MacBain's Dictionary - Section 25

Previous Section Index Next Section


losaid
a kneading trough, Irish losad, Early Irish lossat: *lossantâ, *lok-s-, root lok, lek; Greek @Glékos, a dish, pot; Lit lekmene@?, a puddle; Latin lanx, dish.
losgadh
a burning, Irish loscadh, Early Irish loscud, Welsh llosg, urere, Cornish losc (n.) Breton losk: *loskô, I burn, *lopskô, root, lop, lap; Greek @Glámpw, shine; Old Prussian lopis flame, Lettic lapa, pine-torch (Stokes). See lasair, to whose root it is usually referred.
losgann
a toad, Irish loscain, Early Irish loscann; from losg above, so named from the acrid secretions of its skin.
lot
wound, so Irish, Early Irish lot, damage, loitim, laedo: *lottô, *lut-to-, root lut, lu, cut; Sanskrit lû-, cut; Greek @Glúw, loose; English loss, lose; Prussian au-laut, die. Stokes refers it to a stem *lud-nó-, root lud, Teutonic root lut, English lout, little, Norse lúta, to lout, bow, Anglo-Saxon lot, dolus, etc.
lot
share, etc., one's croft (Lewis):
loth
a colt, Manx, lhiy, Welsh llwdn, young of deer, sheep, swine, hens, etc., Cornish lodn (do.), Middle Breton lozn, beast, Breton loen, animal: *pluto-, *plutno-; cf. Latin pullus, foal, English filly.
loth
marsh (Suth.), Old Irish loth, mud; See further under lòn. Hence Loth, parish.
lothail
the plant brook-lime, Irish lothal (O'Br.), lochal:
luach
worth, value, Irish luach Old Irish lóg, luach: *lougos, root lou, , gain; Latin lûcrum, gain, Laverna, the thieves' goddess; Gothic laun, a reward, Anglo-Saxon léan (do.); Old Slavonic lovu@u, catching.
luachair
rushes, Irish, Early Irish luachair: "light-maker", from louk, light (Latin lux, etc.), Middle Welsh lleu babir, rush-light.
luadh
fulling cloth; cf. Irish luadh, motion, moving, root ploud (Lithuanian plaudz@?u, wash, English fleet), a side-form of the root of luath. But compare dol.
luaidh
mention, speaking, Irish luadh, Old Irish luad: *laudo-; Latin laus, laudis, praise. Hence luaidh, beloved one: "spoken or thought of one".
luaidh
lead, Irish, Middle Irish luaidhe: *loudiâ; English lead, Anglo-Saxon léad (*lauda-), German loth.
luaimear
a prattler, Irish luaimearachd, volubility; See luaineach.
luaineach
restless, Irish luaimneach, Early Irish luamnech, volatile (as birds), lúamain, flying; root ploug, fly; English fly, German fliegen, Norse fljúga.
luaireagan
a grovelling person, a fire-fond child; from luaith, ashes: "one in sackcloth and ashes"?
luaisg
move, wave, luasgadh (n.), Irish luasgaim, Middle Irish luascad, Old Breton luscou, oscilla, Breton luskella, to rock: *louskô, *ploud-sko-, root ploud or plout, plou, go, flow, move, as in luath, q.v. Bez. queries connection with Lithuanian plúskát, plúkt, pluck, tear.
luan
moon, Monday, so Irish; Middle Irish, Old Irish luan, moon, Monday: *loukno-, Latin lux, luceo, lûna, moon. The Gadelic is possibly borrowed from Latin Irish go lá an Luain, till doomsday.
luaran
a dizziness, faint:
luath
ashes, Irish luaith, Early Irish lúaith, Welsh lludw, Cornish lusu, Breton ludu: *loutvi-. Bez. queries if it is allied to German lodern, to flame.
luath
swift, Irish luath, Old Irish lúath: *louto-, root plout, plou, go, flow, be swift; English fleet, Norse fljótr, swift (root pleud); Greek @Gpléw, I sail; Latin pluit, it rains; Sanskrit plavate, swim, fly.
lùb
bend, Irish, Middle Irish lúbaim, Early Irish lúpaim (ro-lúpstair, they bent, L.Leinster): lúbbô, root leub, lub; English loop, Middle English loupe, noose; @Glugízw See lag. Skeat regards the English as borrowed from the Celtic. Hence lùib, a fold, creek, angle.
