Page:Alexander Macbain - An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language.djvu/146

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Etymological dictionary

ceard-dubhan, scarabæbus, dung-beetle, hornet (H.S.D. for form), ceardaman (M‘A.); see cearnabhan. cearr-dubhan (Carm.), “wrong-sided little black one”.

cearmanta, tidy (Arm.); cearmanaich, make tidy (Perth):

ceàrn, a corner, quarter, Ir. cearn, cearna, angle, corner, E. Ir. cern; evidently an e form of the stem found in corn, horn, q.v.

cearnabhan, a hornet, Ir. cearnabhán; from *cerno-. Cf. Eng. hornet (*kṛs-en-), Lat. crabro.

ceàrr, wrong, left (hand), E. Ir. cerr, *kerso-; Lat. cerritus, crazed; Gr. ἐγκάρσιος, slantwise; Lit. skersas, crooked.

ceàrrach, a gamester, Ir. cearrbhach, a gamester, dexterous gambler. Cf. G. ceàrrbhag, cearrag, the left-hand, the use of which was considered in plays of chance as "sinister".

ceart, right, so Ir., E. Ir. cert; Lat. certus, certain, sure, cerno, discern; Gr. κρίνω, judge, κριτής, a judge, Eng. critic.

ceasad, a complaint (M‘F.), Ir. ceasacht, grumbling, M. Ir. cesnaighim, complain, ces, sorrow, *qes-to-; Lat. questus, queror, I complain, querela, Eng. quarrel.

ceasg, floss (Carm.), animal with long flossy hair or wool, Ir. ceaslach, long hair or wool on fleece legs. See Ceus.

ceasnaich, examine, catechise, Ir. ceasnuighim; from Lat. quæstio, quæstionis, Eng. question. Stokes (Bk.of Lis.) has suggested that the Lat. and Gadelic are cognate; though possible (qais, qis may become by umlaut ces in G.), it is improbable from the stem form in n persisting in the G. verb.

ceathach, mist; this is really the old stem of ceò, mist, E. Ir. ciach, q.v. Ir. ceathach, showery, is from cith, a shower.

ceathairne, yeomanry, the portion of a population fit for warfare; see ceatharn.

ceatharn, a troop, so Ir., E. Ir. ceithern, *keternâ; Lat. caterva, troop, catêna, a chain; O.Sl. ceta, company (Stokes). It has also been regarded as borrowed from Lat. quaternio, which in the Vulg. means a "body of four soldiers", quaternion. Hence Eng. cateran, kern.

ceidhe, quay, coulter-place, Ir. ceigh, quay. See ceadha.

ceig, a mass of shag, clot, ceigein, a tuft, a fat man. From Scandinavian kagge, round mass, keg, corpulent man or animal, whence Eng. keg; Norse, kaggi, cask, Norwegian, kagge, round mass.

ceig, a kick; from the Eng.

ceil, conceal, Ir., ceilim, O. Ir. celim, W. celu, I. E. qel; Lat. cêlo, Eng. con-ceal; Ag. S. helan, hide, Eng. Hell; Gr. καλύπτω, hide; Skr. kála, darkness.

céile, spouse, fellow, so Ir., O. Ir. céle, socius, W. cilydd (y gilydd = a chéile of G. = eguille of Br.), *keiljo-, "way-farer", from