Ossian Collection > Thoughts on the origin and descent of the Gael

/Ai^t/--^
l
224
" turn appellant JEdui, qui creatur annuus, et mta
" necisqut in suos ha bet potestatem.''' This magis-
trate was created annually, and had the power of
life and death over the people : Cassar says, that
he was called by the /Edui, Vergobretus. This
appellation consists of three Gaelic ^ ord^, fer gu
breth, that is. literally, the man to judge. The
iEdui inhabited that province of France which
is now called Burgundy.
Camden, Pempedula. — " The herb which the
" Greeks, from its five leaves, call pentaphyllon,
" was by the Gauls called pempedula, as we find
y-/v ^ " in Apuleius ; now pynip, in British, signifies ^W,
" and deilen, a leafy
Annotator. — " Pumpdail in British is quinque
"folia.'" The Gaelic word for leaf is duille, pre-
serving more nearly the ancient pronunciation
of the word.
Camden, Petoritum. — " As ppnp for fwe, so
" petor was the word among the Gauls for four,
" as we learn from Festus, who will have petori-
" turn, a Gaulish chariot or waggon, to be so
" named from its four wheels. Now the word
" pedwar signifiesybw among the Britons."
Annotator. — " And, which makes the relation
" greater, rhod is rota.""
Roth is the Gaelic word for wheel; the Irish
and Scottish Gael would call such a chariot cether-
roth.* As matter of curious observation, appli-
* C pronounced as k.
3