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THE
CELTIC ELEMENT
IX THE
DIALECTIC WORDS
OF THE
XiUNTIES OF NORTHAMPTON & LEICESTER.
BY TlfK
Rev. JOHN DAYIES, M.A.Cantab.
MEMBEK OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. ETC.
Repruded from the Akch^kolooia Camukensis.
LONDON.
1885.
gircIiiieffl0ijiH Camlrr^jtjjijj.
FIFTH SERIES.— VOL. II, NO. V.
JANUAEY 1885.
THE CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTIC
WORDS OF THE COUNTIES OF NORTH-
AMPTON AND LEICESTER.
In a late communication to the Archceologia Cambrensis
I have pointed out that the author of the Conquest of
Fjuglaiid has abandoned hi this work his former posi-
tion with regard to the race that inhabited England
at the time of the Saxon invasion. His first statement
w^as that this race had been wholly dispossessed and
destroyed by their Teutonic invaders. The slaughter
had been so complete that the race had disappeared ;
or if some still lingered as slaves round the home-
steads of their conquerors, their number must have
been very small. Even the existence of this scanty
remnant was doubtful. Practically the population of
England was exclusively of Low German or Scandina-
vian origin ; it had no Celtic element large enough to
have any appreciable influence in the formation of the
English people.
This dogmatic assertion was afterwards modified.
It was admitted that in a part of England said to be
occupied by the Wealhcyn, or Welsh race, there was a
blending of British and Saxon blood ; but then, from
the eastern coast to an indistinct line drawn from the
Yorkshire moorlands to the Cotswolds and Selwood,
there lay a people of " wholly English blood". In this
vehement assertion a challenge is implied to pro^e the
5th ser.j vol. II. 1
'2 CIM/nr KI.KMKN r IN 'II Ii: 1)1 ALKCTS
conlniry. The .stiitciiicnt is .sup|)().s(Kl to be absolutely
ccM-t:iiii, !iii<l it is mafic with a rather defiant air. I
{iccoj>t the cliallciii;!!, and am content to refer the ques-
tion <(> (he ju(lL,nii(Mit op Eno-lishmcn after they have
considcrcMl tlie evidence whicli I sliall lay before thetn.
I enf^aji^c to prove that a large Celtic element exists in
th<! part which is assumed to be purely Teutonic ; as
lana', in fact, as in the part where it is now admitted
there \vas a blendinf]^ of races.
As it is impossible, within reasonable limits, to ex-
amine the dialectic words of every county in England,
I must make choice of some part that may be fairly
tiiken as a representative of the whole. After some
hesitation I have selected the counties of Northampton
and Leicester as the best representatives of the country
lying between the eastern counties and the line within
which a mingled race is allow^ed to exist. Any other
part would answer my purpose equally well if an ade-
quate glossary of its dialectic words has been published.
I select these two counties because, — (1), they are
remote from the line within which a mingled population
is now admitted ; (2), there can have been little con-
nection, if any, between this part of the country and
Wales or Ireland since the time of the Saxon conquest ;
and (3), there are no parts difficult of access, wdiere a
conquered race might have found shelter from their
foes, as in North Lancashire or Cumberland. In this
part, if there w^as not a complete destruction of the
Celtic race, there must have been an early mixture of
races, as there is no probability of the Celtic population
being able to maintain itself, even for a comparatively
short time, as a separate people.
The part that I have chosen is not the most favour-
able for my purpose. For Northamptonshire there is
a fair glossary of dialectic words by Miss Baker, pub-
lished in 1854; and for Leicestershire, a glossary of
such wa)rds was formed by the late Dr. Evans of Mar-
ket Bosworth, and published in 1848. An edition of
the latter was issued by the English Dialectic Society
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER. .i
in 1881. This was edited, with additions, by Dr. Sebas-
tian Evans ; but it is not rich in purely dialectic words.
Unless such words have been driven out by the uni-
form teaching of our School Boards, it is probable that
if the inquiry can be carried on by some one who has
been familiar with the dialect from his youth, many
more such words would be brought forward to the
advantage of my argument. If in these circumstances
I shall be able to prove that there was a blending of
races here, I may reasonably demand that the proof
shall suffice for other parts of England.
The eastern counties are separately considered in
their dialectic element in order to show that along the
east coast, from the Thames valley to Northumberland,
the Celtic race that occupied the land before the Saxon
conquest was allied to the Gaels. This Gaelic race had
spread over the whole country, though sparsely in
some parts, before the coming of the Cymric race ; but
along the whole eastern line, from the county of Kent
to Scotland, it maintained in this part a predominant
position.^
' My authorities for the dialectic words of the two chosen counties
are : —
1. A Glossary of Northamptonshire "Words, by A. E. Baker.
1854. (H.)
