MacBain's Dictionary - Section 0

A

a

vocative particle, Irish a, Old Irish á,a; Welsh, Cornish, Breton a; Latin o; Greek @Gw@?

a

his, her, Irish, a, Old Irish á, ái (accented), Welsh ei, Breton e, Celtic esjo, esjâs; Sanskrit gen. asyá, asyâs. The gen. pl. is an, their, Old Irish a n-, Celtic esjon (Stokes gives esan=Sanskrit gem. gen. pl. âsâm).

a

who, that (rel. pron.). In Gaelic this is merely the verbal particle do of past time, used also to explain the aspiration of the future rel. sentence. Oblique cases are done by an, am (for san, sam, Old Irish san, sam), the neut. of art. used as rel. (cf. English that). The rel. locative is sometimes done by the prep. an, am: "An coire am bi na caoraich" (1776 Collection, p112).

a

out of, ex: See as.

a

from, in the adverbs a nall, a nìos, a nuas, a null; Irish, Old Irish an-, as anuas, etc.; Celtic a(p)ona, a derivative from Indo-European apo, whence Latin ab, Greek @Ga@'pó; German von, from, is the exact equivalent of the Celtic. The a before sìos and suas is due to analogy with a nìos, a nuas.

a

in to, as in a bhàn, a bhos, a nis, a stigh, a steach, is the prep. an, in, into, q.v.

a

as in a rìs, &c., and before verbs, is the prep. do, q.v.

a'

the, at; See an, the, and ag, at.

ab

or ab ab, fie! The Irish ab ab, Middle Irish abb is an interjection of defiance, obo, of wonder; cf. Latin babæ, Greek @Gbabaí. Hence doubtless M`A.'s abab, dirt.

aba

abbot, Irish ab, Old Irish abb, Welsh abad; from Latin abbas, abbatis, whence also English abbot. Hence abaid, abbey. Middle Irish apdaine, abbacy, in Middle Gaelic "abbey lands", whence placenames Appin, older Abbathania (1310), Abthein (1220), "abbey lands".

abadh

syllable, utterance; Early Irish apad, proclamation: ad-ba-, Celtic ba, speak; Latin fatur, fama, English fame.

abaich

ripe, Irish abaidh, Middle Irish abaid, Early Irish apaig, *ad-bagi, Old Irish apchugud, autumnatio; *ad-bog-, Celtic root bug, as in bog, q.v.; ad-bach, root of English bake; Greek @Gfw/gw. The Welsh addfed is from a root met.

abaideal

colic (M`A.):

abair

say, so Irish, Old Irish epiur, Celtic ád-berô; Latin re-fero; See root in beir.

abaisd

a brat, trifling, impudent person:

abalt

expert (M`A.); from Scottish apert? See aparr.

abar

confluence; only in Pictish place names: Old Gaelic (Book of Deer) abbor; Welsh aber, Old Welsh aper, Celtic ad-bero-, root ber; See beir. Modern Gaelic pronounces it obair (so in 17th cent.), which agrees with the Old Welsh oper; this suggests od-bero-, "out flow", as against the "to flow" of ad-bero-. The od is for ud, allied to English out. Aporicum: *ati-boro-n (Holden).

abarach

bold; See abair above.

abardair

dictionary (Shaw); from abair, q.v.

abartach

talkative, bold; from abair, q.v.

àbh

hand net; from Norse háfr, pock-net. Also tàbh, q.v. Spelt less correctly àmh and àbhadh.

abh

bark of dog; an onomatopaetic word.

abhainn

river, Irish abhann (gen. abhann, now aibhne), Old Irish abann, Welsh afon, Breton auon, Gallo-Brit. Abona; Latin amnis (*ab-nis). Root abh; Sk. ambhas, water; Greek @Ga@'fros ( @Go@'/mbros, imber) (Zim. Neu., 270).

àbhacas

sport, irony; See àbhachd.

