MacBain's Dictionary - Section 4

biorach: a heifer, colt, Irish biorach, cow-calf:
bioras: water-lily; same origin as biolar, q.v.
biorg: gush, twich, tingle; from the roots of biolar (bior-) and bior.
biorraid: a helmet, cap, Irish birreud, cap; from English biretta, from Late Latin birretum.
biorsadh: a keen impatience: "groading"; from bior.
biorsamaid: a balance; from Scottish bismar, Norse bismari.
bior-snaois: bowsprit of a sailing boat (N. Lochaber), forepart of vessel:
biota: a churn, vessel; from Norse bytta, a pail, tub, Anglo-Saxon bytt, Latin buttis, English butt.
biotailt: victuals, Early Irish bitáill, Welsh bitel, Middle Breton bitaill; from Old French vitaille, from Latin victualia. English victuals is from the French.
birlinn: a galley, bark, Middle Irish beirling; formed from the Norse byrðingr, a ship of burthen, from byrðr, burden, vb. bera, English bear. The Scottish bierling, birlinn is from the Gaelic. Cf. feòirlig=fjórðungr.
birtich: stir up; from bior, goad.
biseach: luck; See piseach.
bith: the world, existence, Irish, Old Irish bith, Welsh byd, Breton bed, Gaulish bitu-, *bitu-s; root bi, bei, live, Indo-European @gei, @gi, whence Latin vivo, English be, etc. Hence beatha, beò, biadh, q.v.
bith: being (inf. of bì, be), Irish, Early Irish beith, Old Irish buith. The Old Irish is from the root bhu (English be, Latin fui) = *buti-s, Greek @Gfúsis. The forms bith and beith, if derived from bhu, have been influenced by bith, world, existence; but it is possible that they are of the same root @gi as bith. Stokes, in his treatise on the Neo-Celtic Verb Substantive, takes bith and beith from the root ga, go, Greek básis (English base), a root to which he still refers the Old Irish aorist bá, fui (see bu).
bìth: resin, gum, birdlime, Irish bigh, Old Irish bí, pix, adj. bíde, *geis-, a longer form of gis-, the root of giuthas, fir (Schräder). Otherwise we must regard it as borrowed from Latin pix, picis, whence Welsh pyg, English pitch, against which b and í ( i long) militate.
bìth: quiet (Arms.):
bith-: prefix denoting "ever", Irish, Old Irish bith-, Welsh byth-; from bith, world.
biùc: difficult utterance:
biùthaidh: foe, Irish bíodhbha, Early Irish, Old Irish bidbe, bidbid (gen.), culprit, enemy.
biùthas: fame, biùthaidh, hero; See fiù, fiùbhaidh.
blabaran: stammerer, Irish blabarán, from the English blabber, speak inarticulately. It is of onomatopetic origin. Cf. English babble.
bladair: a wide mouth, a flatterer, Irish bladaire, flatterer; from the English blatterer, bletherer, blusterer, blatter, prate; from Latin blaterare, prate. Also blad a wide mouth (M`F.).
bladh: fame, Irish bládh, Early Irish blad; root blad-, blat-, speak, as in Latin blatero, babble, Norse blaðr, nonsense, Scottish blether. See bladair. Cf. glaodh, shout. Hence bladhair, expressive, a boaster.
bladhair: strong, from bladh, pith, Welsh blawdd, active; *blâd-; root bla@-, swell, bloom, as in blàth, q.v.
bladhm: a boast, etc.; See blaomadh.
blad-shronach, blad-spàgach: flat-nosed, flat-footed; blad- is from English flat.
blaisbheum: blasphemy; from Latin blasphemia, English blasphemy.
blanndaidh: rotten, stale; from Norse blanda, whey "blend".
blanndar: flattery, dissimulation, so Irish; from Latin blandiri, Scottish blander, English blandish.
++blaodh: a shout, noise, Irish blaodh, Middle Irish blaeded, Welsh bloedd. Hence blaodhag, noisy girl, boaghan, calf's cry, etc.
blaomadh: loud talking, Irish blaodhmanach, noisy person; from *blaid-s-men; See ++blaodh.
