MacBain's Dictionary - Section 2
- aon
- one, Irish aon,
Old Irish óin, óen, Welsh, Cornish, Breton un; Latin unus
(=oinos); Gothic ains, English one.
- aonach
- moor, market place, Irish aonach, fair, assembly,
Old Irish
óinach, óenach, fair, *oin-acos, from
aon, one, the idea being
"uniting, re-union". Some have compared the Latin agonium,
fair, but it would scarcely suit the Gaelic phonetics.
- aonach
- panting;
See àinich.
- aonadh
- ascent:
- aonagail,
aonagairt,
aoineagan,
- wallowing
(H.S.D.);
See uainneart;
uan=foam.
- aonais
- want;
See iùnais.
- aorabh
- bodily or mental constitution:
- aoradh
- worship, Irish adhradh,
Old Irish adrad; from Latin adoratio,
English adoration.
- aotrom
- light, Irish éadtrom,
Old Irish étromm; *an+trom, "non-heavy".
See trom.
- ap
- ape, Irish ap, Welsh
ab; from English ape.
- aparan
- apron, gunwale patch (N.H.): from the English
- aparr
- expert; from Scottish apert, from
Old French aparté, military skill,
from Latin aperio, open, English aperient, expert, etc.
- aparsaig
- knapsack; from English haversack.
- ar,
ar n-
- our, so Irish and
Old Irish *(s)aron; this form may
have arisen from unaccented n@.s-aron (Jub.), like Gothic uns-ar
(us of English and
ar), German unser, English our (Thurneysen).
Stokes refers it to a Celtic (n)ostron, allied to Latin nostrum.
See further at bhur.
- ar
- seems; ar leam, methinks, Irish Middle Irish
dar,
Early Irish indar, atar,
with la,
Old Irish inda, ata, da; where
ta, tar is the verb
tha
(thathar), is, with prep. or rel. in before it. Tha leam-sa
(Mrs Grant).
See na, than.
- àr
- plough,
Early Irish
ar, Welsh
ar, ploughed land; Latin aro; Lithuanian ariù
Gothic arjan, English
ear, plough.
- àr
- battle, slaughter, Irish and
Old Irish ár, Welsh aer, *agro-; root
ag,
drive;
Greek
@Ga@'/gra, chase;
See àgh.
- àra
- kidney, Irish ára(nn),
Old Irish áru, g. áran, Welsh aren, *n@.fron-;
Latin nefro@-nes;
Greek
@Gnefrós, German nieren. Stokes refers ára to
ad-rên, the ren being the same as Latin ren.
- arabhaig
- strife; cf
Old Irish irbág, arbag, *air-ba@-g, Norse bágr,
strife.
- àrach
- rearing;
See àiridh, shealing.
It is possible to refer this
word to *ad-reg-, reg being the root which appears in
éirich.
- àrachas
- insurance, so Irish,
Early Irish árach, bail, contract, *ad-rig-,
root rig, bind, which
See in
cuibhreach.
- àradh
- a ladder, Irish aradh,
Early Irish árad:
- araiceil
- valiant, important, Irish árach, strength, árachdach,
puissant, *ad-reg-, root reg, rule, direct.
- àraidh
- certain, some, Irish áirighe,
Middle Irish áiridhe, *ad-rei-; cf. Welsh
rhai, rhyw, some, certain, which Rhys compares to Gothic fraiv, seed.
- ar-amach
- rebellion; for *eirigh-amach, "out-rising".
- aran
- bread, Irish,
Middle Irish, arán; root
ar, join,
Greek
@Garariskw,
@Ga@'/rtos.
See arbhar.
- arbhar
- corn, so Irish,
Early Irish arbar;
Old Irish arbe, frumentum; Latin
arvum, field. Also Gaulish arinca, "frumenti genus Gallicum"
(Pliny),
Greek
@Ga@'/rakos, vetch, Sanskrit arakas, a plant.
- arbhartaich
- dispossess; *ar-bert-;
ar for ex-ró?