àbhachd

humour, sport, Irish adhbhachd:

abhag

terrier, Irish abhach; from abh, q.v. Cf. Early Irish abacc, dwarf; Welsh afanc.

abhagas

rumour, false suspicion:

àbhaist

custom, Manx oaysh, Irish abhest (O'R.), abaise (O'Br.), ad-beus? Middle Irish ábaisi (pl.). See beus, custom. Ascoli compares the Old Irish -abais of duabais, teter, and suabais, suavis. Meyer suggests from Norse avist, abode : unlikely.

abhall

an orchard, apple-tree, Middle Irish aball, apple-tree. See ubhal.

abharr

silly jest (M`A.):

abharsair

Satan, Irish aidhbherseóir, Early Irish adbirseoir; from Latin adversarius (English adversary). Also aibhistear.

abhcaid

a jest; àbhachd.

abhlan

wafer, so Irish, Old Irish obla, g. oblann; from Latin oblationem, an oblation.

abhra

eyelid; See fabhra.

abhras

spinning, produce of distaff, Irish, Middle Irish abhras, Old Irish abras, gestus, Early Irish abras, handiwork, spinning, abairsech, needlewoman. Corm. (B) abras, who derives it from Late Latin abra, ancilla.

abhsadh

the slackening of a sail, hoisting sail (N.H.); from Norse hálsa, clew up sail, from hâls, neck, allied to Latin collum. English hawser is also hence. Also allsadh.

abhsporag

a cow's stomach, tripe (H.S.D.), allsporag, cow's throttle (M`A.); borrowed evidently from a Scandinavian compound of háls, neck. Cf. abhsadh.

ablach

a mangled carcase, Irish ablach, carcase: *ád-bal-ac-, from root bal, bel, die, Indo-European gel, whence Eng, quell. Irish has abailt, death, Old Irish epeltu, atbail, perit, from the same root and prefix; the first of them appears in our Gaelic dictionaries through Shaw. From Gaelic comes Scotch ablach.

àbran, abran

(M`A. and H.S.D.), an oar-patch on a boat's gunwale; See aparan.

Abraon

April, so Irish; founded on Latin Aprilis (English April). The form is due to folk-etymology, which relates it to braon.

abstol

apostle, Irish absdal, Old Irish apstal, Welsh apostol; from Latin apostolus, whence English apostle.

acaid

a pain, stitch; *ád-conti-; See urchoid.

acain

sigh, complaint, Early Irish accáine, Welsh achwyn; ád+caoin; See caoin, weep.

acair

anchor, Irish ancaire, Old Irish ingor; from Norse akkeri: acairsaid, anchorage, from Norse akkarsaeti, "anchor-seat". From Latin ancora, whence English anchor.

acair

acre, Irish acra; from English acre; Latin ager.

acarach

gentle; Irish acarach, obliging, convenient, which shades off into acartha, profit; Welsh achar, affectionate; ád-car-; See càr, friendly. M`A. has acarra, moderate in price, indulgence, which belongs to acartha.

acaran

lumber.

acartha

profit, so Irish; See ocar, interest.

acastair

axle-tree; borrowed word from Scottish ax-tree of like meaning - English axle, &c.

ach

but, Irish achd, Old Gaelic (Book of Deer) act, Old Irish act, acht, *ekstos, possibly, from eks=ex; cf. Greek @Ge@'któs, without. For the change of vowel, cf. as, from eks. The Welsh for "but" is eithr, from ekster; Latin exter-.

ach

interjection of objection and impatience; founded on ach with leaning upon och.

achadh

a field, so Irish, Old Gaelic achad, Old Irish ached (locative?) campu lus (Adamnan), *acoto-; Latin acies, acnua, field.

achain

prayer; dialect for achuinge, q.v.

acharradh

dwarf, sprite.

achd

statute, so Irish, Middle Irish acht; from Latin actum, English act.

achd

manner, condition, Irish, achd; same as achd. There may be a native aktu- (*ag-tu, *pag-tu?) underlying some meanings of the word, especially in Irish.

achdarr, achdartha

methodical, expert (H.S.D.):

achlaid

chase, pursuit, so Irish, Middle Irish acclaid, fishing, Early Irish atclaid, fishes, hunts, pursues: ad-claidim; See claoidh.

achlais

arm-pit, Irish ascall, Middle Irish ochsal, Welsh cesail. The divergence from regular philologic equivalence here proves borrowing - from the Latin axilla; Norse öxl, German achsel, Scottish oxter.

achlan

lamentation (M`L.); for och-lan? from och.

achmhasan

a rebuke, Irish achmhusán, Early Irish athchomsán; cf. aithis for root.