++blaosg: a shell, Irish blaosc, Middle Irish blaesc, testa, Welsh blisg; See plaosg.
blàr: a field, battle, peat-moss; from blàr, spotted, the idea being a "spot". See blàr.
blàr: having a white face, or white spot on the face (of an animal); bla@-ro-s, root bla@-, from Indo-European bhale, shine, bha@-; Greek @Gfalorós (second @G a long), having a white patch (on the head, as on a dog's head). Cf. Dutch blaar, a white spot on the forehead (Whence French blaireau, badger), Middle Dutch blaer, bald. See for roots bealltuinn, bàn. Welsh has blawr, grey, iron-grey, which seems allied. This word enters largely into Pictish topography. It is not so used in Argyle (M`K.) nor in Ireland.
blas: taste, Irish blas, Old Irish mlas, Welsh blâs, Breton blas, *mlasto-; mlasti, lick, be sweet-toothed, Russ. molsati@u, suck (Bezzenberger). Ultimately the root seems to be mel, as in meli-, honey, Gaelic mil, and even meil, grind. Hence French blasé?
blas-bheumnaich: blaspheme (Hend.). See blaisbheum.
blàth: bloom, blossom, Irish, Early Irish blàth, Welsh blawd, blodau, Cornish blodon, Middle Breton bleuzenn, *blâto-n; Indo-European root blela: bhlo, blossom forth; Latin flo@-s, flower; English bloom, etc.
blàth: warm, kind, Irish, Early Irish bláith, soft, smooth, mláith, *mlâti; root mela, mlâ, to grind. The original idea is "ground soft". Cf. Welsh blawd, meal.
blàthach: buttermilk, Irish, Middle Irish bláthach; bla@--tac-, root mel, mlâ, as in blàth. The idea is "pounded, soured". Cf. braich, from mrac-, "soured", and English malt, "soured", from melt. Hence Scottish bladach.
bleachdair: a soothing, flattering fellow, Irish bleachdaire, flatterer, cow-milker; a metaphoric use of blàthach, "cow-milker", from bliochd, milk, q.v.
bleagh: milk (vb.), Irish blighim; See bleoghainn.
bleaghan: a dibble for digging up shell-fish, a worthless tool;
bleid: impertinence, solicitation, Irish bleid, cajolery, impertinence. This seems another word formed on the word bladair, blad, just like English blatant, blate (talk, prate).
bleideir: coward; from Norse bleyði, cowardice, and Scottish blate(?).
bleith: grind, Irish bleithim, Early Irish bleith, inf. to Old Irish melim, I grind, Welsh malu, Breton malaff; root mel, grind, Latin molo, English meal, etc.
bleoghainn: milking, Early Irish blegon, inf. to bligim, mligim; Latin mulgeo; Greek @Ga@'-mélgw; English milk; Lithuanian mélz@?u.
bliadhna: year, Irish bliadhain, Old Irish bliadain, Welsh blydd, blwyddyn, Breton bloaz, blizen, *bleidni-, *bleido-; Indo-European @ghleidh, whence English glide: "labuntur anni" (Stokes). It is doubtful if Indo-European @gh becomes Celtic b.
blialum: jargon; from the Scottish blellum.
blian: the flank, groin, Irish bléin, Early Irish blén, Old Irish melen, for mleen, *mlakno-; Greek @Gmalakós, soft (Strachan, Stokes). The meaning, if not the phonetics, is not quite satisfactory.
blian: lean, insipid, blianach, lean flesh; cf. Welsh blin, tired, Old Breton blinion, inertes. These may be referred to *@gleghno-, Lithuanian glez@?nus, tender, weak, Greek @Gblchrós, languid. See, however, the derivation suggested for blian, above. For the Brittonic words, Stokes has suggested the stem blêno-; Sanskrit glána, tired.
bligh: milk; See bleagh.
bliochan: yellow marsh, asphodel, Irish bliochan; from *blioch = *melgos-, milk. For phonetics, cf. teach, from tegos-.
