“AIBHLEACH”

A Chonnradh so na Gaedhilge,
Táim le fada ag cuardach feuchaint cá bhfaghainn
focal Gaedhilge do sháróchadh m'aigneadh mar ainm ar
electricity. Ag léigheadh an Sylva Gadelica dhom, ag
l. 412 tháinig mo shúil ar an bhfocal a bhí uaim. Sa
seachtmhadh líne ar an l. sain chídhtear na focail seo,
.i. “co raibhe spunc aíbhlech teinedh an taer dar a
n-eise” = “so that there was an “electric” blaze of fire

along through the air behind them”. “Aibhlech” is then
the word I wanted.

Like all words of its kind in Irish, it can be used either
as a substantive or as an adjective. Hence we have —

Aíbhleach, sub.mas. The electric fluid.
Aíbhleach, adj. Electrical. Full of electricity, &c.
Aibhlídhe, adj. Having the nature, or character of elec-
tricity.
Aíbhleacht, sub.mas. Any effect produced by the action
of electricity. Electricity in action.
Aíbhliughadh, verbal noun. The using of electricity for the
purpose of producing such effects.

These five fundamental words give us at once a most
copious supply of terms, of every possible description for
our use where we wish to speak of the subject electricity
under any phase whatever.

First then we have aibhleach as the name of the fluid,
just as uisge is the name of water.

Then we have aíbhleacht, the name of the fluid in action,
just as “wind” is the name of air in motion. Hence we
have the following:—

Aíbhleach — a telegram
Aibhleacht — a telegram
Slat aíbhligh, slat aíbhleachta — a telegraph wire
Caise aíbhligh — an electric current.
Caise aíbhleachta — an electric current.
Bíodhg aíbhligh— an electric shock.
Bíodhg aíbhleachta — an electric shock.
Tobar aíbhligh — a generator or battery.
Tobar aíbhleachta — a generator or battery.
Ceirtle, a coil.
Bac, a non-conductor
Gluais aibhligh — a conductor
Gluais aíbhleachta — a conductor
Carbad aíbhligh — an electric tram
Carbad aíbhleacht — an electric tram
Bóthar aíbhligh — an electric tramway
Bóthar aíbhleachta — an electric tramway
Solus aíbhligh — electric light
Solus aíbhleachta — electric light
Bata aíbhligh — a telegraph pole
Bata aíbhleachta — a telegraph pole
Aíbhliughadh geal, silver electro-plating.
Aíbhliughadh le h-ór, electro-plating with gold.
Aíbhliughadh chum báis, electrocution (an English word, by
the by, which beats the record for
absurdity even in English).
“Aíbhligh,” = “send a wire.”
“Aíbhligh freagra” = “wire reply.”
Aíbhleach fairge = a cablegram.
Aíbhleach gotha, a telephone.
Aíbhleach gotha, a telephonic message.
Urchar aíbhligh — an electrical discharge.
Urchar aíbhleachta — an electrical discharge.
Urchar aibhlighthe — an electrical discharge.
Aíbhleacht Ghalbhánach — Galvanism
Galbhánacht — Galvanism (Galbhán dob ainm
do'n fhear a fuair amach é.)
Galbhánughadh, the act of galvanising.
Tobar galbhánachta, a galvanic battery.
Bíodhg galbhánachta, a galvanic shock.
Urchar galbánach — a galvanic discharge.
Urchar galbhánachta — a galvanic discharge.
Aíbhleach maighnéiseach — Magnetism.
maighnéiseacht — Magnetism. Maighnéis ainim na
h-áice 'na bhfuaradh an chloch mhaghnéiseach (loadstone) ar
dtúis.
Urchar maighnéiseachta — a discharge of magnetism.
Urchar maighnéiseach — a discharge of magnetism.

A thing is frequently called simply by the name of the
place from which it came. Then we have:

Maighnéis, a magnet.
Maighnéisiughadh, the act of magnetising.
Aíbhleach maignéise, the electricity of the magnet.
Snáthad mhaighéiseach, a magnetic needle.
Caise maighnéise, a current of magnetism.
Bíodhg maighnéise, a magnetic shock.
Tobar maighnéise, a magnetic battery.
Ceirtle maighnéise, a magnetic coil, má tá a léithéid
ann.
Crios maighnéise, a magnetic belt.
Maighnéis beatha, animal magnetism.

Aíbhleacht, the science of electricity.
Galbhánacht, the science of galvanism.
Maighnéiseacht, the science of magnetism.
Obair aíbhleachta, electrical experiments.
Obair ghalbhánachta, experiments in galvanism.
Obair mhaighnéiseachta, experiments in magnetism.

“Usus te plura docebit.”
“It is experience that teaches.”
“As an obair a faghtar an fhoghluim.”
“Ag déanamh taithighe” = “acquiring experience.”
“An bhfuil faobhar ar do speil? Asdó ní fheadar.
Tar annso isteach sa pháirc mar a bhfuil an feur, agus
feuch í” = “Is your scythe sharp? Why, really, I don't
know. Come in here to the field where the hay is an
test it” — i.e. “make an experiment upon it.” The word
“feuchaint” is quite common in that sense. When used
so it is never followed by ar.

Feuch ortha = look at them.
Feuch iad = try them, test them, examine them.

Peadar Ua Laoghaire.

P.S. Sgamall aíbhlídhe = an electric cloud, i.e., a cloud
whose nature is electric.
Neart aíbhlídhe = electric force, i.e., that peculiar sort of
force which belongs by nature to elec-
tricity.
Fuinneamh aíbhlídhe = electrical vehemence or violence.
Teas aíbhlídhe. The sort of heat which is germinated by
electricity.
Obnacht aíbhlídhe. The suddenness which is characteristic
of electricity.
Milleadh aíbhlidhe. The sort of destructiveness which
belongs to electricity.
Solus aíbhlidhe. The gleam which is characteristic of
electric light.

Is dócha go bhfuil tuilleadh acu ann dá gcuimhneo-
chainn ortha, acht déanfaidh an méid sin an gnó go fóil.

[The terms in the above are of course only suggestions
made by Father O'Leary. All may not agree with him
as to the suitability of his proposed terminology. — Ed.]