- arc
- fungus on decayed wood, cork, arcan, cork, a cork, stopple,
Irish arcan, cork (Lh.):
- archuisg
- experiment (Sh.):
- arcuinn
- cow's udder:
- àrd
- high, Irish,
Early Irish ârd,
Gaulish Ardvenna; Latin arduus;
Greek
@Go@'rqós
- ard-dorus
- lintel, Irish ardorus, fardorus; àrd- here is a piece of
folk etymology, the real word being
ar,
air, upon.
See air
and
dorus.
- arfuntaich
- disinherit; *ar-fonn-.
See arbhartaich.
- argarrach
- a claimant; *air+gar;
See goir.
- argumaid
- argument, Irish argumeint,
Old Irish argumint; from Latin
argumentum.
- àrlas
- chimney,
Early Irish forlés, roof light;
air+
leus, q.v.
- arm
- weapon, Irish,
Old Irish arm, Welsh arf; from Latin arma, whence
English arms. Stokes says unlikely from Latin
- armadh
- working wool in oil, the oil for working wool. Cf.
aolmann.
- àrmunn
- a hero, Irish armann, sn oggivrt,
Early Irish armand, from an
oblique case of Norse ármaðr (g. ármanns, harmost, steward.
- àrloch
- hamlet, dwelling:
- àros
- a dwelling, Irish árus,
Middle Irish aros, Welsh araws, aros; *ad-rostu-;
English rest is allied to rostu-.
- arpag
- a harpy; from Latin harpyia, English harpy.
- arraban
- distress: *ar-reub-?
- arrabhalach
- treacherous fellow;
See farbhalach.
- arrachar
- rowing, steering (Arms.): *ar-reg-, root reg, direct.
- arrachd
- spectre, Irish,
Early Irish arracht; *ar-rig-;
See riochd for root.
Irish has also arrach, contour, spectre.
- arrachogaidh
- the first hound that gets wind of, or comes up to the deer
(Sh.):
- arraghaideach
- careless (Sh.):
- arraideach
- erratic: from the English?
earraid, hermit?
- arraidh,
farraidh
- suspicion (M`D).
- arraing
- a stitch, convulsions, so Irish; *ar-vreng-? English wrench, etc.
- arral
- foolish pride:
- arronta
- bold;
See farrant.
- arrusg
- awkwardness, indecency, arusg (M`A.):
- ars,
arsa
- quoth, Irish
ar,
Early Irish
ar. The s of the Gaelic really belongs
to the pronoun sé or
sì, said he,
said she, "ar sé, ar sì". Cf.
Middle Gaelic "ar san tres ughdar glic" - said the third wise author
(san being the full art.; now ars an. The Early Irish forms bar
and for, inquit, point to the root sver, say, English swear,
answer. Stokes refers it to the root ver, verdh, English word,
adducing Early Irish fordat, ordat, oldat, inquiunt, for the verdh
root. Thurneysen objects that ol or for is a preposition, the
-dat being the verb
ta on analogy with other forms indás,
oldáte. The original is al, propter, "further" (see "thall"),
like Latin
tum ("tum ille" - then he), later or or for, and
later still
ar - all prepositions, denoting "further".
- àrsaidh
- old, Irish ársaidh,
Old Irish arsid: *ar-sta-; sta, stand. It was
not observed that Stokes had the word; but the same conclusion
is reached. His stem is *(p)arostât, from paros,
before, and stât, Sanskrit purástât, erst.
- arsnaig
- arsenic; from the English
- arspag
- large species of sea-gull, larus major:
- artan
- a stone;
See airtein.
- artlaich
- baffle;
See fairtlich.
- àruinn
- a forest; *ag-ro-ni-, root
ag,
Greek
@Ga@'/gra, the chase.
- as,
a
- out of, from, Irish
as,
Old Irish ass, a, Welsh a, oc,
Breton a,
ag, Gaulish
ex-; Latin ex;
Greek e@'x, etc. as- is also used as a privative
particle.
- asaid
- delivery;
See aisead.
- asair
- also fasair, the herb "asara bacca"; borrowed from Latin
name.