bliochd: milk, Irish bleachd, Early Irish blicht, Welsh blith, *ml@.ctu-, root melg, milk. See bleoghainn.
blìonadh: basking (Islands): "softening"? See blian.
bliosan: artichoke ( Sh., O'Br., O'R.), Irish bliosán: *blig-s-a@-n-, "milk-curdler"? Its florets were used for curdling.
blob: blubber-lipped (Sh.); from English blub, puffed, protruding, blubber, etc.
blocan: a little block, blog, block (Dialectic), Irish bloc, blocán; from English block.
bloigh: fragment, half, Irish blogh, blógh, fragment, Early Irish blog, pre-Celtic bhlog; English block, further away English balk, Greek @Gfálagx. Stokes refers it to the root of English pluck. (St. now English blough, German pflug).
bloinigein: any plant with crisped leaves, Irish bloinigain (O'R.); Gaelic and Irish bloinigean gàrraidh is "spinage". Cameron refers the word to blonag, fat.
blomas: ostentation (Sh.). Irish blomas; See bladhm. Irish blamaire, means "boaster".
blonag: fat, Irish blonóg, blainic, blunag, Middle Irish blonac, Welsh bloneg, Breton blonek, *blon-, *blen-, root bhle, bhel, swell; a very prolific root. Rhys says Welsh is borrowed. R.C.@+17 102
++blosg: sound a horn, Irish blosgaidhim, resound, sound a horn, Middle Irish blosc, voice; Welsh bloedd, a shout, from *blogðo-, for bloðgo-; cf. mèag, Welsh maidd. Zeit@+34 502. Cf. Greek @Gfloi@nsbos, din (= @Gflos-gos), Lithuanian blázgu, roar.
bó: a cow, Irish, Old Irish bó, Welsh buw, Old Breton bou-, *bov-s; Indo-European @gôus, whence Latin bos, Greek @Gbou@ns, English cow, Sanskrit go.
boban, bobug: a term of affection for a boy; cf. Middle Irish boban, calf, bóban, from bó. English babe, earlier, baban, of uncertain origin, may be compared.
boc: a buck, Irish boc, he-goat, Old Irish bocc, Welsh bwch, Cornish boch, Breton bouc'h, *bukko-s; Sanskrit bukka, goat. These may be analysed into bug-ko-, root bug, Zend. bûza, buck, Armenian buc, lamb, English buck, German bock.
bòc: swell, Irish bócaim; cf. Welsh boch, cheek, from Latin bucca, puffed cheek (English debouch, rebuke).
bòcan: hobgoblin, Irish bocán, Early Irish boccánach. With these are connected Welsh bwg (bwci, Cornish bucca, borrowed from Middle English?), English bug, bugbear, bogie; the relationship is not clear (Murray). For Gadelic a stem bukko-, from bug-ko-, would do, allied possibly to Norse púki, a Puck, Anglo-Saxon puca, larbula. boc-sithe, apparition, ghost (Perth: Wh.).
bochail: proud, nimble; cf. the interjection ++boch Irish boch, heyday! "O festum diem".
bochuin: swelling, the sea (Carm.), boch-thonn (H.S.D.):
bochd: poor, so Irish, Old Irish bocht; *bog-to-, a participle from the vb. (Irish) bongaim, break, reap, Celtic bongô, break; Sanskrit bhanj, break, Lithuanian banga, breaker (wave). See buain.
bocsa: a box, so Irish, pronounced in Irish bosca also, Welsh bocys; from English box. Hence bocsaid, a thump, English box.
bodach: an old man, a carle, Irish bodach, a rustic, carle; *bodd-aco-, "pe@-nitus", from bod, mentula, Middle Gaelic bod (Dean of Lismore passim), Middle Irish bod, bot, *boddo-, *bozdo-; Greek @Gpósqc, mentula. Stokes suggests the alternative form butto-s, Greek @Gbúttos, vulva, but the Gaelic d is against this. He also suggests that bodach is formed on the Old French botte, a clod.
