LEINSTER FEIS.

COMPETITION NO. 3.

IRISH WORDS IN THE SPOKEN ENGLISH
OF LEINSTER

Grádh, love. "He has a grádh for me." = he has a
liking for me.
Gráidhín, said to a cow.
Grabaire, a talkative person.
Grabaireacht, talkativeness.
Gró, a crowbar.
Iosgar, a jot of sense.
iúra-eárth, confusion.
Lab, something valuable. "A lab of money."
"He will get a lab for that horse when he sells it."
Leadhb, a rag:; a ragged woman.
Leath-amadán, a half-fool.
Leath-óinseach, a half-fool (feminine).
Leath-mheata, a half-natural.
Leath-cheann, the head inclining to one side, anything
slanting to one side. "There is a leath-cheann on it."
Leid a disfigurement from a hurt, wound, &c.
Leis, a lameness, a bad leg.
Leithead, a dull-witted person.
Leiceannach, a swelling of the jaw in children.
Léas, a blister on a cow's tongue, far back at the
throat, which causes death if not promptly cut.
Léag or liag, the tongue.
Lán an mhála, the full of the bag; plenty to eat and
drink.

Lorgadán, the leprechaun, or fairy shoemaker.
Lótais, a corpulent woman.
Lóc, a piece of tillage.
Lochán, the cull of a litter of pigs &c. An unhealthy
child or animal.
Lúid, an attentive ear; listening.
Lúdaidhe, a quiet, sly person, who only speaks when
spoken to, but listens to all that is said.
Lúbán, something belonging to a bearer. Anything
bent out of its proper shape.
Lúb, a loop.
Luibh na seacht ngabhadh, the herb of the seven
dangers (complaints); the neame of a small herb of the
fern kind.
Lus-mór, the foxglove.
Líon rádh, a water-plant.
Lúdaróg, a blow on the head or face.
Lághach, agreeable, affable.
Maig, sulkiness "He has a maig on him to me" =
he is cool towards me.
Mannt, a tootless mouth.
Maith go leor, well enough. "He is maith go
leor". = he is full.
Mar bhudh eadh. (pr. mar ó dheadh), as it were; as if it
were.
Má's fíor, if true.
Macnais, high spirits.
Másgáil, mixing.
Maol, a hornless cow. (Kilkenny)
Maoilín, a hornless cow. (North Leinster).
Maiseadh, musha, an exclamation.
Maise. "It's a great maise for you" = it's a
great action of yours; or, it's great of you to do it
(ironically). This is the only way I heard this word
used, and always ironically.
Measgán, a lump of butter.
Meanuithín, a peg in a churn-barrel.
Maoidheach. "Don't maoidheach it on me" = don't
bring me under an obligation to you for having given
it to me.
Mealbhóg, a blow or beating; to beat severely.
Meinnseog, a goat after the first kid.
Meitheall, a gang of people doing a piece of work.
Meigeall, the tuft of hair growing under a goat's
jaw.
Mapsa. A mother or nurse would say, on leaving
down the child from her lap, "You are a heavy
mapsa."
Misneach, courage, gaiety.
Méirín, a covering to protect a wounded finger.
Móinteán, land partly reclaimed from bog, and not
good enough for grazing purposes.
Mill an maide, spoil the stick; applied to a bad
carpenter.
Máilín sáithte, a little bag used for holding the
potato sets when sowing them with a spade.
Máilín, a little bag.
Manngín, a little bag.
Morchadh, great hardship, or severe treatment.
"You'll get morchadh." Has the word any connection
with Murchadh and teoiteáin? Dúiseacht and gríosach
are used in the same sense.
Míodóg, a short knife.
Meas, estimation. "He has no meas on what I
do" = he places no value on what I do.
Meathán, one of the fibres or strips of wood of which
the bottom of a sieve or riddle is made.
Mío-ádh, misfortune, ill-luck.
Mío-ádhbharac, unfortunate.
Mí-rath, same as mío-ádh.
Míog, a wink of sleep. "Is he asleep?" "No,
there's not a míog on him."
Mío-thuar, of a sullen disposition.
Músaidhe, a dull, silent, easy-going person; one who
never jokes or says a pleasant word.
Mustar, a sulk, affectation; ill-humour. "He has
a mustar on him" = he is out of temper.
Mustrach, ill-humoured, sour. "It is a mustrach
day" - i.e. showery or stormy.
Múlach, liquid manure; mire.
Mogal, a husk; a grain of oats with the husk
attached.
Mórdháil (pr. mórgáil), pride or vain-boasting.
Mórdhálach, proud; living above one's means, so
that people will think you rich.
Mogaláil, munching; softening meat with the gums
when you have no teeth.
Muimhneach, a Munsterman. This word is used con-
temptuously in Leinster towards natives of Munster.
Mam, a mother.
Muisriún sídheog, a fairy mushroom. A fungus of
the shape of a mushroom.
Musall, a strong head of hair.
Marbh-ghaduighe, a half dead-and-alive fellow.
Mo bhrón, alas.

Nasg, a cow-tying, or chain which ties round the
horns. A crobh-nasg is a fetter tied on the horn and
fore-leg to prevent a cow from going over fences.
Neamhspleádhach. "I am ar neamhspleáchadh to
them." I am independent of them.
Niuc, a rogue, a sharper. (Monaghan).
Nóinín, a daisy.
Ná bac leis, never mind it.

