Outlines of Gaelic etymology.
xiii.
(2) G., O. Ir. u, ui.
- G., O. Ir. muir, sea, W. môr, Br. mor, from *mori. So druim (*dros-men), guidhe, guil, guin, sguir, suidhe, uidhe, uileann, uircean, gu, to, cu‑, fu‑, fur- (for = *vor).
(3) G. a, O. Ir. o.
- G. cas, foot, O. Ir. cos, W. coes, *coxā. So amh, balg, call, falt, gart, gar, calltuinn. So, too, compounds. With con as in cagainn, cadal, cagar, caisg, as against coguis (O. Ir. concubus), with its u sound terminal.
(4) Compensatory long vowels.
- G. dual, lock of hair, *doglo‑, Got. tagl, Eng. tail. So òl (*potlo‑), buain, (*bog-ni- or *bongni‑), cluain, cuan, bruan, sròn, còmh‑.
I. E. a.
(1) G. a, ai, O. Ir. a, W. a.
- G., O. Ir. can, sing, W. cana, Lat. cano. So many words, such as abhainn, ad‑, agh, air, altrum, anail, anam, cac, damh, gad, mac, maide, marc, nathair, salann, &c.
(2) G. à before rd, rn, m.
- See àrd, bàrd, bàrr, càrn, sgàird, càm, àm, màm.
(3) G. i.
- In two cases only: mac, g. mic; sile [Dial. for seile], saliva, O. Ir. saile.
(4) G. u, ui.
- This happens in contact with liquids. The prep. air becomes ur‑, uir‑, urchar, uireasbhuidh. So muigh from *magesi. Common in oblique cases: allt, g. uillt, ball, buill, &c.
(5) G. ea, ei for e.
- G. seileach, willow, E. Ir. sail, W. helyg, Lat. salix. So ealtuinn, eile, eir- for air-, eilean, [Dial.] training, deigh, ice.
(6) G. oi.
- This change of I. E. a into Gaelic oi is due mostly to a liquid followed by a “small” vowel.
- G. oil, rear, E. Ir. ailim, Lat. alo. So oir for air‑, coileach, goir, troigh, coire, loinn, &c., and goid, oide.
(7) Compensatory lengthenings in G.
- a. As à, ài:
- G. dàil, meeting, O. Ir. dál, W. dadl, where ‑atlo- is the original combination, ‑agr- appears in nàire, sàr, àr.