bodha: a rock over which waves break; from Norse boði, a breaker, over sunken rocks especially.
bòdhag: a sea-lark.
bodhaig: body, corpus; from the Scottish bouk, body, trunk, Norse búkr, trunk, German bauch, belly. The Gaelic word has been compared by Fick with English body, Anglo-Saxon bodig, and Murray says it is thence derived, but the d would scarcely disappear and leave the soft g ending now so hard.
bòdhan: ham, breech, breast: *boud-@-no, *boud, bhud-; cf. English butt, buttock.
bodhar: deaf, so Irish, Old Irish bodar, Welsh byddar, Cornish bodhar, Breton bouzar; Sanskrit badhirá.
bodhbh, bobh: a fright (Perthshire), Early Irish bodba, dangerous, *bodv-io-s; from bodvo- in baobh, q.v.
bodht: swampy ground:
bog: soft, Irish bog, Old Irish bocc, Breton bouk, Old Breton buc, putris; *boggo-, *bug-go-; Indo-European bhu@g, bend, Sanskrit bhugna, bent, Gothic biugan, English bow, from Anglo-Saxon boga.
bogha: a bow, so Irish, Middle Irish boga; from Anglo-Saxon boga, English bow. For root, See under bog.
bògus: a timber moth, bug; from English bug, Scottish bo@-g.
boicineach: small-pox; root in bucaid, q.v.
boicionn: a goat skin, skin; *boc-cionn, "buck-skin"; the word ++cionn is in Old Irish cenni, scamae, Welsh cen, skin, Cornish cennen, Breton kenn-, pellis; English skinn, Norse skinn. -cionn, skin, Norse hinna, film (Leiden) I.F.@+5A 127.
bóid: vow, Irish móid, Middle Irish móit, *monti-, root mon, men, think. A borrowing from, or leaning on Latin vo@-tum seems possible in view of the Gaelic form. Middle Irish in uóit; from Latin vôtum, as is also móid (Stokes).
bòidheach: pretty; for buaidheach, "having virtues", from buaidh, q.v.
bòidheam: flattery (H.S.D.):
bòighear: puffin, ducker; also budhaigir, q.v.
boil, boile: madness, Irish buile, Early Irish baile:
bòilich: tall talk, boasting; cf. English bawl, cry like cows ( bó).
boillsg: gleam; *bolg-s-cio-; Latin fulgeo, shine, English effulgent, Lithuanian blizgù, glance, shine, English blink, Indo-European bhleg, *fulgeo.
boineid: a bonnet, Irish boineud; from English bonnet.
boinne: a drop, Irish bain (d.pl bainnibh), Old Irish banne, Cornish, Breton banne; Celt. bannjâ (Stokes. See bainne. Hence boinneanta, healthy, well-built.
boirche: a buffalo ( Sh., Lh.), so Irish; perhaps allied to Latin ferus, English bear.
boireal: a small auger (M`F.); founded on English bore.
boirche: rising ground, bank (M`D.); same root as German berg, mountain, English ice-berg.
boirionn: female, feminine, Irish bainionn, boinionn; *bani-, from the word bean, ban-, q.v. Hence biorionnach, a female, which is masc. in gender, having been originally neuter. Cf. doirionn for doinionn (Arg.).
bois: the palm; See bas.
boiseag: slap in the face, palmful, Irish, Middle Irish boiseóg, buffet.
boisg: gleam; boillsg.
boiteadh: boiled food for horses (H.S.D.), English bait:
boiteag: a maggot; See botus.
boitean: a bundle of hay or straw; for boiteal, from Scottish buttle, English bottle, bundle of hay, from Old French botte.
boitidh: the call to pig, boit, a taste for (Dialectic):
bòl: a bowl; from the English.
boladh: smell, so Irish, Old Irish bolad, *bulato-; Lithuanian bu'ls, dusty air (Bezzenberger). Stokes has compared Lithuanian bulis, buttock, Sanskrit buli, vulva.