2. Leicestershire Words and Phrases, by A. B. Evans, D.D.
1847. (L.)
3. An enlarged edition of No. 2, by Dr. Sebastian Evans. E. D. S.
1881. (L.)
4. The Glossary of Midland Words, Leicestershire being the cen-
tre, contained in Marshall's " Fural Economy of the Midland Dis-
trict." E. D. S. 1873. (L., M.)
5. Archaic and Provincial Words, by Halliwell-Phillips. (H.)
6. Old Countiy and Farming Words, by J. Britten. E, D. S.
1880. (B.)
For the eastern counties: —
1. Provincial Words current in Lincolnshire,by J.E.Brogden. 18G6.
2. A Glossary of Words used in Holderness. E. D. S. 1877.
3. A Glossary of North Country Words, by J. T. Brockett. 1846.
4. A Glossary of Words used in the Neighbourhood of Whitby.
E. D. S. 1876.
5. The Vocabulary of East Anglia, bv the Rev. R. Forby. 1830.
6. Suffolk Words and Phrases," by E." Moore. 1823.
7. A Border Glossary. Alnwick, circa 1820.
1 =
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
Tin; COUNTIES OF NORTH A.MPTON AND LEICESTER.
AN(Ji,()-f'Ki/rir.
Agng, anxious, eager (N.)
CELTIC.
W. go(/i, to shake or quake
" Literally on the jog or start, from gor/, synonymous
with jog or shog, a gogmire or quagmire." (Wedgewood,
s. V.) To the W. gogi may be added the Gaelic gog, to
shake the head, to nod ; Manx, goghyr, hope, expecta-
tion ; and Arm. gogea, railler, critiquer ; a fluttering
motion, being used to denote both expectation and a
jibing attack. Professor Skeat says that agog is of
Scandinavian origin, from O. N. gcegiaz, '' to be all agog,
to bend eagerly forward and peep." Haldersen explains
it as latentcr lorospectare ; Egilsson asfiirtim 'prospec-
tare, curiosis oculis inspicere. The latter connects it
with g(vgr, obliquitas. Its primary meaning seems to
be, to peep slyly.
Ahker,'^ io shake or tremble (N.). S.
A Ifjcr, quick-witted, keen, sharp (N.) ;
O. N. alft'iurdr, algiurr, perfectus,
oonsummatus ; i.e., fully done or
achieved
Asker, a newt or lizard. Lacerta pa-
lui^tris. (N.) " Ask, a water-newt"
(N.). HaU.
Aslosh, aside. " Stand aslo.^h, wool
ye
(L.)
Axmtij, frisky ; spoken of horses ;
usually and properly written
ha uiit If or hanti/. Halliwell has the
latter form. From andcki/ (Evans)
Aust, to dare (L.); oss (Lane);
Lat. auileo
AvfTii, uncouth in person, dress, and
manners. A slatternly, overgrown
girl would be called a great avern
thing (N.)
W. achrpth, trembling; creth, quak-
ing, shivering : Ir. Gael, crith. id.
W. al, great, high, very ; as al-ban,
very high ; egj-, for egei- ; Ir. Gael.
ger, gear, sharp ; Lat. acer
Gael. CISC, a snake, an adder ; aschu
(water-dog), an eel ; Ir. easga, id.
Ir. Gael, o, in, on, as a hhos, on this
side ; .sfoo.9, side, flank, side of a
hill
W. havniiifi, animated, brisk ; haiont,
alacrity, briskness
W. osi, to dare, to attempt
"W. hafr. a slattern ; hafren, a slat-
ternly woman, a trollop
* I am obliged to bring forward words that have appeared in former
lists becau.se many Celtic words are common to Xorthamptonshire and
other districts, and are required here to make my argument as complete
for the counties now under consideration as for Lancashire and elsewhere.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Azzled, chapped. " My hands are so
azzled" (L.). Cf. hazzle or azzle,
to dry slightly (L.)
Badge, to cut and tie up beans in
shocks (L.); only to cut them;
Bag, " to bag peas is to cut them
with a hook or bill" (N.) S.
Badger, a corn-dealer (N., L.)
CELTIC.