achuinge

supplication; also athchuinge, so Irish, Early Irish athchuingid; ath+cuinge; Old Irish cuintgim, peto, con-tek-; English thig. See atach.

acras

hunger, Irish ocrus, Early Irish accorus, occorus: *ad-co-restu-, possibly the root pres of Latin premo: *careo (F@+4. 422).

acuinn, acfhuinn

apparatus, accoutrements, Irish acfuinn, Early Irish accmaing, means, apparatus: ad-cumang, Old Irish cumang, potentia; See further under cumhachd.

ad

hat, Middle Irish at, Welsh het; from English hat, Norse hattr.

ad-, adh-

inseparable prefix, in force and origin the same as Latin ad. It is to be separated, though with difficulty, from the ad- arising from aith- or ath-, q.v.

adag

shock of corn, Irish adag; cf. Scottish hat, hot, hut, "to put up grain in the field, a small stack built in the field"; Middle English hutte, heap.

adag

a haddock; from the English.

adamant

adamant, so Irish; from the English.

adha, ae

liver, Irish aeghe, g. ae, Old Irish óa, ae, Welsh afu, Breton avu, root av Cf. adha for ae, cadha for cae.

adhan

proverb (M`A.); rather aghan, root agh, Latin ajo, adagio, adage; Sanskrit ah, say.

adhal

flesh hook (Sh.), so Irish, Old Irish áel, tridens: *pavelo-, Latin pavire? But cf. English awl, Middle English and Anglo-Saxon awel, awl, flesh-hook.

adhaltrach

adulterous, Irish adhaltranach, Early Irish adaltrach; from Latin adulter, whence English adulterous.

adharc

horn, so Irish, Old Irish adarc: ad-arc; root arq, defend, as in teasairg, q.v.; Latin areceo, &c.

adharcan

lapwing, "horned bird"; from adharc; Dial. dhaoireagan. Irish adaircín (P.O'C).

adhart

pillow, so Irish, Early Irish adart: ad-art; art, stone? See airtein.

adhart, aghart

"progress" (Dict.). This is a ghost-word, made from the adverbial phrase air adhart, which in Middle Irish is araird, forward, bring forward; in Old Irish arairt, prorsum. Hence it is air+ àrd, q.v.

adhastar

halter, Manx eistyr, Irish aghastor, Middle Irish adastar; cf. Welsh eddestl, steed.

adhbhal

vast, awful, so Irish, Old Irish adbul: *ad-bol-; Indo-European root bhel, swell, as in English bloom, etc. Zimmer compares it with Sanskrit bala, strength. Stokes and Osthoff give root bel, bol, strong, big, Sanskrit balam, strength, Greek @Gbélteros, better, Latin de-bilis, weak, Church Slavonic boliji@u, greater; whence bailceach (Osthoff) and bail, buil.

adhlac

burial, Irish adhlacadh, Old Irish adnacul, sepulcrum: ad-nank-otlo (*ad-nagtlo-, Zim.): root verb nankô, I bring; Latin nanciscor; further Indo-European nenk, enk, as in thig, q.v.

adhna

an advocate (Macd.): H.S.D. cfs. Heb. adhon, sustentator.

ag

at, with inf. only; See aig.

ag, agadh

refusal, doubt; Early Irish ac, refusal, Old Irish acc, no! Welsh acom, to deny. It is onomatopoetic? See agadh.

agadh

hesitancy in speech, Breton hak,hakal; cf. Sanskrit ac, speak indistinctly. See ag.

agair

plead, so Irish, Old Irish acre (n.), from ad-gar-; root gar, cry; See goir.

agallamh

conversation, Irish agallamh, Old Irish acaldam, for ad-glád-, Old Irish ad-gládur, I converse: for root, See glaodh.

agh

a hind, Irish agh, Old Irish ag, Welsh ewig (*agîko-), Celtic agos-; Sanskrit ajás, buck; Lithuanian oz@?y/s, goat. Zend. azi, Armenian ezn (St.).

àgh, àdh

happiness, luck, Manx aigh, Irish ágh, Middle Irish ada, buada, late Middle Irish ád, luck, ádh=sonas (P.O'C); root a@-g-, bring; See àghach.

àghach

warlike, so Irish, Early Irish ágach, ág, war, *a@-gu-; Sanskrit a@-jís, contest; Greek @Ga@'gw/v, English antagonist.

aghaib

essay (M`A); See oidheirp.

aghaidh

face, so Irish, Old Irish aged, *agitâ; Indo-European roog ag, lead. It is usually referred to the root oq, Latin oculus, etc., but the phonetics are unsatisfactory.

aghann

pan, so Irish, Old Irish, aigen, Celtic aginâ; Sanskrit aga, water jar; Greek @Ga@'/ggos, a vessel.

agus

and so Irish, Old Irish acus, ocus, Book of Deer acus, Old Welsh ac, Breton hag; allied is fagus, near, Old Irish ocus, Welsh agos, Breton hogoz: *aggostu-, ad-gos-; root ges, gos, carry; Latin gero, aggestu-s, mound (Zimmer). Stokes refers it to the root angh, choke, narrow; Celtic aggúst-, from pre-Celtic aghnústu- (Latin angustus), with accent on syllable after the root - gn with the accent on the following vowel being supposed, as in Teutonic, to produce gg. The derivation from root onk, enk, as in thig, is not tenable in view of the Welsh.

ai

sheep, swan (Carm.):

aibheil

huge (M`E.). See adhbhal.

aibheis

sea, the deep; Irish aibheis, sea, abyss; Early Irish aibéis, sea. This Stokes refers to a Celtic abensi-s, abhent-ti-s; root abh, as in abhainn. But cf. Old Irish abis, from Latin abyssus: Welsh affwys, bottomless pit.

aibheis

boasting; aibhsich, esaggerate; Irish aibhseach, boasting: from aibheis? Another form of aibhsich is aillsich.

aibhist

an old ruin (Stew.):

aibhistear

the Devil; another form of abharsair, q.v.

aibhse

spectre, so Irish: See taibhse.

aibidil

alphabet, Irish aibghitir, Old Irish abbgitir, from Late Latin abgetorium, abecedarium, the a, b, c, d, ar alphabet. A dialectic form, aibirsidh, comes from the old learning system, beginning "A per se", a by itself= a, English apersie. Analogised to caibideal (Meyer).

aice

proximity, Irish aice; See taic.

aice

a lobster's burrow, also faiche.

àicheadh

deny, Irish aithcheo, contradicting, Middle Irish aithceód: *ati-ceud-(?), "go back on"; cf. Old Irish atchuaid, exposui, which Stokes refers to the root of chaidh, went, q.v.

aicheamhail

reprisal; cf. Irish athghabháil; ath+gabhail.

++aicme

race, Irish, Old Irish aicme, Welsh ach, pedigree, *akk-, from ak, edge; Latin acies? Stokes cfs. Sanskrit anka, lap, but this would give Gaelic àk- (a@-) and a Welsh anc. Norse átt, family, German acht, property.

aidheam

joyous carol:

aidich

confess, Irish admhuighim, Old Irish addaimim, Welsh addef: ad-dam-; root dam; Latin domo, English tame.

aifrionn

mass, so Irish, Early Irish oifrend, Welsh offeren; from Latin offerendum (English offer).

aig

at, Irish ag, Old Irish oc; for root, See agus.

àigeach

young or entire horse; also òigeach= òg+ each, q.v. Middle Irish óc-ech, young steed (Eriu@+2 11).

aigeann

the deep, Irish àigeun, Early Irish oician, Welsh eigion: from Latin oceanus, English ocean. There is also a by-form aigeal.

aigeannach

spirited, Early Irish aignech; See aigneadh. Irish aigeanta, meditative.

aighear

mirth, Manx aigher; *ati-gar-; See gàirdeachas for root. Yet Irish aiereach, merry, aerial, from aier, air, from Latin aer, makes the matter doubtful. Irish aerach (Hyde), merry, airy. Evidently the Gaelic is borrowed from the Latin

aigilean

ear-ring, tassel; cf. Scottish aiglet, tagged point, jewel in one's cap; eglie, needlework, from French aiguille, needle; Latin acus.

aigne

the swift, anything quick (Carm.):

aigne, aigneadh

mind, so Irish, Old Irish, aicned: ád-gn-eto-, root gna@-, know, Greek @Ggignw/skw, English know. Stokes refers it to the root of ++aicme, as he gives it. Ascoli makes the root cen, as in cineal. The Gaelic g is against any root with c.

àil

will; better àill, q.v.

ail, aileadh, ailt

a mark, impression, Irish oil, mark (O'R), Middle and Early Irish aile, fence, boundary (Meyer). A t stem: oiledaib, *al-et.

++ail

rock, Irish and Old Irish ail, *alek-, allied to German fels; See further under mac-talla.

ailbheag

ring; See failbhe.

ailbhinn

flint, precipice; from ++ail, rock.

àile

air, scent, Early Irish aél, ahél; Welsh avel, Cornish, Breton, awel, wind; Greek @Ga@'élla (St. Lec.), storm; *avel-, root ave, ve, wind; Latin au-ra, Greek @Ga@'c/r, English air.

aileag

hiccup, Irish fail; cf. Latin ha@-lo, breathe, English in-hale.

àilean

a green: *ag-li-? Cf. Latin ager.

àilear

porch:

ailis

blemish, reproach, Old Irish ail, disgrace, Gothic agls?

ailis

mimicing (Wh.); bad atharrais, aith-lis, ( M`A.) aithris.

àill

desire, so Irish, Old Irish áil, Welsh ewyll, Breton ioul, Celtic avillo-; root av, desire, Latin aveo, English avidity. áil, pleasant, *pagli, English fair ( St. Bez.@+20 24).

àille

beauty, Early Irish álde, for álnde; See àlainn.

àilleas, àilgheas

will, desire; Irish áilgheas, Early Irish ailges, áilgidim, I desire; from áil and geas, request, q.v.

ailleagan

root of the ear, hole of the ear; also faillean, q.v.

àilleagan

darling, so Irish; from àille, q.v.

aillean

elecampane: cf. Greek @Ge`leníon, Latin inula. Middle Irish eillinn (Rev.Celt.@+9 231). inula quam alain rustici vocant (Isidor).

ailleant

shy, delicate; Middle Irish ail (O'Cl.), shamefaced.

ailleort

high-rocked; from ++ail, rock; See mac-talla.

aillse

diminutive creature, fairy, Irish aillse;

aillse

cancer, Irish aillis, Old Irish ailsin, cancerem:

aillseag

caterpillar; from aillse.

ailm

the letter A, elm; Irish ailm, palm (fir?) tree, letter A; borrowed from Latin ulmus, Norse álmr, English elm.

ailt

stately, high; Irish ailt, Latin altus, àilt (H.S.D.).

aim-, aimh-

privative prefix; See am-, amh-. See its use in aimhleas (=am-leas), hurt, aimhrea, aimhreidh, confusion (=am-réidh), aimbeart, distress, etc. (= am-bert). The vowel in the root is "small", and hence affects the a of am.

aimheal

grief, Irish aithmhéal, repentance; aith+méala, grief, Early Irish méla, sorrow, reproach; *meblo-, a shorter form of Old Irish mebul, dedecus; Greek @Gmémfomai

aimhfheoil, ainfheoil

proud flesh; from aimh- and feòil, q.v.

aimlisg

confusion, mischief:

aimrid

barren, so Irish, Middle Irish immrit, barren, Early Irish amrit; am-ber-ent-, "non-producing"; root ber of beir?

aimsichte

bold (Arms.); am-meas-ichte, "un-mannerly"? See meas.

aimsir

time, so Irish; Old Irish amser, Welsh amser, Breton amzer, possibly a Celtic ammesserâ; either a compound of am, time (ammensîrâ, from sîr, long?), or amb-mensura, root mens, measure, Latin mensus, English measure. Ascoli and Stokes give the Celtic as ád-messera, from ad-mensura.

aimsith

missing of aim, mischance: am-mis-ith, Gaelic root mis of eirmis, q.v.