luch
a mouse, Irish, Old Irish luch, g. lochat, Welsh llyg, llygoden, Cornish logoden, Breton logodenn, pl. logod: *lukot-, *pluko-, "gray-one"; Lithuanian pilkas, gray, pele, mouse; root pel, pol, gray, as under liath. Stokes refers it to the Gadelic root luko-, dark (read lauko- or louko-), whence Early Irish loch (read lóch), which he takes from Indo-European leuq, shine (Latin lux, etc.), comparing Welsh llwg, vivid, blotchy, to which add Welsh llug, blotch, dawning. From this obsolete Gaelic word lóch, dark, comes the name of the rivers Lòchaidh, Adamnan's Nigra Dea or Loch-dae, which we may take as the Gaelic form of it from another of his references.
lùchairt
a palace, castle; See longphort.
luchd
people, Irish luchd, Old Irish lucht, Welsh llwyth, tribe: *lukto-, from plug, pulg, English folk, German volk, whence Old Slovenic pluku, a troop.
luchd
a burden, Irish luchd, Early Irish lucht, Welsh llywth a load: lukto-. The Old Welsh tluith (or maur-dluithruim, multo vecte) has suggested *tlukto-, allied to Latin tollo, raise (Stokes). English flock?
lùdag
the little finger, Irish lughadóg, Old Irish lúta, dat. lútain: *lûddôn-, root lûd, lud, English little, Anglo-Saxon ly/tel, Old High German luzil; root lu, , English loss, -less, Greek @Glúw, etc.
lùdag, lùdan, lùdnan
a hinge, ludanan, hinges, Irish lúdrach (Fol.), ludach ludann (O'R.):
ludair
a slovenly person, ludraig, bespatter with mud, luidir, wallow Irish ludar (n.), ludair (vb.); two words from lod, mud, and luid, rag.
ludhaig
permit, allow: from the English 'lowing, allowing. lughaic, stipulate for (Hend.).
lùgach
having crooked legs, lùgan, a deformed person, lùigean, a weakling: *lûggo-, root leug, lug, bend, Greek @Glugízw, bend, Lithuanian lugnas, pliant.
lugh
swear, blaspheme, Old Irish luige, oath, Welsh llw, Breton le: *lugio-n, oath, "binding"; Gothic liugan, wed, Old High German urliugi, lawless condition, Anglo-Saxon orlege, war.
lugh
a joint (M`A.), luighean, a tendon, ankle, Irish luthach, joints, luighéan, a nave, Middle Irish luíthech, sinew.
lugha
less, Irish lugha, Old Irish lugu, laigiu, positive, lau, , little, Welsh llai, less, from llei, Breton lei, from lau: *legiôs, from *legu-s, little: Latin levis; Greek @Ge@'lahús, little; Sanskrit laghá-s, light, English light.
luibh
an herb, Irish luibh, Old Irish luib, lubgort, herb-garden, garden, Welsh lluarth, garden, Cornish luvorth, Breton liorz, garden: *lubi-, herb; Norse lyf, herb, Gothic lubja-leisei, witchcraft, "herb-lore", Old High German luppi, poison, magic, Anglo-Saxon lyb (do.).
luid, luideag
a rag, a slut, Irish luid: *luddi, root lu, cut, lose, as under lot.
luidhear
a vent, chimney, louvre, Welsh llwfer; from Middle English louere, lover, smoke-hole, Old French lover. The Norse ljóri, a louvre or roof-opening is from ljós, light.
luidse
a clumsy fellow; from the Scottish lotch, lout, louching, louting.
lùigean
a weak person; See lùgach.
luigh
lie; See laigh.
luighean
an ankle; cf. Early Irish lua, foot, kick, Old Irish lue, heel:
luighe-siùbhladh
(laighe-siùbhladh), child-bed, Irish luidhsiúbhail (Fol.), Middle Irish ben siuil, parturient woman, luige seola, child-bed. Stokes refers siuil to Middle Irish siul, bed, and compares the English phrase to be brought a-bed. The Gaelic and Irish seem against this, for the idea of luighe-siùbhladh would then be "bed-lying"; still worse is it when leabaidh-shiùladh is used. Consider siubhal, bearing.
luigheachd
requital, reward: *lugi-, root lug, loug, as in luach.
luim
a shift, contrivance:
luimneach
active (Smith's S.D.); cf. luaineach.