- asair
- harness, shoemaker, Irish asaire, shoemaker, assain, greaves,
etc.,
Old Irish assa, soccus;
Greek
@Gpax, sandal (Hes.), Latin baxea;
root pa@-g, fit,
Greek
@Gpc/gnumi (Stokes).
- asal
- an ass, so Irish,
Middle Irish assal, Welsh asyn, Cornish asen. Gaelic and Irish
are borrowed from Latin assellus, the Welsh and Cornish from Latin
asinus.
- asbhuain
- stubble; *as-buain, "out-reaping", q.v.
- ascaoin
- unkind, wrong side of cloth (caoin is ascaoin); as-,
privative, and caoin, q.v.
- ascart
- tow, Irish asgartach,
Middle Irish escart, Welsh carth, Breton skarz,
*ex-skarto-, *skarto-, dividing, root sker, separate;
Greek skw/r,
dung; English sharn; etc.
- asgaidh
- present, boon,
Early Irish ascad,
Old Irish ascid (Meyer); for
root,
See taisg.
- asgailt
- a retreat, shelter;
See fasgadh,
sgàil: *ad-scath-, ascaid.
- asgall
- bosom, armpit, so Irish, Breton askle, Welsh asgre, bosom. The
same as achlais (q.v.) be metathesis of the s.
- asgan
- a grig, merry creature, dwarf (Arms.).
See aisteach.
- asgnadh
- ascending, so Irish; *ad-sqendô-; :at. scando, etc.
- aslach
- request, Irish,
Old Irish aslach, persuasio, adslig, persuades; for
root,
See slighe, way.
- aslonnach
- prone to tell (Arms.),
Early Irish asluindim, I request;
*
ad-
sloinn, q.v.
- asp
- an asp, Welsh asp, from the English
- àsran
- a forlorn object, Irish asránnach, astrannach,
a stranger: from
astar?
- astail
- a dwelling;
See fasdail.
- astail
- a contemptible fellow (M`A.):
- astar
- a journey, Irish asdar, astar,
Early Irish astur; *ad-sod-ro-n, root
sod, sed, go;
Greek
@Go@`dós, way, Church Slavonic choditi, go;
English ex-odus.
Stokes (Bez. Beit.@+21 1134) now gives its Celtic form as
*adsîtro-, root sai
of saothair, toil.
- àsuing,
àsuinn
àsuig
- apparatus, weapon;
See asair(?).
- at
- swell, Irish at,
Old Irish att, *(p)at-to-, root pat, extend, as in
aitheamh, q.v.
Stokes gives Celtic as azdo- (Gothic asts, twig,
etc.); but this would be Gaelic
ad.
- ++atach
- request,
Book of Deer attác,
Early Irish
atach,
Old Irish ateoch, I
pray, *ad-tek-; English
thig.
- atach
- cast-off clothes (Uist, etc.)=ath-aodach.
- ataig,
atuinn
- a palisade, stake:
- atamach
- fondling, caressing (M`A):
- ath
- next, again:
See ath-.
- ath
- flinch; from ath-, back. Hence athach, modest.
- ath-,
aith-
- re-, so Irish,
Old Irish
ath-, aith-,
ad-, *ati,
Welsh
ad-, Breton at-,
az-; Gaulish ate: Latin
at, but, at- (atavus);
Lithuanian at-, ata-, back,
Slavonic otu@u; Sanskrit ati, over.
Stokes divides Celtic ati- into two,
meaning respectively "over" and "re-"; but this seems
unnecessary.
- àth
- a ford, Irish,
Old Irish áth, *jâtu-; Sanskrityâ, to go;
Lithuanian jóti, ride
(Stokes). :
- àth
- a kiln, Irish áith, Welsh odyn.
Stokes refers this to a pre-Celtic
apati-, apatino-, parallel to English oven, Gothic auhns,
Greek
@Gi@'pnós.
Bezzenberger suggests the
Zend. âtar, fire, as related.
- athach
- a giant, Irish fathach, athach; root pat, extend?
- ++athach
- a breeze, Irish,
Old Irish
athach;
Greek
@Ga@'tmós, vapour, English
atmosphere; German atem, breath; etc.
- athainne
- embers, so Irish; *ath-teine(?)
See aithinne.
