Historical Irish Corpus
1600 - 1926

An Unexplored Region.

Title
An Unexplored Region.
Author(s)
Ó Gramhnaigh, Eoghan - O'Gramhna, Eoghan,
Compiler/Editor
Mac Néill, Eoin
Composition Date
1894
Publisher
Connradh na Gaedhilge

Search Texts

Poetry/Prose
1600 1926




L. 110


1. New Words.



1. umárd or iomárd(um-aurd'), an accident, a misfor-
tune = tubaiste. [Curiousla, the words = accident
appear to be very many: ciotarainn, in Waterford;
tiompaiste, or -sne, in W. Connacht; tuirme,
in Donegal; tionóis, usual word in Cork; also,
bárr=thuisle, míothapadh, &c.]



2. méam: gan m. ann, without a stir, motion, life, in
him. In Aran, when the sea is perfectly calm,
they say níl mae-ou ar an bhfarraige .i.e., méamh,
with last m aspirated.



3. ar gheabhair or dheabhair, mad, in a frenzy.



4. pas: bh pas deireannach, he was a bit late.
Possibly from Latin passus, a step?



5. bata lang(both'-a loung) is mór an b. d'imigh
air, another word for accident.



6. tonachadh; do bhidheadhar ag a thonachadh, they
were preparing the corpse (for being waked).
Fr. Lyons heard this in Inchigeela.



7. ní fheacaigheas riamh thú gan fochar aga ort, I never
saw you that you were not in some trouble,
confusion.



8. níor chuir sé garrabhuac(gor-a-voo-uk), air, trouble
annoyance.



9. níl sé fé yee-a(dhiagh?) an tighe, under the roof of
the house, in the house.



10. dhá lee(luighe?) an doruis, the two jambs of the
door[cf. leath-lee(leath-luighe), one shaft of a car,
just like leathchos, leath-shúil,etc]



11. ar dínn an lae, in the very middle, height, or heat
of the day; cf. dinn, a hill.



12. liacharnach, sighing.



13. ríobún, a drink of meal and milk(called cubhrán in
Mayo.)



14. Bhí sé aer aige(d'éire), he was forced to do it; cf.
dfhiachaibh.
I may also add, although I think they have been printed
before:-



15. seis (i.e. saghas or sadhas), sort, kind; cf.. the proverb,
saghas maith bidh saghas maith fir.



16. soiniughadh: bhí se gá sh-orm, he was pressing or
forcing it on me = tathbhainn.



II. — Known Words in New Forms or
Meanings.



1. bleathach, a large supply of anything. (In Connaught,
bleitheach, a portion of corn sent to a mill; blei-
theachán, a glutton.)



2. gráinseachán, roasted wheat.



3. sgoth lín, a handful of flax; tréislán, a bundle of
twelve sgoths.



4. on-a-ha(anfa?). Even in its ordinary sense of
“storm” anfa is pronounced anfha: for aspiration
of f cf. future of verbs, and such words as mianfach
(meen-hoo-ach), yawning. Bhí anfha air, he was
out of breath after a long run, or, bhí an t-anfa
air, he was pursued; also fuair sé an t-anfa,
he got a great start.



5. pinniuir an tighe, gable end. The old binn-chobhair
of the round towers — so Fr. Lyons thinks.



6. ní fheacaigheas oidhre riamh air acht é, I never saw
any one so like him(lit., an heir to him).


L. 111


7. for-mhóin, turf left lying for a year in the bog.



8. Ins na Faoide, in February. Dubh-luachair na
bliadhna, the cold spring season of the year.
Compare the article of Mr. MacRury in Trans. of
Inverness Gaelic Society on Mairneulachd.



9. suidheachaint, a duel, lit., proof, cfs. the medieval cus-
tom of putting an accused person to test of fire,
sword or water, or of single combat.



10. teasbach, lit., heat, hence, passion, wantonness,
mischief.



11. ní fheaca a chinneatha(h-yin-a-ha), I did not se his
face. In Aran cinn-aghaidh = countenance. Possi-
bley our word may be cinn-aighthe, aighthe being the
genitive case.



12. bocaire, a small puffy cake of bread: ceapaire, a
pat of butter.



13. stráicire, lanky person. In Aran stráic = long
scattered crowd or shower.



14. Siubhán alla, spider.



15. clagar, thick, soft rain: cf. clagarnach donn go
trom ag túirlingt, in Midnight Court.



16. samhluighim = saoilim, both ways.



III. — Peculiarities, &c..



1. sé Seaghán na steile bheathaig é, he is the “dead
picture” of John. This seems to be the dative of
beatha, with some word, unknown to me, prefixed.



2. ag ól tobac, d'ólas tobac. Why they say “drink-
ing” tobacco is a mystery to me. It is not
gabháil.



3. osna Bhriain, a deep sigh of weariness given by
person or animal. Why?



4. ag ithe na feola fuaire, eating the cold (raw) flesh,
= calumniate. This reminds one of the Jewish
metaphor familiar to students of St. John, vi.



5. Nár a dé do veis, may you not prosper: we all know
dia do beatha (in Munster usually dé do bheath,
or dé bheatha), hail! welcome! The opposite is
nár ab é do bheatha and nár a dé do bheatha. I
take it that the latter form is for nár ab é(dia)
do bheatha. Possibley our phrase is nár a dé do
bheatha-sa, shortened to bheaths, and changed to
veis?




E.O'G.

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