luinneag
a ditty, Irish luinnioc, chorus, glee, Middle Irish luindiuc, luindig, music-making; *lundo-, root lud, as in laoidh, English lay?
luinneanach
tossing, floundering, paddling about; See lunn, a heaving billow.
luinnse, luinnsear
a sluggard, lazy vagrant, Irish lunnsaire, idler, watcher; from English lungis (obsolete), lounger.
lùir
torture, drub (M`A.); See laoir.
lùireach
a coat of mail, Irish lúireach, Early Irish lúirech, w. llurig; from Latin lôrîca, from lôrum, a thong. Hence lùireach, a patched garment, an untidy female.
luirist
an untidy person, tall and pithless:
lum
part of the oar between the handle and blade; from N. hlumr, handle of an oar.
luma-làn
choke-full, also lom-làn and lumha-lan (Hend.); from lom+ làn.
luman
a covering, great-coat, Irish lumain, Early Irish lumman (g. lumne, M`Con.). In some dialects it also means a "beating", that is a "dressing".
lùnasd, lùnasdal, lùnasdainn
Lammas, first August, Irish lughnas, August, Early Irish lúgnasad, Lammas-day: "festival of Lug"; from Lug, the sun-god of the Gael, whose name Stokes connects with German locken, allure, Norse lokka (do.), and also Loki(?). Early Irish nassad, festival (?), is referred by Rhys to the same origin as Latin nexus, and he translates lúgnasad as "Lug's wedding" (Hib.Lect, 416).
lunn
a staff, oar-handle, lever; from Norse hlunnr, launching roller. See lonn. Dial. lund
lunn
a heaving billow (not broken); also lonn. See lonn, anger.
lunndair
a sluggard; cf. French lendore, an idle fellow, from Middle High German lentern, go slow, Dutch lentern. Breton landar, idle, is borrowed from the French
lunndan
a smooth grassy plot (possibly "marshy spot", Rob.). Hence place-name An Lunndan.
lunndraig
thump, beat; from the Scottish lounder, beat, loundering, a drubbing.
lur
delight, lurach, lovely, luran, darling, a male child; *luru-, root lu, lau, enjoy, as in lon.
lurc
a crease in cloth; from Scottish lirk, a crease, Middle English lerke, wrinkle.
lurcach
lame in the feet; See loirc.
lùrdan
cunning, a sly fellow; from Scottish lurdane, worthless person, Middle English lourdain, lazy rascal, from Old French lourdein (n.), lourd, dirty, sottish, from Latin luridum.
lurg , lurgann
a shank, Irish, Early Irish lurgu g. lurgan; Welsh llorp, llorf, shank, shaft.
lus
an herb, plant, Irish lus Early Irish luss, pl. lossa, Welsh llysiau herbs, Cornish les, Breton louzaouen: *lussu-, from *lubsu-, root lub of luibh.
luspardan
a pigmy sprite, Martin's Lusbirdan; from lugh little (see lugha), and spiorad.
lùth
strength, pith, Irish lúth, Early Irish lúth; cf. Old Irish lúth, velocity, motion, from the root pleu, plu of luath. Or tlúth, from tel?

M

ma
if, Irish , Old Irish , ma, Cornish, Breton ma (also mar); cf. Sanskrit sma, smâ, an emphatic enclitic (= "indeed") used after pronouns etc., the -sm- which appears in the Indo-European pronoun forms (Greek @Ga@'mme = n@.s-sme, us).
mab
a tassel; a side-form of pab, q.v.
màb
abuse, vilify:
mabach
lisping, stammering; cf. Middle English maflen, Dutch maffeln, to stammer.
mac
a son, Irish mac, Old Irish macc, Welsh mab, Old Welsh map, Cornish mab, Breton map, mab, Ogam gen. maqvi: *makko-s, *makvo-s, son, root mak, rear, nutrire, Welsh magu, rear, nurse, Breton maguet: Indo-European mak, ability, production; Greek @Gmakrós, long, @Gmákar, blessed; Zend maçanh, greatness; Lettic mázu, can, be able. Kluge compares Gothic magaths, maid, Anglo-Saxon magþ, English maid, further Gothic magus, boy, Norse mögr, which, however, is allied to Old Irish mug (pl. mogi), slave. The Teutonic words also originally come from a root denoting "might, increase", Greek @Gmc@nhos, means, Sanskrit mahas, great. Hence macanta, mild: "filial".