- athailt
- a scar;
See ath-ail;
See ail, mark.
- athair
- father, so Irish,
Old Irish athir; Latin pater;
Greek
@Gpatc/r; Sanskrit
pitár; English father.
- athair-neimh
- serpent, Breton aer, azr; for
nathair-
neimh, q.v.
- athair-thalmhainn
- yarrow, milfoil, Irish and Middle Irish athair talman;
"pater-telluris!" Also earr-thalmhainn, which suggests
borrowing from English yarrow.
- athais
- leisure;
ath-
fois = delay, q.v.
- athar
- evil effect, consequence
(M`A., Whyte), *at-ro-n from
ath,
"re-".
See comharradh. Scottish aur =
athailt.
- athar
- sky, air, Irish aiéur, air, sky,
Old Irish aér, aier, Welsh awyr; from
Latin aer, whence English
air.
See St. for aér, *aver? Cf.
padhal, ataidhir,
adhal.
- atharla
- heifer; possibly ath-ar-laogh, "ex-calf". Cf. Early Irish
aithirni, calf.
- atharnach
- second crop, ground cropped and ready for ploughing
(N.H.) ath-eòrn-ach? *ath-ar-nach, root
àr, plough.
- atharrach
- alteration, Irish atharrach,
Old Irish aitherrach, Breton adarre,
afresh, arre, *ati-ar-reg-, rrot reg of èirich.
Stokes analyses
it into ati-ex-regô, that is ath-éirich.
- atharrais
- mocking, imitating (M`K.); (Dial.
ailis): ath-aithris,
"re-say", Irish
aithris, tell, imitation.
See aithris.
- ba!
- part of lullaby; onomatopoetic. Cf. English baby, German bube,
etc.
- bà,
bàth
- foolish, Fernaig MS. bah: "deadly", (talky?), root ba@--,
kill (speak?);
See bàs. Cf. Latin fatuus.
- babag
- tassle;
See pab.
- babhd
- a surmise (M`A.), a quirk; from Latin faut.
- babhsganta,
baosganta
- cowardly;
See bodhbh; babhsgadh, fright,
shock (Hend.).
- bàbhun
- bulwark, enclosure for cattle, Irish bábhún, whence English
bawn,
Middle Irish bódhún (Annals of Loch Cé, 1199); from
bó and
dùn, q.v.
- bac
- hindrance, Irish bac,
Middle Irish bacaim (vb.).
See bac.
- bac
- a crook, Irish
bac,
Old Irish bacc, Welsh
bach, Breton bac'h, Celtic bakko-s;
*bag-ko-, Norse bak, English back. Hence bacach, lame,
Early Irish
bacach, Welsh bachog, crooked.
- bac-mòine
- tuf-pit or bank (N.H.); from Norse bakki, a bank,
English bank. Hence also place-name Back.
- bacastair
- baker, bacaladh, oven, Irish bacail, baker; all from the
English bake, baxter.
- bacan
- stake, hinge, Irish and Early Irish bacán. From
bac.
- bach
- drunkenness, Irish bach: from Latin Bacchus.
- bachall
- shepherd's crook, crozier, Irish bachul,
Old Irish bachall, Welsh
bagl, crutch; from Latin baculum, staff;
Greek
@Gbaktcriá, English
bacteria. Bachull gille, slovenly fellow (M`D.).
- bachar
- acorn, "Molucca bean", Irish bachar; forrowed from or
allied to Latin baccar,
Greek
@Gbákkaris, nard.
- bachlag
- a shoot, a curl, Irish bachlóg; from
bachall (Thurneysen).
- bachoid
- the boss of a shield, Irish bocoide, bosses of shields; from
Late Latin buccatus, Latin bucca, cheek.
See bucaid.
- bad
- a cluster, thicket; cf. Breton
bot,
bod, bunch of grapes, thicket;
common in Breton and Scotch place names; probably a
Pictish word. Cf. English bud, earlier bodde. Cf. Latin fascis
(*fað-scis), *fað-sk-, Norse, English bast?
- badhal
- a wandering, bàdharan;
possibly from the root ba, go,
as in bothar, q.v.
