ceilidh

Meanings

1. An informal social gathering, especially one where traditional Irish or Scottish folk music is played, with dancing and storytelling.
2. Ellipsis of ceilidh dance.

1. To attend a ceilidh (noun sense 1).
2. To dance a ceilidh dance.

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from Scottish Gaelic cèilidh (“a pilgrimage; a social call, visit; a sojourn; a social gathering with dancing, etc., ceilidh”) and Irish célidhe (archaic), céilí (“a social call, visit; a social gathering with dancing, etc., ceilidh”), both from Old Irish célide (“social call, visit”), from céile (“companion, fellow; neighbour”) (ultimately from Proto-Celtic *kēiliyos (“companion; servant”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- (“to settle”)) + -ide. The plural form ceilidhean is borrowed from Scottish Gaelic cèilidhean. The verb is derived from the noun.