Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1841 to 1870 > Stéidhean a' Ghràmair Ghaëlig

ETYMOLOGY.
FOCLACHADH. 161
•iche ; as, Sùist, a flail, sùistear, a flailman, a thrasher. Ceist,
a question ; ceistear, a catechist. Gunna, a gun ; gunnair, a
gunner. Gaisge, bravery ; gaisgeach, a òrave man ; a cham-
pioti. Sgèul, a narrative ; sge'ulaiche, a narrator. Mòr,
great ; morair, a great man, a lord. Foirfe, good, perfect ;
foirfeach, a wise man ; an elder. Og, young ; òganach, òigear,
a young man. Ol, to drinJc ; òlach,* a drinJcer, a hospitable
fellow. Co-ghairm, to call together, to convene ; co-ghairmear,
a convener. Coisich, to walk ; coisiche, a walker, a pedestrian.
Many Nouns, chiefly those derived from Verbs, insert d be-
fore -air and -ear, to strengthen the sound ; as, Snàmh, io
swim ; snàmhadair, a swimmer. Figh, to weave ; fìgheadair,
a weaver. Rdinn, divide; roinneadair, a divider, divisor. Uair,
an hour ; uaireadair, a time-Jceeper, a clock.
Nouns derived from words ending in l or n, insert t before
-ear, -ean ; as, Mìll, destroy ; mìlltear, a destroyer. Tòinn, to
twist ; tdinntean, a tJiread.
A great variety of Nouns terminate in -ach ; such as Nouns
denoting sect or party, opinion ; common names of persons ;
names of animate and inanimate objects, and names of diseases ;
as, Protestanach, a Protestant. Pàpanach, a Papist. Bais-
teach, a Baptist.f Sadusach, a Sadducee. Bodach, an old man ;
Cailleach, an oldwoman. Fieasgach, ayoung man ; Gruagach,
ayoung woman. Buitseach, a wizard. Sionnach, afox. Fitheach,
a raven. Bonnach, a bannocJc. Darach, oaJc. Broilleach, a
breast. Teasach, a fever. Buidheach, jaundice, (from buidhe,
yellow). Griuthach, measles.
Ad, — Nouns denoting abstract quality are formed from the
flrst comparison of Adjectives, by adding -ad ; as, gilead, wJiite-
ness ; deirgead, redness. — See page 65. The fìrst comparative
and sometimes -ar, after a broad ; as, ceist-f hear, abridged ceistear. Mòv-fhear,
abridged morair. The forms -aire, -eir, -ir, -eire areimproper in the nominative,
for these properly belong to the genitive case. — See Ons. page 47.
The affix -ear is found under various forms in other languages ; as, carter, cairt-
ear : doctor, pillar, s&tyr, iounàry, barrister, chaiiotm', esquire. Gener, mors.
Latin vir. Gothic ver. Saxon wer.
* Some of our best Gaelic dictionaries assert that òlach is a corruption of òglach
(og laoch), a young man ; a man-servant. But this is incorrect, for the meaning
of the tvvo vvords is widely different, as òlach from òl, properly signities one who
cheerfully gives and receives drink ; a hospitable fcllow ; as, " olach còir," a fine
fellow.
t In the Gaelic Bible the term " baptist," fia.tr<rnr7ris, is improperly rendered
by the past participle of the verb " baist," to baptize ; as, " Eòin baiste," i. e.
baptized John : accordingto the original, 'Imkvv/i; ò Bocvrurr'/iSi the Gaelic render-
ing should be " Eòin am Baisteach," John the Baptist. It is difficult to conceive
what led the translators of the Scriptures to render Ba.TTi/rrh; by the past parti-
ciple baiste, as there is no usage in the language to support it. An individual be-
longing to the sect commonly called " BaptLsts," goes regularly under the name
Baisteach in all parts of the Highlands.
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