Olltach, a person who works charms or witchcraft.
Óinseach, a foolish woman.
Óinsín, diminutive of óinseach.
Ó b'annamh liom, as seldom happens to me. "Ó
b'annamh liom to have the price of it."
Óidhche Shamhna, Hallow-eve.
Ochón! alas! Ochón í ó! alas!
Ó a Dhia! O God!
Oighrí Breanach (Breathnach), the heads or heirs of the
family of Walsh, of the Walsh Mountains, Kilkenny.

Pas, to press or souse a garment up and down in
the wash-tub.
Pat-shúil, a half-shut eye.
Plab, a piece of mud or mortar; anything soft.
Plaibín, a small quantity or mortar.
Plaic, a mouthful. "A plaic of bread."
planncadh, a beating with a stick.
Pealltóg, a ragged garment; a blow of a stick.
Péach, a bud; the bud which grows out of a potato
or a grain of corn.
Poc, a blow, a butt; "the cow will poc you" = the
cow will horn you.
Piosguirt, a niggardly person.
Plámás, flatterig or coaxing talk.
Pleidhce, a simpleton.
Piseoga, superstition.
Pise, peas, wild peas.
Pioc, the pip in young fowls.
Padharcán, a primrose.
Pocaire, a jumper.
Pocán, a he-goat.
Púca, a supernatural being, said to be very mis-
chievous.

Púicín, or giolla púicím, a game, called in English
I think, "blindman's buff" a mask on the face, or
on a cow to prevent her tresspassing.
Póitín, illicit whiskey.
Praiseach bhuidhe, a yellow-flowered weed, like rape,
which grows in corn.
Práisgín, an old apron.
Prácás, a dish, such as an Irish stew, made of
different materials.
Práipín, a mixture of raw oatmeal and thick milk
or cream.
Prioc, a pinch or a nudge, or prick.
Pluc, a fat cheek,
Putóg, a pudding or gut.
Putógaidhe, a bloated person.
Poitín, a bold child.
Pleps, a heap (?) "He fell in a pleips when he
got the blow" = he fell suddenly and helplessly.
(= Liter. word pleist. - Ed.)
Potharnáil, coughing incessantly.
Potharnálaidhe, one who is continually coughing.
Puisín, a kitten.
Pus, a lip, a crying appearance on a child; a sour
countenance.
Pusach, sourfaced; fond of crying.
Pusachán, one who is fond of crying.
Puslaide, a sore on the lip.
Púiste, a corpulent person. (Pouch?)
Pócáil, poking, rummaging.
Priompallán, the bumble-bee.
Preiceall, a sullen countenance. (= Liter. word
peirceall, cheek, jaws, still used in Scotland, I
believe. - Ed.)
Prátaidhe corlán, pignuts.

Rann, an angry speech. "He put a rann out of
him."
Rámás, raving; nonsense; the raving of a delirious
person.
Rámásaidhe, one who talks nonsense.
Rabúnaidhe, a tall, athletic man.
Rath, luck.
Ráith, an old earthen fort. These are supposed to
be inhabited by fairies, and it is considered very un-
lucky to meddle with them.
Reathaidhe, a scapegrace; a lazy, drunken fellow.
Rata-bata, great fuss or noise.
Rathallach, tangled straw, thread, &c.
Réineálaidhe, a lazy idler.
Réidhteoir, a straw, &c., used to clear the stem of a
pipe.
Raonán, a mark made with a spade or plough in a
tillage field as a guide for sowing a row of cabbage, &c.,
straight.
Rí-rá, confusion.
Rothán, a volume of angry words or imprecations;
an endless succession of houses, trees, &c.
Rith ráis ort! The run of a race to you! A harm-
less imprecation.
Reódh, a frosty fog.
Roibinín, the redbreast.
Rópaire, a villain.
Ráig, sport; a spree.
Ramaire, a tall, long-legged fellow.
Ramhatach, a hardy child, pig, &c. "That's a hardy
ramhathach of a pig." "A good strong ramhatach."
Réidh, a level field; a number of potato drills,
generally nine, on which a réidh, or single row, of
loads of manure is spread.
Ruadhóg, a kind of hitch or loop.
Ruaille, a tall fellow.
Ruaisg, a tall fellow.
Rúpach, a contemptuous epithet applied to a slovenly
woman.
Ranga-laogh, the green fungus which grows in wells.
Riabhach, striped, or grey.
Sámhán, a doze. "There is a sámhán on you." = you
are sleepy.
Sáilín, a mall quantity of tobacco in the bottom of
a pipe.
Seach, a whiff of a pipe; a turn at the pipe. "Give
me a seach."
Seamróg, the shamrock; a charm. "You have a
seamróg" = you have some charm, you are so lucky.
Sean-duine, an old man. Applied to a very cunning
child.
Sean-bhean, an old woman.
Sean-duine liath, grey old man; the name of a
small plant, which has a whitish down on the leaves.
The fairy doctors use it along with the luibh na seacht
ngábhadh and the leaves of the fraochán to cure a
"blast", or fairy-stroke.
Seanachas, chatting; chat or gossip. "They are
seanachas at the fire."
Seann-draoi, a young man in delicate health.
Seabhac, applied to a thin, cadaverous fellow.
Sgailp, a piece of a slope or hillside.
Sgeochadh, lopping or cutting.

(Ní críoch.)

Seann-draoi.