macamh
a youth, generous man, Irish macamh, macaomh, a youth, Early Irish maccoem: from mac and caomh.
mach , a mach
outside (motion to "out"), Irish amach, Early Irish immach; from in and magh, a field, mach being its accusative after the prep. in, into: "into the field". Again a muigh, outside (rest), is for Early Irish immaig, in with the dat. of magh: "in the field". See an, ann and magh.
machair
a plain, level, arable land, Manx magher, Irish, Middle Irish machaire, macha; *makarjo-, a field; Latin mâceria, an enclosure (whence Welsh magwyr, enclosure, Breton moger, wall). So Stokes. Usually referred to *magh-thìr, "plain-land", from magh and tìr.
machlag
matrix, uterus, Irish machlóg (O'Br., etc.), Middle Irish macloc; cf. German magen, English maw.
macnas
sport, wantonness, Irish macnas (do.), macras, sport, festivity; from mac.
mactalla , macalla
echo, Irish, Middle Irish macalla; from mac and obsolete all, a cliff, g. aille (*allos), allied to Greek @Gpélla, stone (Hes.), Norse fjall, hill, English fell. See also ++ail which is allied.
madadh
a dog, mastiff, so Irish, Middle Irish madrad: Early Irish matad (McCon.), maddad (Fel.), Welsh madog, fox (cf. Welsh madryn, reynard): *maddo-, *mas-do-, the mas possibly being for mat-s, the mat of which is then the same as math- of mathghamhuin, q.v. Connection with English mastiff, French mâtin, Old French mestiff, from *mansatinus, "house-dog", would mean borrowing.
madadh
mussel:
màdog , madog
a mattock, Welsh matog; from Middle English mattok, now mattock, Anglo-Saxon mattuc.
màdar
madder, Irish madar, the plant madder; from the English
madhanta
valiant, dexterous in arms, Irish madhanta: "overthrowing", from the Early Irish verb maidim, overthrow, break, from *matô, Church Slavonic motyka, ligo, Polish motyka, hoe (Bez.).
maduinn
morning, Irish maidin, Old Irish matin, mane, maten; from Latin matutina, early (day), English matin.
màg
a paw, hand, lazy bed, ridge of arable land, Early Irish mác: *mankâ, root man, hand, Latin manus, Greek @Gmárc, Norse mund, hand. Scottish maig is from Gaelic.
magadh
mocking, Irish magadh, Welsh mocio; from the English mock.
magaid
a whim; from Scottish maggat, magget.
magairle, magairlean
testicle(s), Irish magairle, magarla, Early Irish macraille (pl.): *magar-aille, "magar stones"; magar and all of mactalla: magar = *maggaro-, root mag, meg, great, powerful, increas? Cf., however, mogul.
màgan
toad; properly mial-mhàgain, "squat beast"; from màg above.
magh
a plain, a field, Irish magh, Old Irish mag, Welsh ma, maes (*magestu-), Cornish mês, Breton maes, Gaulish magos: *magos, *mages-, field, plain, "expanse", from root magh, great, Sanskrit mahî, the earth, mahas, great; Greek @Gmc@nhos, means, Latin machina, machine; Gothic magan, be able, English may.
maghan
stomach: Norse magi.
maghar
bait for fish, so Irish, Early Irish magar (Corm.), small fry or fish:
maibean
a cluster, bunch; See mab.
maide
a stick, wood, Irish, Early Irish, matan, a club: *maddio-, *mas-do-; Latin malus (= *mâdus), mast; English mast.
màidhean
delay, slowness:
màidse
a shapeless mass:
màidsear
a major; from the English
Màigh
May, Early Irish Mái; from Latin maius, English May.
màigean
a child beginning to walk, a fat, little man: from màg.
maighdeag
concha veneris, the shell of the escallop fish; from maighdean? Cf. madadh, mussel.
maighdean
a maiden, so Irish, late Middle Irish maighden (Four Masters); from Middle English magden, maiden, Anglo-Saxon m@oeden, now maiden.
maigheach
a hare, Irish míol bhuidhe (for míol mhuighe), Early Irish míl maighe, "plain beast"; from mial and magh. The Gaelic is an adj. from magh: *mageco-, "campestris".
maighistir, maighstir
master, Irish maighisdir, Middle Irish magisder, Welsh meistyr, Cornish maister; from Latin magister, English master.
