[1]

Adjective

làn (genitive singular masculine làin, genitive singular feminine làine, nominative plural làna, comparative làine)

1. full, absolute, entire, big

Noun

làn m (genitive singular làin, plural làin)

1. fill

   Fhuair e a làn de bhrot. ― He got his fill of broth.

   Ghabh mi làn beòil uisge. ― I took a mouthful of water.

   Bha làn dùirn de bhuinn aca uile. ― They all had a handful of coins.

2. tide (high tide)

References

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [laːn˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [laːŋ˦˩]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [laːŋ˨˩]
• Homophone: làng (South Vietnam)

• Audio (Hà Nội):

  (file)

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Etymology 2

Possibly from Proto-Vietic *p-laːɲ; compare *p-laːɲ's reflex tràn (“to overflow”), as well as lan (“to spread”), another possible cognate. For phonological analogies, compare triplets lè, le, & thè from *t-lɛːl (“to stick out tongue”).

Unlikely non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 瀾 (“ripple, wave, overflowing”, SV: lan); as the expected initial should have been *r- (for an analogy, non-SV rường vs. SV lương from 樑 (OC *raŋ) (B-S)).

Etymology 3

From English lane.