Clodhanna Nua

Archiv für Celtische Lexikographie herausgegeben von
Whitley Stokes und Kuno Meyer. 1 Band, 3 Heft.
Halle a. S., Max Niemeyer. 1899.

Many valuable contributions to Celtic philology and
lexicography appear in the above publication. The
indefatigable Dr. Wh. Stokes has three contributions,
both M.J. Loth and Dr. K. Meyer have two, and M. E.
Ernault and Prof. J. Strachan one each in this
number.

A large vocabulary, chiefly of names of plants, is
contained in the Three Irish Medical Glossaries (Dr.
Wh. Stokes). The following are of especial interest: —

“Adann, coltsfoot, gen. na hadainne”; this is still
used in Connacht as ádhainn.

“Bonnán Léna, a bittern. Cymr. aderyn y bwn.” A
very usual word in Connacht and Ulster.

“Buathfallan ban (buide?), mugwort? Corn-mari-
gold?” Probably buathfallán bán and buathfallán
buidhe are different plants. The latter is well-known
as the usual name for the ragweed or ragwort. The
common modern orthography buachallán buidhe appears
to be incorrect. In dialect the forms bó'llán and
bamh'llán (Farney) are heard.

“Caech-nentóg, blind nettle. Cymr. danadlen ddall”
Now always neantóg chaoch. Caoch, blind = without
sting.

“Dath feithlenn.” Tathfhéileann = woodbine in Co.
Kerry.

“Fothfannan, fuafannán, thistle, O. Ir. omthann.”
The present forms vary also: fófannán, fóthannán,
fuachadán (S. Armagh), famh'nnán (Farney).

“Gafand, henbane” = crann gafainne (Farney).

“Pobual, C 35, 63” is given without explanation.
O'Don. Supp. has “pobual, potash (Roscommon).”

“Praisech, kail, from Lat. brassica. Cymr. bresych
“cabbages.” Praiseach now usually = wild mustard.

“Simsoga” and “simsan” may perhaps be the
seamróg (nom. sg.) and seamsán of Ulster.

“Soibercan, cowslip?” In S. Armagh the primrose
is called sadharclan. O'R. has “sámharcain, s.f.”
“sóbhrach, s.m.”, and “somharcín, s.f.” = “a primrose”.

“Suburmunt, a corruption of sudharnmont,
southern-wood, W. swddwrnwot.” “Gen. sg. in tsughur-
muint, H.3, 15, p. 22a”. This is O'R.'s “surrabhan,
surramont, southernwood; abrotanum.” The form
is similar to that of bormont, mormont from worm-
wood (A.S. vermód, Nhg. wermut).

In the particular Breton dialect of Les Cantiques
Bretons du Doctrinal (M.E. Ernault), purism appears
to be unknown, as there is hardly a line that does not
contain a loan-word from French. The sum total
must be enormous.

M.J. Loth treats of the following: Cymr, brodyr,
broder, brodorion (O.Ir., bráthir now bráithre and
bráithreacha); W. bal and Fr. baille; abardall, very
dark, great darkness, of O'Mulconry's Glossary, the
first part of which is equated by him with W. afr- in
“afr-ddwl, attristant,” now “arddwl;” alam, a herd,
almha, herd, O'R., of which he days, “Ce mot me
paraît devoir être rapproché dul gallois alaf, richesses,
biens;” coscath .i. gō-scath .i. ní fé a airdiugud diles of
O'Mulconry's Glossary he equates with W. cyscod or
cysgod, “ombre, et aussi qui ombrage, qui projette de l'om-
bre, de l'obscurité sur,” adding “Le mot a le sens propre
de ombre, mais il est employé par certains grammariens,
notamment par Griffith Roberts dans un sens particu-
liers, fort instructif. Let lettres cysgodion sont pour
lui les sourdes qui par leur voisinage font perdre leur
valeur propre aux sourdes voisines, &c.” O'R. has
“coscadh, s. stopping, suppressing,” giving a very close
agreement with the grammatical sense of the Welsh
word. On the other hand, not coscadh but cosc is the
verbal noun of coiscim (con-sechim). So ur-dhubhadh (lit.
great darkening or obscuring) is an Irish grammatical
term = eclipsis.

M.J. Loth also deals very critically with Rev. D.
Silvan Evans' “Dictionary of the Welsh Language,”
adding omitted words and correcting.

Prof. J. Strachan contributes a few remarks about
O.Ir. áil = Gothic fagrs, “fitting” (Eng. fair, A.S.
fœger). His conclusion is - “Irish had an adjective
áil with the sense of “fitting”, ‘proper,’ and a noun
áill meaning ‘desire’ of uncertain origin.” Though
áill is found in some modern MSS., the only form, so
far as we know, represented in the spoken language
is áil. In all the northern dialects this becomes áin,
through the not uncommon change of slender single
l to n in auslaut.

Dr. Wh. Stokes has some interesting rapprochements
in his “Corrections and Additions” to “O'Mulconry's
Glossary” (Archiv für Celtische Lexikographie I.,
232-323), notably “fel 'evil', from u(p)elo-s = Goth.
ubils, as fern 'good' from u(p)erno-s = Lat. s-upernus,”
and “ló a lock of wool,” “cognate with Nhg. flaus,
A.S. fléos, Eng. fleece.”