H.S.D. suggests bà+dol.
- bàdhan
- a churchyard (Sutherland), i.e. "enclosure", same as
bàbhun.
- bàdhar
- (H.S.D.), badhar
(Carm.), placenta of cow:
- bag
- a bag; from the English
- bagaid
- a cluster, troop, Welsh bagad, Breton bogod; from Latin bacca
(Thurneysen, Ernault).
- bagaire
- a glutton; from
bag in the sence of "belly".
- bagair
- threaten, so Irish,
Early Irish bacur, a threat. The Welsh bygwl, a
threat, etc., is scarcely allied, for it comes from bwg, a spectre,
bogie, whence possibly the English words bogie, boggle, etc.
Gaelic bagair may be allied with the root underlying
bac; possibly
bag-gar-, "cry-back".
- bagaisde
- baggage, lumber (of a person) (Wh.), from baggage.
- bàgh
- a bay, Irish bádh; from English bay, Romance baja.
- baghan
- a stomach (
baoghan, with ao short). Dial. maghan
(Sutherland); cf. English maw, German magen, Norse magi.
- baibeil
- lying, given to fables; from English babble.
- baideal
- tower, battlement, ensign, badealach, bannered; from
Middle English battle, battlement, which is of the same origin as
battlement.
- bàidh
- love, Irish báidhe,
Middle Irish báide, báde, *bâdi-s (Stokes). Cf.
Greek
@Gfw/tion, friendly (Hes.), for fw/qion; root bha@-, whence
Greek
@Gfw/s, man.
- baidreag
- a ragged garment;
See paidreag.
- bàidse
- musician's fee; from the English batch?
- baigeir
- a beggar; from English
- baigileis
- looe lumber or baggage (Argyle); from baggage.
- bail
- thrift, Irish bail, success, careful collection,
Middle Irish bail, goodness,
Early Irish bulid:
@Gfulla; Indo-European root bhel, swell, increase.
See buil,
bile.
Hence baileach. Cf.
adhbhal,
@Gbélteros.
- bailbheag
- a corn poppy; also beilbheag, mealbhag, meilbheag.
- bailc
- a ridge, beam, Welsh
balc, from English balk.
- bailc
- seasonable rain, showers:
- bailceach
- strong, a strong man,
Early Irish
balc, strong, Welsh balch,
(Stokes). Likely a Celtic bal-ko-, root bal, as in
bail. So
Ost.; Sanskrit balam, strength (
adhbhal),
Greek
@Gbélteros;
Wh.
St.
boliji@u, greater; Latin debilis.
- baile
- town, township, Irish,
Early Irish baile, *balio-s, a pre-Celtic
bhv-alio-, root bhu-, be; Gr, fwleós, a lair;
Norse ból, a
"bally", further English build, booth.
- baileach
- excessive;
See bail. Also buileach.
- bàilisdeir
- babbler, founded on English Scandinavian balderdash.
- bàillidh
- a magistrate, balie; from Scottish bailzie (English bailiff), French
bailli.
- baineasag
- a ferret, Irish baineasóg; bán+neas, "white weasel", q.v.
- bàinidh
- madness, fury, Irish báinidhe; Irish mainigh (O'Br.), from
Latin mania;
See bà.
- bainisg
- a little old woman, female satirist (Carm.) = ban=éisg;
from ban,
bean, q.v.
- bainne
- milk, Irish,
Middle Irish bainne; also boinne, milk (Sutherland),
a drop, Irish,
Middle Irish bainne, milk.
Old Irish banne, drop
Cornish, Breton banne, gutta; root
bha;
Old Slavonic banja, bath; English
bath, etc.
- bàir
- a game, goal, Irish báire, hurling match, goal,
Middle Irish báire:
*bag-ro-, root ba@-g-, strive;
See arabhaig.
bàireach, a ball.
- baircinn
- side timbers of a house (Sh.):
- baireachd
- quarrelling (Carm.); cf.
bàirseag.
- ++bairghin
- bread, cake, Irish bairghean,
Early Irish bargen, Welsh, Cornish, and
Breton
bara, panis, *bargo-; Latin ferctum, oblation cake; Anglo-Saxon
byrgan, to taste, Norse bergja, taste.
