Page:Alexander Macbain - An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language.djvu/78

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10
ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY
This is the prep. that is used with the inf. to represent a perfect or past participle in Gaelic—Tha mi air bualadh; "I have struck".

airbhinneach, honourable; air+beann?

airc, distress, so Ir., O. Ir. aircur, pressure; cf. Lat. parcus, sparing.

àirc, the Ark, Ir. airc; from Lat. arca.

airchios, pity, clemency (Hend.): see oircheas.

aircill, to watch, listen, Ir. aircill; see faircill.

aircleach, a cripple; *airc-lach, from airc, q.v.

àird, point (of the compass), Ir. áird, E. Ir. aird, Gr. ἄρδις, a point. Hence Sc. airt.

àird, preparation, activity.

àirde, height, Ir. áirde, E. Ir. arde; see árd.

àirdeil, ingenious:

aire, heed, Ir., O. Ir. aire, Old. Brit. Areanos, native watchers who gave intimation to the Romans (Ammianus), pre-Celtic parjâ, par, seek; Gr. πεîρα, trial; Lat. ex-perior, Eng. experiment.

àireach, keeper of cattle. There is confusion in Gaelic between àireach and O. Ir. aire(ch), lord; the bó-aire, cow-lord, was the free tenant of ancient Ireland. For O. Ir. aire, see airidh. G. àireach owes its long vowel to a confusion with àraich, rear. See àiridh for root.

àireamh, number, so Ir., O. Ir. áram, W. eirif, *ad-rîm-, Celtic rîmâ, number; Ag. S. rîm, number, Eng. rhyme; Gr. ἀριθμóς, number.

airean, ploughman, herdsman; Ir. oireamh, g. oiramhan, ploughman, the mythic Eremon, Airem(on), *arjamon-, Skr. Arjaman, further Aryan(?); root ar, plough.

airfid, music, harmony; see oirfid.

airgiod, silver, so Ir., O. Ir. arget, W. ariant, Br. arc'hant, Gail. Argento-, Argento-coxus (a Caledonian prince): Lat. argentum; Gr. ἄργυρος. Eng. argent is from the Lat.

àiridh, better àirigh, hill pasture, sheiling (airghe, in Lh. for Gaelic); cf. E. Ir. airge, áirge, place where cows are, dairy, herd of cattle; E. Ir. airgech, herdswoman (of Brigit); Ir. airghe, pl. áiríghe (O'B.), a herd of cattle; airgheach, one who has many herds; *ar-egia; Lat. armentum? But see àraich, rear. Norse or Danish erg from Gaelic equals Norse setr (Ork. Sag.). This Norse form proves the identity of Gaelic with E. Ir. airge; airge=ar-agio, *agio, herd.

airidh, worthy, Ir. airigh (Ulster), airigh, nobleman (O'B.), O. Ir. aire(ch), primas, lord; Skr. árya, good, a lord; ârya, Aryan, âryaka, honourable man. *parei?