The supplement consists of Dr. K. Meyer's Contri-
butions to Irish Lexicography Alp — arba. It is evidently
his intention to publish this in book-form afterwards.
It is certain that when it appears it will be heartily
welconed, both here in Ireland as well as on the Con-
tinent. If we might venture to offer any remark of
criticism on the work — always excellently performed —
of such an erudite scholar as Dr. K. Meyer, we would
take some exception to “am-gar (lit. not short), (1) un-
pleasant.” We hardly think that amhgar is forthcoming
as an adjective. Its present use, in any case, is invariable
substantival, and the adjective is always amhgarach, the
very next word in Dr. Meyer's list. To our thinking
amhgar is a noun in all the instances quoted, even in
'is truagh amhgar liom.' The sense in each example
is rather 'inconvenience, distress,' which is the present
usage. Gar = (1) use, benefit, good, e.g. ní'l gar a
bheith ag caint, ní'l gar dó ann (Donegal); (2) conve-
nience, e.g. is mór an gar dó é; (3) nearness, e.g.,
i ngar dó, and the adjective is garach = convenient,
useful, e.g., nídh a bheidheadh garach do mhná' (Donegal).
The opposites ar amhgar, amhgarach, but his does not
apply to (3). As regards Apréil, “April” this form is
still spoken in the north of Leinster, “mí na hAibreail”
(eai always for éi in auslaut in the northern dialects).
In other districts Aibreán or Abrán is preferred.

We feel sure that the next publication of this series
will prove just as interesting.

Ireland, the Empire and the War. By T.W. Rolleston.

Is tuigthe as teideal an leabhráin seo an t-ádhbhar
cainte. Ní haon chuid d'ár ngnó-na an phoilitidheacht
agus ní oireann dúinn trácht uirthi. Má's áil le Mr.
Rolleston bheith 'na impireán, cá misde dhúinne é?

Tá cur síos ag an ughdar ins an aguisín ar an
nGaedhilg tá céad bliadhain ó shoin ann, agus ar fhorfhógra
Dr. Starkie i bpáirt na buidhne Gallda úd a bhfuil
smacht aici go mícheart ar mhúnadh an phobail. Maidir
le fógra Oifige an Chogaidh 'sa' bhliadhain 1806, ní
fhéadamaíd gan a rádh gur suarach an sórt Gaedhilge
atá ann. I dtaobh an “Chumhachtóra Chomhnaidhthigh,” nach
bhfuil an sgéal i mbéal gach éinneich anois? Go gcuid-
ighidh Dia le héileamh na Gaedhilge ortha is é ár
nguidh-ne.

Badh mhaith linn leabhráiníní mar é seo d'á gcur amach
ag an uile chraoibh de'n Chonnradh. Is maith mar do
cuireadh le chéile é go deimhin. Ní'l an litriughadh go
holc ar aon chor, siúd agus go bhfuil locht beag le fághail
anonn agus anall ann. Is maith an focal ar dentist
fiaclóir. Má 'seadh, ní thaitneann “aránadóir” ná
“feoileadóir” (“feoladóir” dob' fhearr mar lit-
riughadh) linn comh maith. Ceapaimíd nach bhfuil i
“bhfeoileadóir” acht an focal Béarla úd flesher.
Acht ní'l gar dúinn a bheith ag cáineadh an leabhairín.
Go bhfeicimíd a thuilleadh aca! Nach mór is ionmholta
an Charraig Dhubh fá bheith comh beó sain?

AN T-EURÓPACH. Irisleabhar il-teangadh na hEurópa.
Áth Cliath, Márta, 1900

Céad fáilte romhat arís, a Európaigh nó Eórpaigh,

nó 'pé ainm is ceart do thabhairt ort. Do-chímíd go
bhfuil mearbhal an dá bhóthar ort anois, agus ná feadrais
féin. Is dócha gur sinne an fathach mór atá ag gabháil
de luirg-fhearsaid ar “Európach” bhocht. Tá súil
againn, nuair bheas “Európach” marbh leis an rúsgadh
agus an riastáil atá an fathach do thabhairt dó, “Eorpach,”
atá anois ins na tríthibh ar chúlaibh an fhathaigh, go
dtiocfaidh sé chum sochair feasda, toisg gan acht é
féin bheith beo. Is iongnadh linn nár cuireadh fós an
“Ráiméiseo-Troscach” ar áirimh na dteangadh nInd-
Eorpach. Is mithid é, agus brúille de gach teangaidh Ind-
Eorpaigh ann. Is fíor-ghreannmhar litir “Chearnaigh
Ghiolla Chruim,” agus is maith do cuireadh le chéile í, i
dteangaidh agus i smaointibh. Is ait an sadhas teangadh
teanga na bpíob, má's fírinneach díleas “Neá neá do
dídil, &rl.” Acht má 'seadh, ní'l sé comh holc le ”Pê
pê, pê, pê, pê,” atá thíos ag “Tor Bháibéil” i n-a alt,
mar shompla ar fhilidheacht nua-dhéanta an Ghaillbhéarla
is maith an sgéal “Eachtra an choiligh.” Maidir le
“Sochaidhe na Saoi,” tá sé ag dul i bhfeabhas agus guidhmíd
biseach fheabhais air, má's féidir sin.