- bàirich
- lowing; root of
bó, cow. Cf.
bùirich.
- bàirig
- bestow; from English ware, as also
bathar.
- bàirleigeadh,
bàirneigeadh
- warning, summonsl; from the English
warning.
- bàirlinn
- rooling wave, billow; bàir-linn, from
- ++bàir
- wave, borrowed
from Norse bára, wave, billow. For
linne,
See that
word.
- bàirneach
- a limpet, Irish báirneach (Fol.), Welsh brenig, Cornish brennic:
from Middle English bernekke, now barnacle, from Medieval Latin bernaca.
Stokes takes bàirnech from barenn, rock, as
Greek lepás, limpet,
is allied to lépas, rock.
- bàirneachd
- judgment (Sh.), Irish,
Welsh, Breton barn, root ber in
bràth,
q.v.
- bàirseag
- a scold (Sh.), Irish bairseach,
Middle Irish bairsecha, foolish
talk,
bara, wrath, Welsh bâr, wrath. Stokes refers
bara to the
same origin as Latin ferio, I strike, Norse berja, smite, etc.
- baisceall
- a wild person (Sh.); Middle Irish basgell (i. geltan, boiscell;
root in
bà, foolish? +ciall.
- baiseach
- a heavy shower, Irish báisdeach, rain, bais, water; cf.
Old Irish
baithis, baptism, which may be borrowed from Latin baptisma
(Windish). The root here is
bad, of
bàth, drown. Irish
baiseach, raining (Clare), from baisteadh, Latin baptisma (Zim.).
- baist
- baptise, Irish baisd,
Old Irish baitsim, from Latin baptizo, which
is from
Greek
@Gbaptízw, dip.
- baiteal
- a battle; from English battle.
- balach
- clown, lad, Irish balach, clown, churl; cf. Sanskrit ba@-lakas, a
little boy, from ba@-la, young. But cf. Welsh bala, budding, root
bhel. Rathlin Irish bachlach.
- balaiste
- ballast; from the English
- balbh
- dumb, so Irish,
Early Irish balb; borrowed from Latin balbus.
- balc
- ridge, etc.;
See bailc.
Also "calf of leg" (Wh.).
- balc
- misdeed:
- balcach
- splay-footed
(H.S.D.). Cf.
Greek
@Gfolkós, bandy-legged(?).
- balg
- belly, bag, Irish bolg,
Old Irish bolc, Welsh bol, boly, belly, Cornish bol,
Gaulish bulga (Festus), sacculus; Gothic balgs, wine-skin,
Norse belgr, skin, bellows, English belly.
- balgair
- a fox:
- balgum
- mouthful,
Middle Gaelic bolgama (pl.), Irish blogam; from
balg. Cf.
Old Irish bolc uisce, a bubble.
- ball
- a member, Irish,
Old Irish ball;
Greek
@Gfallós; English phallus; root
bhel, swell.
- ball
- a spot, Irish,
Middle Irish
ball, white-spotted on forehead (of a horse),
Breton bal (do.). The Gaelic suggests a stem bal-no-, Celtic root
bal, white,
Greek
@Gfalós, shining, fálaros (phala@-ros), white-spotted
(of animals); Indo-European bhe@-l: bhale, shine; whence English
bale-fire. Stokes says the Irish
ball seems allied to the
Romance
balla, a ball, English bale and
ball(?). Hence ballach,
spotted. Welsh bal, spotted on forehead.
- ball
- a ball; from English
- balla
- wall, Irish balla (Four Masters),
fala (Munster); from
Middle English bailly, an outer castle wall, now in
Old Bailey, from
Medieval Latin ballium.
- ballaire
- a cormorant; from ball, spot.
- ballan
- a vessel, tub, Irish ballán,
Early Irish ballan. Stokes cfs. Norse
bolli, bowl, English bowl, and says that the Gaelic is probably
borrowed.
- ballart
- boasting, clamour; probably from Norse ballra, strepere,
baldrast, make a clatter (English balderdash), German poltern.
jtm