bolanta: excellent; root bol, as in adhbhal, q.v.
bolla: a boll; from Scottish, English boll. Hence also bolla, a buoy.
bolt: a welt, Irish balta, welt, border; from the Latin balteus, girdle, English belt. Cf. English welt, Welsh gwald.
boma: a bomb; from the English.
bonn: foundation, so Irish, Old Irish bond; Latin fundus; Sanskrit budhná; English bottom.
bonn: a coin, so Irish; possibly from Latin pondo.
bonnach: cake, bannock, Irish boinneóg, oaten cake. This word, like the Scottish, bannock, appears to be founded on Latin pa@-nicum, pa@-nis, bread.
bonnanach: a strapping fellow (Mrs M`Ph.), bonnanaich, active young men (Skye):
borb: fierce, so Irish, Old Irish borp; allied to, or, more probably, borrowed from, Latin barbarus.
borbhan: a purling sound; *borvo-, a stem identical with bervo-, seethe, French Bourbon, Latin fervo, etc. Hence borbhanach, base, deep.
bòrc: sprout, swell; See bàrc.
bòrc-lunn: swell-wave (Hend.):
bòrd: a table, Irish, Middle Irish, bord, Welsh bwrdd; from Anglo-Saxon, Norse bord.
bòrlanachd, mòrlanachd: compulsory labour for the proprietor; from English bordland, as under bòrlum. Hence M`Morland. The cairiste, done for proprietor (M`K. and Carm.).
bòrlum: a strip of arable land (Hebridees); a frequent place namel from Middle English bordland, mensal land, especially the royal castle lands in the Highlands.
bòrlum: a sudden flux or vomiting, a flux; for bòrc-lum; See bòrc.
++borr: knob, pride, greatness, great, Irish, Early Irish borr, *borso-, bhorso-; Latin fastus (for farstus), pride; Old High German parrunga, superbia; allied to bàrr, q.v. Hence borrach, a haughty man, a protruding bank, a mountain grass.
bòsd: a boast, Irish bóst (O'R.), Welsh, Cornish bost; all from English boast, itself of unknown origin.
bòsdan: a little box, Breton bouist; the Gaelic is from early Scottish boyst, Middle English boiste, from Old French boiste, Medieval Latin buxida (bossida), which is the Greek @Gpúxida. Hence also English box, Gaelic bocsa.
bosgaire: applause (Sh.); bas+ gaire, q.v. "palm-noise".
bot: a mound, river bank; cf. bught, botach, a reedy bog.
bòt: a boot; from Middle English bote, English boot. Also bòtuinn, from Scottish booting, French bottine, half-boot.
botaidh: a wooden vessel (size, half anker); formed from Middle English butte, English butt, French botte.
both: perturbation, a plash; See bodhbh.
both, bothan: a hut, bothie, Irish, Middle Irish bothán, both, Welsh bod, residence, Cornish bod, bos, *buto-; Lithuanian bùtas, house; English booth, Norse búð, German bude; root bhu, be. Hence English bothie.
bothar: a lane, street (A.M`D.), Irish bothar (Con.), bóthar, Early Irish bóthar, *bâtro-, *bâtro-, root ba@-, go; Greek @Ge@'/bcn, went, @Gbaínu, go; Sanskrit gâ, go; English path.
botrumaid: a slattern, (M`F.); See butrais.
botul: bottle, Irish buideul, Welsh potel; from English bottle.
botunn: (Lewis), deep water pool (in moors); Norse, botn.
botus: a belly-worm; from Middle English bottes, pl. of bot, bott, of like meaning; Scottish batts. Origin unknown (Murray).
brà, bràth: a quern, Irish bró, g. brón, Early Irish bró, g. broon, mill-stone, *brevon-, *bravon-; Sanskrit grâvan-; Lithuanian gìrnos; English quern.
brabhd-chasach: bow-legged.
brabhdadh: bravado, idle talk, brabhtalachd, haughtiness (A.M`D."); from English bravado?