Probably the word means inflamed,
and has a relation to Ir. Gael. g.s,
to kindle a fire, to set on fire ;
Manx, as, fire ; ascaid, boil, pus-
tule ; Sans, ush, to burn
W. Arm. hack, hook ; Ir. Gael, hac,
id. ; bachall, clipping, shearing ;
Manx, hacal, a crook
Formed as soger from soldier. Allied
to Fr. hladier, from a Celtic word
represented by W. hlaivd {hlad),
meal ; hlodiwr, mealman ; Arm.
bleud (one syll.), flour, meal
I think this word is of native origin, — (1), because of
its general use formerly among our peasant class ; (2),
from the pronunciation ; d, followed by a vowel, being
often pronounced as j, from a Celtic usage. Thus
" dead" is often pronounced jed, and " guardian", gar-
jeen.
Bam, fudge (N.) Arm. hamein, to deceive, to bewitch ;
Bamboozle, to bilk, to deceive (N.), prim., to strike ; Corn, horn, a
to deceive by flattery (?) blow; Ir. Gael, heiim, heim, stroke,
taunt ; Manx, heim, cut, reproach;
Ir. Gael, hosbhuail (lit. to clap
hands), to applaud, extol ; pron.
bosail, bh being sUent
Barnish,^ harness, to fill out, grow Ir. Gael, barr, borr, something large
fat and well-liking (L., N.). S. or swelling ; knop, head, great-
ness; borr, to swell, increase;
Ir., barn, judge, nobleman ; prim.,
a great man ; Arm. barra for bar-
na, to fill up; Corn, bor ; Ir. barr,
fat
In the Celtic languages -as or -es (here ess and ish) is
a verbal formative. (Zeuss^, 535.)
Bash. A pig is said to hash when
it dwindles and declines in flesh
(N.) ; Fr. ahaisser, to lower
Bat, a club, a blow (L., N.)
Battin, a narrow deal board, 7i ins.
by2|^ ins.; when wider it is called
a, plank (N., L.)
W. basu, to make shallow, to lower ;
has, low ; non profundus, depres-
sus (Dav.); Corn, basse, to fall,
lower, abate
Ir. Gael, bat, bata, stick, staff ; v. to
beat ; Manx, bad; Arm. baz, id.;
Ir. Gael. baitin=hatin, a little
stick
^ " To shoot and spread and harnish into man."
Dryden, A Northh. Man.
6
CKI/nc KI.K.MHNT IN TIIK DIALECTS
ANCI.O-CKI.TIC.
liiitfrr, to lean or incline, — applied
to walls (X., L.); I'i'f'V- Sw. hatt-
iia, to lay out, expound, to swell
out
IJatliti'j, a l)un(llu of straw (N.)
CELTIC.
Manx, hdtlcr, a slope (applied to
hedges), from bed, a slant ; W. lai,
fault, crime ; prim, crookedness ;
Ir. Gael, haic, a twist, turn, crook
W. hatinynij a sheaf of corn ; pro-
bably connected with Ir. Gael.
Ixnnt for hmul, band, chain ; Sans.
baiidh, to bind
Ir. bee, beak, bill ; Gael. beic=beci,
id. : hence our dialectic form, be-
kay ; Arm. bee, beak, snout
-oc is a Celtic verbal formative.*
Ir. Gael, bel, W. bil, mouth ; Ir.
beoldch, talkative
W. bidan, a poor little thing
Ir. bigeun, bifjin, cap, cowl, coif, hair-
lace ; from Ir. beag, little ; in
Manx, biggin (little one) means a
pet lamb
Biijrjen is so common as a dialectic word that I think
it must have come, as the Fr. beguin, directly from its
Celtic source.
Befifi;/, the lower jaw of a pig (N.) ;
Fr. bee, beak
lie I lor /c, to cry or roar (N.) ; 0. N.
batila ; Prov. Sw. belja, to low as
kine, to bellow
Biddy, a word used to call chickens
(N.)
Biggen, the under-cap of an infant
(N.); Fr. beguin, id.
Binge, to soak.^ A heavy rain is a
good bingeing shower. Generally
applied to the soaking of tubs,
etc., to pi'event leakage (X. and
L.). Cf. hauge, light, small rain.
(Essex) bangy, rainy, misty, id.
Blab, blob, the under-lip (N.)
Bleb or bloh, a little bubble (N.)
Blobs, a name given to several large
flowers. Water-lilies are water-
blobs (N.). S.
0. Ir. banna, a drop (Ir. Gl., 114)
Ir. bain, Gael, buinne, a drop
baingidh, milky ; bainne, milk
Manx, bine, a drop of liquid ; bi-
nagh, to fall in drops ; Ir. Gael.
buinne, a stream ; buinneach, a flux;
Arm. banne, bannech, a drop, a
quantity of liquid
Ir. Gael, blob, blobach, thick-lipped ;
Manx, bleb, a pustule, a blister.
