Gowel?

born2bwild

There's a river in Kilkenny called the river goul. Close enough to raise a snigger as I drove past last week.
Yes indeedy - it means minge.
I think its etymology is straight from Irish and it means fork or split (I think)

Oh - just read back through posts - others already said the same thing. sorry

chatchick

Like, if someone dose something stupid they'll say ''you gowl you''
I have a few limerick friends.

later12

mike_n wrote: »

The Gaelic word for foreigner is Gall so it would have been used as a derogatory term. I'm pretty sure it was a word used for the British in Ireland back when we were under British Rule.

http://www.ireland-information.com/articles/blackirish.htm

http://heritage.caledonianmercury.com/2010/05/22/useful-gaelic-word-eilean-%E2%80%93-island/00851

Gall does in the recent tradition refer to the British (or West Brits before that phrase gained currency), presumably it comes directly from Gaul.

However, I think the origin of gabhal, relating to a junction is much more likely - not least given the phonetic similarity to "gou-el"/"ghou-el"

It's still not really clear where gabhal itself comes from, but it probably doesn't matter. I think the etymology has been answered by chosen1.

Thephantomsmask

I think the junction theory is the correct one, linked to Limerick due to the trains in "gabhal Luimni", always gives me a giggle. I seem to recall that gabhal can also used to mean a valley, maybe in Ulster Irish, there's a few places with it in Scotland pronounced Gale but spelled the same.

3ndahalfof6

It comes from France, when the French Landed on the shores of Ireland they were astounded with the amount of seaweed, in France when you get a plank of seaweed it is knowen as a gowel or gowil,

going forward this word has thinned out, but the smell of fish which the French call gowellu along with gowel for seaweed were combined to lend itself the vaginal opening,

very apt I think.

fryup

does it not refer to a sad person?

"your one is an awful gowel"

flutterflye

Never ever heard anyone use 'gowel' or 'gowl' or 'ghoul' as anything other than a ghost.

Siuin

I thought this was a word my dad had made up specifically for my older brother for many years

alejandro1977

http://tinyurl.com/3aq6ru7

It means crotch in Irish - not just female parts.

It was in one of our Leaving Cert texts in Irish - "thug sé buile dó sa gabhal" - he hit him in the crotch - we thought it was hilarious, our teacher didn't get what we thought was that funny

http://www.irishionary.com/dictionary/435/gabhal/

gabhal (masculine noun) - fork, junction, crotch
Validated
Expanded definition: Rud ar bith a scaireann ina dhá chuid, is gabhal é sin ar nós bóthar nó craobh nó iarnród.

http://www.englishirishdictionary.com/dictionary?language=irish&word=gabhal

I hear it used in the crotch sense - i.e. she's a c*nt

Cathaoirleach

gabháil

where are ye goin with ghoul



gabhal
noun masculine
fork, junction, crotch
Validated

daniels.ducks

I would have thought it was an Irish word for an English person?

alejandro1977

Cathaoirleach wrote: »

gabháil

'fraid not Cathaoirleach - different word altogether... e.g. "ag gabháil siar... "

I believe it was used in Padraig Ó Conarire's Scothscéalta - "buille sa gabhal" or "puc sa gabhal" - think it was in "M'asal beag Dubh" perhaps

Bock the Robber

It's not Ghoul and it didn't originate in Limerick or Cork.

It's an Irish word, Gabhal, meaning a fork or crotch. Hence all the abusive derivatives.

Duckjob

Believe me Michael, it went all the way up my gowel and it was f***kin big

:pac: