MacBain's Dictionary - Section 15

Previous Section Index Next Section


drola
a pot-hook, Irish drol, droltha, Middle Irish drol, drolam, handle, Early Irish drolam, knocker, ring:
droll
an animal's tail, a door bar, unwieldy stick; cf. drallag for the last two meanings.
droll , drollaire
a lazy fellow; See dreòlan.
droman
the alder tree; See troman.
drong , droing
people, tribe, Irish drong, Early Irish drong, Old Breton drogn, drog, factio, Gaulish drungus, whence Latin drungus, a troop (4th century), *drungo-; Gothic driugan, serve as a soldier, Anglo-Saxon dryht, people, Norse drótt, household, people.
drongair
a drunkard; from the English
dronn
the back, Irish dronnóg: *dros-no-, root dros of druim, q.v.
dronng
a trunk; from the English
drothan
a breeze (M`D.):
druabag
a small drop, druablas, muddy water, druaip, dregs, lees. The first is from English drop; druablas is from Middle English drubli, turbid, Scottish droubly; and druaip is from Norse drjúpa, drip. drubhag and drùigean (Wh.).
drùb
a wink of sleep, a mouthful of liquid; from Norse drjúpa, drip. See the above words.
drùchd
dew, Irish drúchd, Early Irish drúcht, *dru@-b-bu, root dhreub; Anglo-Saxon dréapian, trickle, English drip, drop, Norse drjúpa, drip, German triefen.
drùdh
penetrate, pierce, drùidh; See drùdhadh.
drùdhadh
oozing, soaking; cf. Sanskrit dru, dráva, melt, run, Gothic ufar-trusian, besprinkle. Cf. Gaulish Druentia (Gaelic Druie, a river in Strathspey).
drugair
a drudge, Irish drugaire; from Middle English druggar, a dragger, English drudge.
druid
close, Irish druidim, Early Irish druit, close, firm, trustworthy: *druzdo-, *drus, Welsh drws. See dorus. Stokes now refers *druzdi- to the same source as English trust.
druid
a starling, Irish druid, Early Irish truid, Manx truitling, Welsh drudwy, Breton dred, dret: *struzdi; Latin turdus, thrush; Lithuanian stázdas (Bohemian drazd), thrush, English throstle.
druidh
a magician; See draoi.
drùidh
penetrate; See drùdh. Cf. Irish treidhim; treaghaim ( Sh.).
druim
back, ridge, so Irish, Old Irish druimm, pl. dromand, Welsh trum, *drosmen-; Latin dorsum.
drùis
lust, drùiseach, drùth, lecherous, Irish drúis, adultery, Early Irish drúth, lewd, a harlot, *dru@-to-. Cf. Middle English drüð, darling, Old French drud (do.), druerie, love, whence Middle English druerie, Scottish drouery, illicit love. Mayhew refers the French and English to Old High German drút dear (also trút, drúd): a Teutonic dreuð? Cf. German traut, beloved (Kludge).
druma
a drum, Irish, Middle Irish druma; from the English
druman
elder; See troman.
drumlagan
a cramp in back, wrists, etc. (M`D.):
meet, proper, Irish, Early Irish . This Stokes regards as borrowed from Old French (= debntus), whence English due. But See dùthaich, dual.
du- , do-
prefix denoting badness of quality, Irish, Old Irish du-, do-, *dus; Greek @Gdus-; Gothic tuz-, Norse tor-; Sanskrit dus-. See do-.
duaichnidh
gloomy, ugly, Irish duaichniúghadh, to disfigure. See suaicheantas.
duaidh
a horrid scene, a fight, Irish dúaidh, evil (O'Br.): *du-vid?
duairc
uncivil, Irish, Early Irish duairc: opposite of suairc, q.v.
duaireachas
a squabble, slander: du-aireachas. See eireachdail.
duairidh , dubharaidh
a dowry; from the English
duais
a reward, so Irish, Early Irish duass, gift: *dovestâ; Greek @Gdou@nnai, to give (= douénai): Lithuanian du@oti (do.), dovanà, a gift; Latin duint (= dent). Root , give.
dual
a lock of hair, Irish, Early Irish dual, *doklo-; Gothic tagl, hair, Anglo-Saxon taegl, English tail, Norse tagl, horse's tail.
dual
hereditary right, so Irish, Middle Irish dúal, *dutlo-; See dúthaich. Stokes refers it to French , as he does , q.v. Irish dúal, just, proper, might come from *duglo-, root dhugh, fashion, Greek @Gteúhein, Gothic dugan, English do.
duan
a poem, song, so Irish, Early Irish dúan, *dugno-; Lettic dugát, cry as a crane (Bez.). Stokes derives it from dhugh above under dual.
duarman
a murmur; cf. torman from toirm.
dùbailte
Irish dubâilte; from Middle English duble, Old French doble, Latin duplex.
dubh
black, Irish dubh, Old Irish dub, Welsh du, Old Welsh dub, Cornish duv, Breton du, *dubo-; Greek @Gtuflós (= quf-lós, blind; Gothic daubs, deaf, German taub, English deaf, also dumb. Cf. Gaulish river name Dubis, now Doubs.
dubhach
sad, Irish dúbhach, Old Irish dubach; See subhach.
dubhailc
wickedness, Irish dúbhailce; See subhailc.
dubhailteach
sorrowful; founded on dubh.
dubhair
said; See tabhair.
dùbhaith
a pudding:
dubhan
a hook, Irish dubhán, Middle Irish dubán:
dubhchlèin
the flank (H.S.D. from MSS.):
dùbhdan
a smoke, straw cinders, soot; from dubh. Cf. Irish dúbhadán, an inkstand.
dùbhlaidh
gloomy, wintry; cf. dubhlà, a dark day, day of trial. From dubh.
dùbhlan
a challenge, Irish dubhshlán; from dubh and slàn; Irish slán, defiance.
dubhliath
the spleen, Old Irish lue liad, lua liath, Cornish lewilloit, Welsh lleithon, milt of fish. Cf. Latin lie@-n.
dubhogha
the great grandson's grandson; from dubh and ogha: dubh is used to add a step to fionnogha, though fionn here is really a prep., and not fionn, white. See fionnogha.
dùc , dùcan
(Perth), a heap (Arms.); *dumhacán, Early Irish duma, mound, heap. Root of dùn.
dùchas
hereditary right; See dùthaich.
dud
a small lump (M`A.); See tudan.
dùd
a tingling in the ear, ear, Irish dúd. See dùdach.
dùdach
a trumpet, Middle Gaelic doytichy (Dean of Lismore), Irish dúdóg: onomatopoetic. Cf. English toot.
dùdlachd
depth of winter:
duìdseag
a plump woman of low stature (Perth); "My old Dutch"; dùitseach (Arms.). Dutchman, docked cock..
dùil
expectation, hope, Irish dúil, *dûli-, root du, strive, Greek @Gqumós, soul; Lit dumas, thought (Stokes for Greek).
dùil
an element, Irish dúil, Old Irish dúil, dúl, *dûli-; Sanskrit dhûli-, dust; Lithuanian dulke@?s (do.); Latin fuligo, soot. Stokes (Dict.) refers it to *dukli-, root duk, fashion; German zeugen, engender; further Latin duco. Hence dialectic , poor creatures! Irish dúil means "creature" also. Hence also dùileag, a term of affection for a girl.
duileasg
dulse, Irish duileasg, Middle Irish duilesc, Welsh dylusg, what is drifted on shore by floods. Hence Scottish dulse. Jamieson suggests that the Gaelic stands for duill' uisge, "water-leaf".
duilich
difficult, sorry, Irish doiligh, Early Irish dolig; cf. Latin dolor, grief.
duille
a leaf, Irish, Middle Irish duille, Welsh dalen, Middle Breton del; Greek @Gqúlla, leaves, @Gqállw, I bloom; German dolde, umbel: root dhl@. dhale, bloom, sprout. Gaulish @Gpempe-doula, "five leaved", is allied.
duillinnean
customs, taxes (M`D.):
dùin
shut, Irish dúnaim "barricading"; from dùn, q.v.
duine
a man, Irish, Old Irish duine, pl. dóini (= *duáñji, Welsh dyn, pl. dyneddon, Cornish, Breton den, dunjó-s: "mortal"; Greek @Gqane@nin, die, @Gqánatos, death, @Gqnctós; English dwine; Sanskrit dhvan, fall to pieces.
duircein
the seeds of the fir, etc., duirc-daraich, acorns. See dorc. Old Irish derucc, glans, is referred by Windisch to the root of darach, q.v.
duiseal
a whip; from Middle English duschen, strike, of Scandinavian origin, now dowse.
dùiseal , dùsal
slumber; from Norse dúsa, doze, English doze.
duisleannan
ill-natured pretences, freaks (Dialectic, H.S.D.), dùisealan (M`E.); from dúiseal: "dreaming"?
dùisg
awake, Irish dúisgim, dúisighim, Old Irish diusgea, expergefaciat, *de-ud-sec-, root sec as in caisg, q.v.
dul, dula
a noose, loop, Irish dul, dol, snare, loop, Welsh dôl, noose, loop, doli, form a ring or loop; Greek @Gdólos, snare; Latin dolus, etc.
dula
a pin, peg, Irish dula; cf. Latin dolo, a pike, Middle High German zol, a log.
dùldachd
a misty gloom; See dúdlachd.
dùmhlaich
increase in bulk; See dòmhail.
dùn
a heap, a fortress, Irish, Old Irish dún, Welsh din, Gaulish dûnum, @G-dounon, *dûno-n, *dûnos-; Anglo-Saxon tún, English town, German zaun, hedge, Norse tún (do.); Greek @Gdúnasqai, can. Root deva, , to be strong, hard, whence also dùr.
dunach , dunaidh
woe; from dona?
dùr
dull, stubborn, Irish, Early Irish dúr, Welsh dir, force, Breton dir, steel, Gaulish dûrum, fortress, *dûro-, Latin dûrus. For further connections See dùn.
dùrachd , dùthrachd
good wish, wish, diligence, Irish dúthrachd, Old Irish dúthracht, *devo-traktu-s-, *trakkô, press; Anglo-Saxon thringan, German dringen, press forward, English throng (Stokes). Windisch has compared Sanskrit tark, think, which may be the same as tark of tarkus, spindle, Latin torqueo. Verb dùraig.
dùradan , durradan
an atom, mote, Irish dúrdán; from the root dûr as in dùr above: "hard bit"?
durc
a lumpish person:
durcaisd , turcais
pincers, nippers, tweezers; from Scottish turkas, from French turquoise, now tricoises, "Turkish" or farrier's pincers.
dùrd
a syllable, sound, humming, Irish, Early Irish dórd, dordaim, mugio, Welsh dwrdd, sonitus, tordd, *dordo-s, root der, sound, Indo-European dher; Lettic darde@?t rattle. Further Greek @Gqrc@nnos, dirge, @Gtonqrús, muttering, Norse drynr, roaring, English drone; root dhre.
durga
surly, sour, Irish dúrganta. Cf. Irish dúranta, morose. Gaelic seems to be from Norse durga, sulky fellow, English dwarf.
durlus
water-cress; from dur = ++dobhar and lus, q.v.
durraidh
pork, a pig, durradh! grumphy! Cf. dorra.
durrag
a worm:
durrghail
cooing of a dove, Irish durdail; also currucadh, q.v.
durrasgach
nimble (Dial., H.S.D.):
dursann
an unlucky accident, Irish dursan, sorrowful, hard (O'R.); from the stem of dorra.
dus
dust, duslach, from English dust.
dùsal
a slumber; from the English doze. See dùiseal.
dùslainn
a gloomy, retired place:
dùth
hereditary; See .
dùthaich
a country, district, Irish dúthaigh, Old Irish duthoig, hereditary (Middle Irish dúthaig, Gaelic dùthchas, hereditary right: root as in dùn? Cf .
duthaich
great gut (M`Lagan):
duthuil
fluxus alvi = dubh-ghalar; from dubh and tuil.

E

e
accented è, he, it, Irish é, *ei-s: root ei, i; Old Latin eis (= is, he, that), ea, she (= eja); Gothic is, German er, es; Sanskrit ayam. The Old Irish neuter was ed, now eadh (as in seadh, ni h-eadh).
ea-, èa-
privative prefix; See eu-.
eabar
mud, puddle, Irish abar, marshy land, Adamnan's stagnum Aporicum, Loch-aber, Early Irish cann-ebor (see Innear), *ex-bor, *ad-bor, the bor of tobar, q.v.
eabon
ebony, so Irish; from Latin ebenum, English ebony.
eabur
ivory, so Irish; from Latin ebur.
each
a horse, so Irish, Old Irish ech, Welsh ebol, colt, Breton ebeul, Gaulish Epo-, *ekvo-s; Latin equus; Anglo-Saxon eoh, Gothic aihva-; Sanskrit açva-s.
eachdaran, eachdra
a pen for strayed sheep; See eachdranach for root.
eachdraidh
a history, Irish eachdaireachd, history, eachdaire, historian, Early Irish echtra, adventures; from Early Irish prep. echtar, without, *ekstero, Welsh eithr, extra; Latin extra, externus; from ex (see a, as).
eachrais
confusion, mess; cf. Irish eachrais, a fair, Early Irish echtress, horse-fight. See each and treas.
èad
jealousy; See eud.
eadar
between, Irish eidir, Old Irish eter, itir etar, Welsh ithr, Cornish yntr, Breton entre, Gaul, inter, *enter, i.e., en-ter, prep. en; Latin inter; Sanskrit antár, inside.
++eadh
it seadh, yes, Old Irish ed; See e.
eadh
space, Early Irish ed, root ped; Greek @Gpedíon, a plain; Latin oppidum, town; Church Slavonic pad, tread. Root pedo, go, as in English foot, Latin pes, pedis, etc.
eadha
the letter e, an aspen tree, Irish eadhadh:
eadhal
a brand, burning coal (Bibl. Gloss.); See éibheall.
eadhon
to wit, namely, viz, so Irish, Old Irish idón, *id-souno-, "this here"; for id, See eadh, and souno- is from *sou, *so, as in so. Cf. Greek ou@`@n-tos. Stokes (Celt. Decl.) takes id from it, is, goes, root i, go, of Latin eo, Greek @Gei@'@nmi, etc.; he regards id as part of the verb substantive.
eadradh
milking time, Irish eadarthra, noon, milking time; from eadar+ tràth.
eadraig
interpose, eadragainn, interposition, Irish eadargán, separation; from eadar.
eag
a nick, notch, Irish feag, Manx agg, Welsh ag, cleft, *eggâ-: peg?
eagal, feagal
fear, Irish eaguil, eagla, Early Irish ecla, Old Irish ecal (adj.), *ex-gal; See gal, valour.
eagan
perhaps; Dialectic for theagamh.
eagar
order, row, so Irish, Early Irish ecor, *áith-cor; from aith- and cuir.
eaglais
a church, Irish eagluis, Old Irish eclais, Welsh eglwys, Breton ilis; from Latin ecclêsia, English ecclesiastic.
eagna
wisdom, so Irish, Old Irish écne, *aith-gen-; See aith- and gen of aithne. In fact aithne and eagna are the same elements differently accented (*aith-gén-, áith-gen-.
eàirlig
want, poverty, airleig; cf. airleag, lend, borrow.
eàirlin
keel, bottom, end: *air-lann; See lann, land.
eàirneis
furniture; See airneis.
eala
a swan, so Irish, Middle Irish ela, Welsh alarch, Cornish elerhc, *elaio, *elerko-s; Greek @Ge@'léa, reedwarbler, @Ge@'lasa@ns, grosbeak, @Ge@'lea@ns, owl, @Ge@'leiós, falcon; Latin olor, swan. Greek @Gpéleia, wild dove, Latin palumba, dove, Old Prus. poalis (do.), have been suggested.
ealach , ealachainn
a peg to hang things on, Early Irish alchuing, elchuing, dat. alchaing, pl. alchningi.
ealadh
learning, skill, ealaidh, knack, Irish ealadh, Early Irish elatha, gen. elathan, Welsh el, intelligence: root el::al (of eilean)?
èaladh, euladh
a creeping along (as to catch game), Irish euloighim steal away, Early Irish élaim, I. flee, Old Irish élud, evasio; German eilen, hasten, speed; root ei, i, go, Latin i-re, etc. Hence èalaidhneach, creeping cold. Strachan derives it from *ex-lâjô, root , ela, go, Greek @Gelaúno (as in eilid, etc.). Stokes now *ass-lúim.
ealag
a block, hacking-stock; See ealach.
ealaidh
an ode, song, music; See ealadh.
ealamh , eathlamh
quick, expert, Irish athlamh, Early Irish athlom, athlam, *aith-lam; *lam is allied to làmh, hand ("handy" is the idea). See ullamh for discussion of the root lam.
ealbh
a bit, tittle, Irish ealbha, a multitude, a drove, Welsh elw, goods, profit, *elvo-; cf. Gaulish Elvetios, Elvio, etc.; *pel-vo-, root pel, full?
ealbhar
a good for nothing fellow (Suth.); from Norse álfr, elf, a vacant, silly person.
ealbhuidh
St John's wort, Irish eala bhuidh (O'R.):
++ealg
noble, so Irish, Early Irish elg: Innis Ealga = Ireland. Cf. Elgin, Glen-elg.
ealla
nothing ado ("Gabh ealla ris" - have nothing ado with him):
eallach
burden, so Irish, Middle Irish eallach, trappings or load; cf. Irish eallach, a drove, Old Irish ellach, conjunctio, *ati-slogos (Zimmer), from sluagh. See uallach and ealt.
eallach
cattle (Arran), so Irish: cf. Old Irish ellach, conjunction, *ati-slôgos (Zimmer).
eallsg
a scold, shrew:
ealt , ealta
a covey, drove, flock, Irish ealta, Early Irish elta: *ell-tavo-, from peslo-, a brute, Cornish ehal, pecus; Old High German, fasal, Anglo-Saxon fäsl, proles (Stokes for Cornish). See àl. Ascoli joins Old Irish ellach, union, and Irish eallach, a drove, cattle, with ealt. See eallach.
ealltuinn
a razor, Irish ealtín, Old Irish altan, Welsh ellyn, Old Cornish elinn, Old Breton altin, Breton aotenn, *(p)altani; German spalten, cleave; Sanskrit pat, split; Old.Slavonic ras-platti, cut in two.
eaman
tail; See feaman, q.v.
eanach
honour, praise, Early Irish enech, honour, also face; hence "regard" (Ascoli): *aneqo-, Welsh enep; root oq of Latin oc-ulus, etc.
eanach
dandriff, scurf, down:
eanach-gàrraidh
endive, Irish eanach-garraidh; evidently a corruption of Latin endiva (Cameron).
eanchaill , eanchainn
brains, Irish inchinn, Early Irish inchind, Welsh ymmenydd, Cornish impinion (= in+pen-), in+ ceann, "what is in the head".
eang
foot, footstep, track, bound, Irish eang, Early Irish eng, track; cf. root ong given for theagamh.
eang
a gusset, corner; cf. Latin angulus, English angle.
eangach
a fetter, net, Irish eangach, a net, chain of nets. From eang, foot.
eangarra
cross-tempered (H.S.D.): "having angles"; from eang.
eangbhaidh
high-mettled, Middle Irish engach, valiant; from eang, a step.
eangladh
entanglement; possibly from the English tangle; not likely founded on eangach.
eanghlas
gruel, milk and water, Irish eanghlais, Early Irish englas (fem. a stem), milk and water, green water ( Corm.), from in and Middle Irish glas, milk, *glagsa; Greek @Gglágos, @Ggála(ktos), milk, Latin lac (= *glak-t). Cormac says it is from en, water, and glas, grey. en = water, *pino ( St.).
eanntag
nettles; See deanntag.
eanraich, eanbhruith
soup, juice of boiled flesh, Irish eanbhruithe, Early Irish enbruthe, from in and bruith, boil. Corm. and O'Cl. have an obsolete broth, bruithe, flesh, and explain it as "water of flesh". For en, water, See eanghlas. Most dialects make it "chicken-soup", as from eun+ bruith.
ear, an ear
the east, from the east, Irish soir, eastern, anoir, from the east, Old Irish an-air, ab oriente; really "from before", the prep. an (*apona) of a nall (see a, from), and air (= *ari), before. The observer is supposed to face the sun. The opposite is iar, an iar, from iar, behind, q.v.
earail
an exhortation, Old Irish eráil, iráil, *air-áil; from àill, desire. Hence earal, provision, caution.
earar, an earar
the day after to-morrow, Irish oirthior, eastern, day following, day after to-morrow, Old Irish airther, eastern, *ariteros *pareiteros (Greek @Gparoíteros), comparative of air, before.
eararadh
a parching of corn in a pot before grinding: *air-aradh, root ar, as in Latin aridus, arid?
earasaid
a square of tartan worn over the shoulders by females and fastened by a brooch, a tartan shawl: *air-asaid? Cf. asair for root.
earb
a roe, so Irish, Early Irish erb, Old Irish heirp, *erbi-s, Greek @Ge@'/rifos.
earb
trust (vb.), earbsa (n.), Irish earbaim, Old Irish erbaim, nomerpimm, confido, *erbiô, let, leave; Middle High German erbe, bequeath, German erbe, heir, Gothic arbja, heir: all allied to Latin orbus, English orphan.
earball
a tail, so Irish, Early Irish erball, *áir-ball; from air (= *ari) and ball, q.v. urball in Arran and the West.
earc
heifer (Carm.), cow, Irish earc, Early Irish erc, cow (Corm.):
earchall, earachall
misfortune: *air-cáll; from air and call, q.v.
earghalt
arable land; air+ geadhail, which see.
eargnaich
inflame, enrage: *áir-gon-; from air and gon? Also feargnaich, which suggests fearg as root.
earlachadh
preparing food (Suth.); from old adj. erlam, ready. See ullamh.
eàrlaid
expectation, trust: *ari-lanti-, root lam of lamh.
eàrlas
earnest, arles; See airleas.
eàrnach
murrain, bloody flux in cattle:
eàrr
end, tail, Irish earr, Early Irish err, *ersâ; Greek @Go@'/rros, rump; Anglo-Saxon ears, English
earr
scar (Lewis); Norse örr, arr (do.).
earrach
spring, so Irish, Old Irish errech *persâko-, from pers, which is from per, as eks, (= ex) is from ek; per, before, Latin per, pr@oe, English for, fore; as in air, (= ari). The idea is the "first of the year". Cf. German fru"hling, spring, of like descent. Such is Stokes' derivation. Another view is that earrach is from eàrr, end (cf. for form tòs and toiseach, and earrach, lower extremity) meaning the "end of the year', the céitein, May, "first of summer", being the beginning of the year. Not allied to Latin ver.
earradh
clothes, so Irish, Early Irish earrad, eirred, *áir-rêd, *ari-reido-n; from reid of réidh. English array comes from the Gaulish equivalent (*ad-rêdare), and English ready is allied. Hence earradh, wares.
earradhubh
the wane, the wane of the moon: *earr+ dubh?
earrag
a taunt (a blow, Arms.):


Previous Section Index Next Section


jtm