màileid
a bag, wallet, knapsack, Irish máiléid, máilín; See màla.
maille ri
with, Irish maille re, Old Irish immalle, malle; for imb-an-leth, "by the side", mu an leth now.
màille
mail armour; from the English mail.
mainisdir
a monastery, so Irish, Early Irish manister; from Latin monasterium.
mainne
delay, Irish mainneachdna; cf. Old Irish mendat, residence, Old Gaelic maindaidib (dat.pl.), Sanskrit mandiram, lodging, habitation; Latin mandra, a pen, Greek @Gmándra (do.).
mainnir
a fold, pen, goat pen, booth, Irish mainreach, mainneir, Middle Irish maindir; Latin mandra, Greek @Gmándra, pen, as under mainne. K.Meyer takes it from early French maneir, dwelling, English manor.
mair
last, live, Irish mairim, Old Irish maraim: *marô; Latin mora, delay *mr@.-.
màireach
to-morrow, Irish márach, Early Irish imbârach, to-morrow, iarnabárach, day after to-morrow, Welsh bore, boreu, morning, y fory, to-morrow, Middle Welsh avory, Breton bure, morning, *bârego- (Stokes, Zimmer): *mr@-@.-ego-, root mr@-@.gh, mr@.gh (mr@.g?); Gothic maurgins, morning, da maurgina, to-morrow, English morrow, German morgen, etc.
mairg
pity! Irish mairg, Early Irish marg, vae: *margi-; Greek @Gmárgos, mad, Latin morbus(?). Usually referred to *mo-oirc, *mo oirg, "my destruction", from org, destroy (see turguin).
mairiste
marriage; from the English
màirneal
a delay, Irish mairneulachd, tediousness, a sailing:
mairtir
a martyr, so Irish, Early Irish martir, Welsh merthyr; from Latin martyr, from Greek @Gmártus márturos, a witness.
maise
beauty, so Irish, Early Irish maisse, from mass, comely; root mad, med, measure, English meet, German mässig, moderate; further English mete, etc.
maistir
urine, so Irish; *madstri, root mad, Latin madeo.
maistreadh
churning, so Irish; root mag: Greek @Gmagís, @Gmássw, Church Slavonic masla, butter.
maith , math
good, Irish, Old Irish maith, Welsh mad, Cornish mas, Middle Breton mat: *mati-s, root mat, met, measure, Indo-European , measure, as in meas, q.v.? Bez. suggests as an alternative Sanskrit úpa-mâti, affabilis, Greek @Gmatís (= @Gmégas, Hes.).
maith , math
pardon, Irish maitheam (n.), Early Irish mathem, a forgiving, Welsh maddeu, ignoscere, root mad, "be quiet about", Sanskrit mádati, linger, mandas, lingering, Gothic ga-môtan, room; See mainnir. Rhys regards the Welsh as borrowed from Irish; if so, Gaelic is same as maith, good.
màl
rent, tax, Middle Irish mál, Welsh mâl, bounty; from Anglo-Saxon mál, tribute, Middle English ma@-l, now mail (black-mail), Scottish mail.
màla
a bag, budget, Irish mála; from the Middle English ma@-le, wallet, bag (now mail), from Old French male, from Old High German malha.
mala
pl. malaichean (mailghean in Arg., cf. duilich, duilghe), eyebrow, Irish mala, Old Irish mala, g. malach, Middle Breton malvenn, eyelash: *malax; Lithuanian blakstenai, eyelashes, blakstini, wink, Lettic mala, border, Alban. mal', hill, border.
malairt
an exchange, so Irish, Middle Irish malartaigim, I exchange, also "destroy": in Early Irish and Old Irish malairt means "destruction", which may be compared to Latin malus, bad.
malc
putrefy: *malqô; Lithuanian nu-smelkiù, decay, Servian mlak, lukewarm (Strachan), Old High German moa(h)wên, tabere (Bez.). It has also been referred to the root mel, grind.
màlda
gentle, Irish málta; Greek @Gmalqakós, soft (see meall).
mall
slow, Irish, Old Irish mall (Welsh mall, want of energy, softness?); Greek @Gméllw, linger (*melno-); Latin pro-mello, litem promovere. It has also been refered to the root of Greek @Gmalqakós, soft (see meall), and to that of Latin mollis, soft, English mellow.