bràc: curve as of waves before breaking, a bellow, branch or deer-horn (Carm.), reindeer (Carm.):
bracach: grayish, braclach, brake: See words in broc-ach, -lach.
brachag: pustule; from brach, rot (vb.); See braich, malt. Also brachan, putrefaction.
bràchd: putrescence, fat, rich.
bradach: thievish, braid, theft, Irish bradach, thievish, roguish, Early Irish broit, g. braite: *mraddo-, allied to brath, betray? Scarcely braom br@.-ont-, root bher, carry, Latin fur, etc.
bradan: salmon, Irish bradán, Early Irish bratan. Cf. Lithuanian bradà, water, Ch.Sl broz@?da@?, wade through.
bradan: a ridgy tumour on the surface of the body (H.S.D.); metaphorically from bradan?
bradhadair: a blazing fire, kindling of a fire (Hebrides). Possibly braghadair, from bragh, q.v. Cf. braghadaich, crackling.
brag: (Lewis), a sudden creeking noise, Norse brak.
bragaireachd: vain boasting, Irish bragáireachd, from bragaire, boaster; from the English brag.
bragh: an explosion, peal, Old Irish braigim, pedo; Latin fragor, crash, fragare, English fragrant. See bram.
bràghad: neck, throat, Irish bráighid, Old Irish bráge, g. brágat, Welsh breuant, Old Breton brehant, *brâgn@.t-; English craw, German kragen, collar, Middle High German krage, neck; Greek @Gbróghos, windpipe, English bronchitis. Bezzenberger (Stokes' Dict.), refers it ot the root of Norse barki, weazand, Greek @Gfárugx, English pharynx. bràghad is really the gen. of bràighe.
bragsaidh: braxy; from Scottish, English braxy.
braich: malt, so Irish, Early Irish mraich, Welsh, Cornish brag, Breton bragezi, germinate, Gaulish brace (Plin.), genus farris: *mraki; Lithuanian mèrkti, macerate, márka, flax-hole for steeping; Latin marcere, fade, marcidus, decayed, rotten. From Welsh bragod, comes English bragget.
braid: theft; See bradach.
bràid: horse-collar; See bràighdeach.
bràighde: captives, pledges, Irish bráighe, pl. bráighde, Early Irish braga, g. bragat, hostage, prisoner, braig, a chain; Greek @Ggróhos, noose; English crank, German kringel; Indo-European @gregh, possibly allied to Indo-European @gre@-gh, neck, as in brághad. Hence braighdeanas, captivity, also dialectic braigh, hostage, pledge.
bràighdeach: horse-collar, Middle Irish braigdech, older bráigtech; from bràghad. Also bràid.
bràighe: upper part (of places): this is the nom. case of bràghad, which also appears in place names, as Bra'id-Albainn, Braidalbane.
braile: a heavy rain (Sh.):
braile, braighlish: a rattling noise (Perth). Scottish bruilze, French brouille. See braodhlach.
brailis: wort of ale, Irish braithlis, Middle Irish braichlis, from braich.
braim, bram: crepitus ventris, Irish broim, Old Irish braigim, pedo, Welsh, Cornish, Breton bram, *bragsmen, root brag, Indo-European bhrag; Latin fragor, crash, fragrare, etc. Hence bramaire, a noisy fellow.
braisleach: full-formed, bulky man, Middle Irish bras, great, Welsh, Cornish, Breton bras, grossus, *brasso-; Latin grossus, French gros, bulky.
bràist: a brooch; from the English
braithlìn: linen sheet, so Irish: *brath+lìn; but brath? M`E. suggests plài-linn.
braman: misadventure, the Devil; also dialectic broman. Middle Irish bromán means a "boor", brománach, impertinent. The root seems to be breg, brog, brag of breun, braim.
bramasag: a clott-burr, the prickly head of a thistle (H.S.D.):
++bran: a raven, Irish, Old Irish bran, Welsh brân, crow, Breton bran, crow; *branâ, for gvranâ, with which cf. Old Slavonic gavranu@u, raven, but not vrana (do.), as is usually done. The further root is @gra, @gera, cry, whence English crane, Greek @Ggéranos, crane, Welsh and Cornish garan. Used much in personal and river names.
