NOTES AND QUERIES

(119) Some Meath words: Tráithín thres'-aCH, the
rime or hoar-frost on grass, trees, etc., after white frost.

(121) Eadarshuth = eadarshruth, the time of the occu-
pation of drawing the srotha. Sruth is not merely the
common, it is the only word down here (South Mayo)
for the squirt of milk from a cow's or other mammal's
teat. “Codladh go headruth” is a popular nickname
for morning sleepers. — S. O'Raghallaigh, Louisburgh.

(Ed is an old Irish word for time or a space of time.
In the middle or end of a word, old Irish d is as a rule
an aspirate, and the modern form of the word would be
eadh. As in many other words, an initial (or “prosthetic“)
f has been added, making feadh, as in ar feadh bliadhna
for the space of a year. Cp. Fiarfhaighe for O.I. iarfaige,
fathach = athach, fuar = uar, etc. In the South, iolar
becomes fiolar; in the north, osgail is fosgail.
Possibly then eadashruth is eadh sruth. For the change of
dh into d before s, compare bhíod for bhíodh before sé, sí,
sinn, sibh, siad, in Connacht and Ulster, and the South
Connacht dá mbed's agam = dá mbeadh (mbeidheadh) a
fhios agam. Aslo cp. baisteadh = baiseadh = baith
'seadh from O.I. baithis, baptism; and báisteach, rain =
báitseach = báithseach, from báith, immerse, drown, an
-seach or -sach, a common ending of nouns, as in cláirseach
(clár), céirseach or ciarsach (ciar), bonnsach (bonn), etc.
Fáistine = fáitsine = fáidh-sine. This explanation
is merely tentative. — Ed.)

(123) Simple Lessons, II. 331. -agán, diminutive
(Aodhagán): -adán is also a diminutive ending, vg.
sacadán, a little sack, bolgadán = bolg beag. Sgadán
may be short for iasgadán. — S.O'R.