Blair Collection > Celtic researches, on the origin, traditions & language, of the ancient Britons

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asp, or white poplar. The quivering leaves of this tree very
aptly represent an interrupted, broken motioii, or action —
■an indirect, perverted state, or ttndencj/.
The Irish name of this tree, and of the letter, is Eadha*
From Ad, one and the same, comes Adh, a larv, fclicitr/,
prosperity — what is positive and established — also. Jit, or
apt to do atiy thing. By prefixing the negative E, the word
becomes Eadh, unestablished, indirect, unapt, inconstant,
undetermined.
It is sometimes called Ebhadh, which amounts to the
same thing. Eb, without absque, and adh, as hefore.
Of this symbol, Talicsin allegorically remarks.
Gwivvydd gorthorad,
Gorthorysid ynghad.
^' The asp was broken;
" It was cut οβ\ in the conflict."
Tills is an evident hint, at the inefficient, broken, inter'
rnpted, nature of this element.
7. The Greek E, when deprived of its epithet, retains
only the simple name of the Bardic, and Etruscan letter.
Htä seems to have conveyed an idea οι privation, frustration,
restriction, 2cc. Restore the derivative S, to its pi-imative τ,
and υτα must be a strainer, whence r.^iu, r,^^ξu, to strain
liquor — S-iui per colum mitt ere Ετος, in v-afn, comes near to
this name.
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