mallachd
a curse, so Irish, Old Irish maldacht, Welsh mellith, Breton malloc'h; from Latin maledictio, English malediction.
màm
large round hill, Irish mam, mountain, Middle Irish mamm, breast, pap (O'Cl.): "breast, pap", Latin mamma, mother, breast, English mamma, etc. Hence màm, an ulcerous swelling of the armpit.
màm
a handful, two handfuls, Irish, Middle Irish mám, handful, Welsh mawaid, two handfuls: *mâmmâ (Stokes), from *manmâ, allied to Latin manus, hand? Cf., however, màg.
màn
a mole on the skin, arm-pit ulcer; side form màm.
manach
a monk, Irish, Early Irish manach, Middle Irish mainchine, monkship, monk's duties (cf. abdaine), Welsh mynach, Breton manac'h; from Latin monachus, English monk. Hence manachainn, a monastery.
manach
the angel fish:
manachan
the groin:
manadh
an omen, luck, Early Irish mana, omen; Latin moneo, warn, advise; Anglo-Saxon manian, warn, exhort.
mànas
the portion of an estate famed by the owner, a large or level farm; from the Scottish mains, English manor.
mandrag
mandrake, Irish mandrác; from the English Welsh mandragor is from Middle English mandragores, Anglo-Saxon mandragora.
mang
a fawn, Middle Irish mang, Early Irish mang (Corm.): Celtic root mag (mang), increase, English maiden, Gothic magus, boy (see mac).
mangan
a bear; See mathghamhain.
mannda, manntach
lisping, stammering, Irish manntach, toothless, stammering, Early Irish mant, gum, Old Irish mend, dumb, etc., Irish meann, dumb ( O'Br.), Welsh mant, jaw, mantach, toothless jaw: *mand@?to-, jaw; Latin mandere, eat, mandibula, a jaw; further is English meat, Greek @Gmasáomai, chew, eat, root mad.
mànran
a tuneful sound, a cooing, humming, Irish manrán:
maodail
a paunch, stomach, ruminant's pouch, Irish méadail, maodal, meadhail ( Lh.), Middle Irish medhal (Ir.Gl., 235), métail: *mand-to-? Root mad, mand, eat, as under mannda?
maoidh
grudge, reproach, Irish maoidhim, grudge, upbraid, bra, Early Irish máidim, threaten, boast, Old Irish móidem, gloriatio: *moido-; root moid, meid; Middle High German gemeit, grand, Old High German kameit, jactans, stolidus, Old Sax. gemêd, stupid, Gothic gamaids, bruised. See miadh.
maoidhean
personal influence, interest; from Scottish moyen (do.), French moyen, a mean, means, English means, from Latin medianus, median, middle.
maoile
brow of a hill; See maol.
maoim
terror, onset, eruption, surprise, Irish maidhm, a sally, eruption, defeat, Early Irish maidm, a breach or breaking, defeat: *matesmen- (Stokes), *matô, break; Church Slavonic, Pol. motyka, a hoe. Some give the root as allied to Sanskrit math, stir, twirl, Lithuanian mentùris, whorl.
maoin
wealth, Irish maoin, Old Irish máin: *moini-; Latin mu@-nus, service, duty, gift (English munificence), communis, common; Gothic ga-mains, common, English mean; Lithuanian maínas, exchange.
maoineas
slowness; See màidhean.
maoirne
a bait for a fishing hook (N.H.), maoirnean, the least quantity of anything; cf. maghar, root mag, grow.
maois
a large basket, hamper, maois-eisg, five hundred fish, Irish maois, Welsh mwys, hamper, five score herring, Cornish muis, moys; Scottish mese, five hundred herring, Norse meiss, box, wicker basket, meiss síld, barrel-herrings, Old High German meisa, a basket for the back; Lithuanian maiszas, sack, Church Slavonic me@?chu@u. The relationship, whether of affinity or borrowing, between Celtic and Teutonic, is doubtful. The Brittonic might come from Latin mensa, a table, and the Gadelic from the Norse.
maoiseach , maoisleach
a doe, heifer: maol-sech ( maol, harnless); See mís.
