The Irish word Gorta

csk

Chuir mé an fógra seo as Béarla mar tá mo Ghaeilge an-shimplís...

I was wondering about the word Gorta, meaning famine. I remember reading somewhere that the word can imply a deliberate starving and I was wondering is this true.

I know gorta is similar to gortaigh meaning hurt or injure but is there any relation between the words?

Does anyone know the origins of the word gorta?

Go raibh maith agat!

dranoel

Gorta can mean to starve - here's the definition for gorta from the Ó Dónaill dictionary:

gorta1, m. (gs. ~).1. Hunger, famine. Bliain ghorta, year of famine. Bheith ar an n~, to be starving, destitute. Bhí ~ orm, I was weak from hunger. Duine a chur do ghorta, i n~, to starve s.o.; to ruin s.o. Bás den ghorta, death from starvation. 2. Meaness, niggardliness. ~ a bheith ionat, to be mean, miserly. Ní ligfeadh an ~ dó é a dhéanamh, he was too stingy to do it. Ruidín ~, miserable little thing (Var:f)

csk

Go raibh maith agat! Tá sin an-shuimúil.