Wikipedia
Straif is the Irish name of the fourteenth letter of the Ogham alphabet, ᚎ. Old Irish spelling variants are straif, straiph, zraif, sraif, sraiph, sraib.
The Bríatharogam kennings for the letter are:
- tressam rúamnai "strongest reddening"
- mórad rún "increase of secrets"
- saigid nél "seeking of clouds"
The probable meaning of the name is " sulphur". The first two kennings could be explained by the main use of sulphur as dye, and its alchemical significance, respectively. The third kenning could be a corruption of saiget nél "arrow of the clouds", i.e. sraibtine " lightning". An alternative kenning has aire srábae "chief of streams", and glossators adhering to the "Tree Alphabet" base an identification with draigen " blackthorn" on this, by thinking of a "hedge on a river". The "chief of streams" kenning may be referring to sulphur by reference to the stream of brimstone, sruth [s]ruibhe, mentioned in Isaiah 30:33.
The letter's original phonetic value is uncertain, but it may have been [st], [ts] or [sw]. The medieval manuscript tradition transcribes it with Latin Z.
Usage examples of "straif".
Wanting to get the worst over with, and not able to endure looking at the sad outside of his Residence, Straif teleported them into the den.
Residence, and recalled the hip-shot stance of the very virile Straif Blackthorn.
There must have been surprise in her voice, because Straif dropped his hand and walked over to Drina, picked her up, and set her on his shoulder.
The door swung wide on a dark-paneled room, and Straif turned abruptly away.
Drina rose and flowed to Straif and rubbed against his boots, purring loudly.
Mitchella prodded Straif and finally got him turned away from the closed doors and moving down the stairs.
Light seemed to dance into the room, and Straif felt a corresponding lift in his spirits.
She threw a glance over her shoulder as if she expected Straif to open it for her.
A hired man, just as Straif would have to hire someone who would have no blood in common with his Family.
She eyed one of the twoseats and decided to play it safe and pulled away from Straif to take a chair.
The most astonishing of all was how emotionally involved she was already with Straif Blackthorn.
Danith slipped an arm around his waist, tilted her head at Straif, then a distant, inward look came to her eyes.
He set the basket on the floor next to the hot-square, pulled out some long-handled items that Straif vaguely recognized.
Mitchella lead him into the open-doored small dining parlor, Straif decided the young Honey could stay.
His throat suddenly dry, Straif picked up his glass of water and sipped.