maol
bald, Irish maol, Old Irish máel, máil, Welsh moel, Breton maol: *mailo-s; Lithuanian mailus, something small, smallness, Church Slavonic me@.lu@uku@u, small; further root mei, lessen (see maoth). The Irish mug, servant, has been suggested as the basis: *mag(u)lo-, servile, "short-haired, bald"; but this, though suitable to the Welsh, would give in Gaelic mál. Cf. Irish mál, prince, from *maglo-. Hence maol, brow of a hill or rock, Welsh mael, a conical hill?
maolchair
the space between the eyebrows; from maol.
maol-snèimheil
lazy, careless, indifferent (H.S.D.), maol-snè(imh), maol-snìomh (Rob.), a lazy one:
maor
an officer of justice or of estates, Irish maor, an officer, Old Gaelic m@oer, máir (Book of Deer), Welsh maer, steward; from Latin major, whence English mayor.
maorach
shell-fish, Irish maorach; cf. Greek @Gmúraina (u long), lamprey, @Gsmu@nros, eel.
maoth
soft, Irish maoth, Early Irish móeth, Old Irish móith: *moiti-s; Latin mîtis, mild; further root mei, lessen (see mìn).
mar
as, Irish, Middle Irish mar, Early Irish, Old Irish immar, quasi: *ambi-are, the prepositions imm (now mu) and air? Welsh mor, as, Cornish, Breton mar, is explained by Ernault as unaccented Breton meur, Gaelic mór, big.
mar ri
Middle Gaelic far ri (Dean of Lismore): from mar and ri.
màrach
a big, ungainly woman (Arg.); from mór, with neuter termination ach. Also màraisg.
marag
a pudding, Middle Irish maróc, hilla, Early Irish mar, sausage; from the Norse mörr, dat. mörvi, suet, blóð-mörr, black pudding.
marasgal
a master, regulator, Irish, Middle Irish marascal, regulator, marshal; from Middle English and Old French marescal, now marshal.
marbh
dead, Irish marbh, Old Irish marb, Welsh marw, Cornish marow, Breton maro, Middle Breton marv; *marvo-s, root mr@.; Latin morior, die; Lithuanian mirti, die; Greek @Gmaraínw, destroy; Sanskrit mar, die.
marc
a horse, Gaelic and Irish marcach, a horseman, Early Irish marc, horse, Welsh, Cornish, Breton march, Gaulish @Gmarka-n (acc.): *marko-s, *markâ; Old High German marah, mare, meriha, horse, Norse marr, mare, Anglo-Saxon mearh, English mare and marshal.
marg
a merk: from the English mark, Scottish merk, Norse mo@'rk, g. markar.
margadh
a market, so Irish, Middle Irish margad, marcad, Early Irish marggad from Middle English market, from Latin mercatus.
màrla
marl, Irish márla, Welsh marl; from English marl. The Gaelic has the sense of "marble" also, where it confuses this word and English marble together.
marmor
marble, Irish marmur; from Latin marmor. A playing marble is in the Gaelic dialects marbul, a marble.
màrrach
enchanted castle which kept one spell-bound, labyrinth, thicket to catch cattle (M`A.). Root mar, mer, deceive, as in mear, brath.
marrum , marruin
cream, milk, and their products (Carm.). Cf. marag.
màrsadh
marching, Irish marsáil; from the English
mart
a cow, Irish mart, a cow, a beef, Early Irish mart, a beef; hence Scottish mart, a cow killed for family (winter) use and salted, which Jamieson derives from Martinmas, the time at which the killing took place. The idea of mart is a cow for killing: *martâ, from root mar, die, of marbh?
Màrt
March, Irish Márt, Early Irish mairt, g. marta, Welsh Mawrth; from Latin Martius, English March.
martradh
maiming, laming, Irish mairtrighim, murder, maim, martyrise, Old Irish martre, martyrdom; from Latin martyr, a martyr, whence English
màs
the buttock, Irish más, Early Irish máss: *mâsto-; Greek @Gmc/dea, genitals, @Gmastós, @Gmazós, breast, cod, @Gmadáw, lose hair; Latin madeo, be wet; root mád, mad.
mas
before, ere: See mus.
màsan
delay, Irish masán (O'Br., etc.):
masg
mix, infuse; from the Scottish mask, Swed. mäske, to mash, Fries. mask, draff, grains, English mash.
masgul
flattery:
masladh
disgrace, Irish masla, masladh, despite, shame, disgrace:
math
good, Irish math; See maith. This is the commonest form in Gaelic, the only Northern Dialect form.


Previous Section Index Next Section


jtm