àin

heat (Dict.), light (H.M`Lean), Old Irish áne, fulgor, from án, splendidus, latter a Celtic a@-no-s; Gothic fôn, fire (from pân); Prussian panno. Stokes suggests rather *agno-s, allied to Latin ignis, Sanskrit agní, fire.

ain-

privative prefix; See an-.

ainbhtheach

stormy, Middle Irish ainbthech, *an-feth-ech, Gaelic rott feth, breeze, from vet, English weather, Latin ventus, etc. See ++anfadh.

ainbi, ainbith

odd, unusual: an-bith, "un-world-like". See bith.

aincheas

doubt, Middle Irish ainches, Early Irish ances, dubium.

ainchis

a curse, rage, Irish aingeis, Early Irish aingcess, ánces, curse, anguish; an+ geas, q.v., or Latin angustia?

aineamh

flaw, so Irish, Early Irish anim, Welsh anaf, blemish, Old Breton anamon, mendæ; Greek @Go@'/vonai, blame

àinean

a liver, liver of fish (N.H.); See adha.

àineartaich

yawning (aineartaich, M`A.); See àinich below.

aineas

passion, fury; an-theas, from teas, heat.

aingeal

angel, so Irish, Old Irish angel, Welsh angel, Breton ael; from Latin angelus, whence also the English

aingeal

light, fire, Manx ainle, Irish aingeal ( Lh., O'Br.), Middle Irish aingel, sparkling: *pangelos, German funke, Middle English funke; further ong, fire, hearth; LIt anglis, coal, Sanskrit añgâra, glowing coal; Indo-European ongli, ongôl; allied is Indo-European ognis, fire, Latin ignis. See Fick@+4 14. Skeat derives Scottish ingle from the Gaelic. Also ainneal, a common fire.

aingealachd

numbness: ang-eal-ach-, root ang, choke (Latin ango)?

aingealtas

perversity, malignity; from aingidh.

aingidh

wicked, Irish aingidhe, malicious, Old Irish andgid, angid, nequam, wicked, andach, sin; *an-dg-id, root deg of deagh, good, q.v.

àinich

panting, also aonach; root a@-n-, long form of an, breath (see anail); Sanskrit ânana, mouth ("breather").

ainid

vexing.

ainis

anise; from the English. Middle Irish in ainis, gloss on "anisum cyminum dulce".

ainm

name, Irish and Old Irish ainm, pl. anmann, Book of Deer anim, Welsh enw, Breton hanv, *anmen-; Greek @Go@'/noma; Prussian emmens, Church Slavonic ime@?; root ono, allied to no@- in Latin nomen, English name.

ainmhide

a rash fool; See òinid.

ainmhidh

beast, brute, Irish ainmhidhe, Middle Irish ainmide, *anem-itio-s, *anem-, life, soul; Latin animal, etc. Irish is also ainmhinte, "animans".

ainmig

rare; an-minig, q.v.

ainneamh

rare; See annamh.

ainneart

force; ain-, excess (see an-), and neart.

ainnighte

tame, from ainneadh, patience (Sh.); possibly from an-dam, root dam, tame.

ainnir

virgin, Early Irish ander, Welsh anner, heifer, Middle Breton annoer (do.), *anderâ; cf. Greek @Ganqcrós, blooming, a@'qárioi, virgins (Hes.), @G*nqar-.

ainnis, ainniseach

needy: an+dìth, want?

ainstil

fury, over-fizzing: an+steall.

air

on, upon. This prep. represents three Irish ones:

1. air=Old Irish ar, air, ante, propter, Welsh ar, er, Breton er, Gaul are-, Celtic ari, arei, Greek @Gpará, @Gparaí, by, before; Latin prae; English fore, for. This prep. aspirates in Irish, and in Gaelic idioms it still does so, e.g. air chionn.
2. air=Old Irish for, "super", Old Welsh and Old Breton guor, Breton voar, oar, Gaulish ver-; Greek @Gu@`pér; Latin s-uper; English over. This prep. did not aspirate; it ended originally in r in Gaelic; as an inseperable prefix (vero-, viro- in Gaulish) it aspirated, as in the modern form of old names like Fergus, now Fearghuis or Fear'uis (gen. case).
3. air=Old Irish iar n-, after, pre-Celtic epron; Sanskrit aparám, afterwards, aparena, after; Gothic afar, after, English af-ter. Further come Greek @Go@'pi-, behind, e@'pí-, to, Latin ob-, op-. See iar. This is the prep. that is used with the inf. to represent a perfect or past participle in Gaelic - Tha mi air bualadh; "I have struck".

airbhinneach

honourable; air+beann?

airc

distress, so Irish, Old Irish aircur, pressure; cf. Latin parcus, sparing.

àirc

the Ark, Irish airc; from Latin arca.