bran: bran, Irish, Welsh bran, Breton brenn; Gaelic, Irish, and Welsh are from English bran, from Old French bren, bran, whence Breton
brang: a slip of wood in the head-stall of a horse's halter, resting on the jaw; horse's collar; brangas, a pillory; from the Scottish branks, a head pillory (for tongue and mouth), a bridle with two wooden side pieces, brank, to bridle; allied to German pranger, pillory, Dutch prang, fetter.
branndaidh: brandy; from English brandy, that is "brand or burnt wine".
branndair: a gridiron; from Scottish brander, from brand, burn, etc.
braodag: a huff (Hend.), also (Perth):
braodhlach: brawling, braoileadh, loud noise, Irish braóilleadh, rattling; a borrowed word, seemingly from Scottish, English brawl, confused with Scottish brulye, English broil.
braoileag: a whortleberry, Irish broileóg, breileóg. Scottish brawlins, brylocks, comes from the Gaelic.
braoisg: a grin, Irish braos:
braolaid: raving, dreaming; from breathal?
braon: a drop, rain, so Irish, Old Irish broen; cf. English brine. The attempt to connect it with Greek @Gbréhw, or with Latin rigare, English rain, is unsatisfactory. Stokes derives it from root ver (see fearthuinn), *vroen, but unlikely.
braonan, praonan: an earth-nut, bunium flexuosum. Perhaps from braon, a drop - "a bead, nut".
bras, brais: active, rash, Irish bras, Early Irish bras, Welsh brys, haste: *br@.sto-, Indo-European @gredh-, as in greas, q.v.? See also brisg, active.
brasailt: a panegyric (M`A.); Early Irish bras-scélach, panegyrical; from Old Irish bras, great, Welsh and Breton bras; cf. Latin grossus, English gross. See braisleach.
brat: a mantle, Irish brat, Old Irish bratt, Welsh brethyn, woolen cloth, Breton broz, petticoat, *bratto-, *brat-to-. For root brat, brant, See bréid. Anglo-Saxon bratt, pallium, is borrowed from the Celtic. Hence bratach, flag.
bratag: the furry or grass caterpillar, Irish bratóg, "the mantled one", from brat. Cf. caterpillar = "downy cat", by derivation.
brath: information, betrayal, Irish brath, Early Irish brath, treason, and mrath also, Welsh brad, treachery, Cornish bras, Breton barat, Old Breton brat, *mrato-; Greek @Ga@`martánw( @G-mart-), sin, miss, @Ge@'/mbroton (past tense). Cf. mearachd. Middle Irish mairned, treachery.
bràth: judgement, gu bràth, for ever (pron. gu bràch) "till Judgment", so Irish, Old Irish bráth, judgment, Welsh brawd, Middle Breton breut, Gaulish bratu-, *brâtu-; *brâ, *bera, judge, decide, from Indo-European bher, in the sense of "say", as in abair. The Irish barn, judge, and Welsh barn, judgment, are hence, and may be compared to Greek @Gfrc/n, @Gfrc/nes, soul, phrenology. Hence also breath, or breith *br@.t-, q.v. The sense "conflagration" given in the Dict. is due to "Druidic" theorisings, and is imaginary.
bràthair: brother, Irish bráthair, Old Irish bráthir, Welsh brawd, pl. brodyr, Cornish broder, pl. bredereth, Breton breur, breuzr, pl. breudeur, *brâtêr; Latin frâter; English brother; Sanskrit bhra@-/ta; etc.
breab: a kick, Irish preab, Middle Irish prebach, kicking; perhaps from the root form of breaban.
breaban: a patch of leather, Irish preabán, parcel, piece, patch; from, or allied to, Old French bribe, a piece of bread, alms, Sp. briba, alms; also Old French bribeur, mendicant, briberesse, female vagabondage and harloting; cf. Irish preabóg, a wenching jade (O'Br.). English bribe is from the French.

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