Cf . W. Hob, a blockhead ; prim, a
lump
From the same root (blow) as bladder. (Skeat.)
Bod, to take the husks off walnuts
(X.) S.
Arm. j)6d, pot, any concavity that
contains something; W.])ot, a pot;
poten, a paunch, a pudding ; Ir.
Gael, bodach, a measure equal to
a pint ; pota, a pot, a vessel ;
* Cf. Eng. dial, bommock, to beat, with Corn, bom, a blow. In Gaelic
the form is often ich or aieh, as eotaich, to provide a coat, from cota, a
coat ; grianaieh, to bask in the sun, from grian, the sun ; in Irish, igh or
aigh, as eruadhaigh, to harden, from cruadh, hard. (Zeuss-, 487, 534.)
* Cf. Sans, rintlu, bindu ; Ved. a drop of water or other liquid. The
Gaelic bainne represents an older binda. The d coming before a vowel
has taken, by a Celtic usage, the sound of J.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
ANGLO-CELTIC. CELTIC.
Manx, po<, pot ; pot-veg, a kettle;
Sans, pota, a vessel, a boat
" The nearest word (to poc?) is the Dan. hude, a
cushion ; Pro v. Sw. hude, id." (Skeat.) The radical
meaning of pot or hot is roundness. Cf. W. hot, any
round body ; and Sans, vat (for an older hat), to encom-
pass ; vata (hata), a small shell, ball, globule, a round
lump ; Arm. hod, a tuft.
i?o/7, to move. " Come, Z/o(/ off" (N.);
Fr. hourjer, to stir-, budge, flit
(Cot.). A Celtic word. A nasal-
ised form is liunk (L.)
Bogle, a spectre (N. and L.)
BuijaloOjhughear, hobgoblin (N.)
Bommoch, to move awkwardly and
strike clumsUy (N.); properly, to
strike
Boniu/, good, jolly, pretty, etc., espe-
cially applicable to a healthy
plumpness (L.)'
Ir. Gael, bog, to move, to stir; Manx,
boggey, to cause to float, to push
off ; Sans. bu(njg, to abandon
W. bwg, a hobgoblin; bicgan.a bug-
bear ; Ir. Gael, bugha, fear ; W.
he, dread, terror, a bugbear
Corn, ham, a blow, with the Celtic
verbal formative -oc : Ir. Gael.
beum, to strike, to cut
The root is the W. hon. Ir. Gael.
bonn, a stock, the round body of a
tree ; bunuch, stout, sturdy ; bon-
anta, strong, stout ; Gael, hunanta,
stout, weU-set ; Manx, bun, the
stem or body of a tree ; buniuy, a
sheaf of corn ; bunnee, funda-
mental
Fr. honne, fair, from hon, good. But where does honne
mean fair ?
Boodle, the corn-marigold, Chrysaii-
themuin segetum (N.)
Bosk, to abash, confound (L.)
Bossuck, large, fat, coarse (N.); Fr.
bosse, hunch, hump, boss
Ir. Gael, buidhe, boidhe, yellow, yel-
lowish red ; biddheag, any yellow
flower. The Gael, name for the
marigold is bilebmdhe, yellow
brim. Boodle is probably a cor-
ruption of boidlie=bode, and luigh,
herb
See Bash
W. bos, a swelling or rising up, a
boss ; bost'io, to boast ; prim, to
swell ; Arm. bos, bosen, the plague,
from its boils ; Manx , boss, a has-
sock. The termination is Celtic.
Cf. Ir. borr, pride, prim, swelling;
borrach, insolent
^ Ash has " bonny, pretty, gay, plump"; "Webster, " plump, well-formed".
Among miners bonny means a round lump of ore. Cf . Fr. bitgne, bounie,
boutou, tumeur. (Roq.) In Shropshire, according to Miss Jackson, /^oh?/?/
means "'comely, stout ; what the Fi-ench understand by embonpoint.''''
CKLTIC KLKMKNT IN THE DIALECTS
ANOLO-CKLTIC.
Ihillirr, t(i perplex, to bo troublu-
Hoiiioly teasing and noisy (N.) :
l>i)lli(r'ni(/, a groat scolding (N.)
(;kltic.
Ir. Ij()(lli/ir, Gaol, hothar, deaf ; Tr.
hothair, to deafen, to stun with
noise; Gael, hoilhradli, deafening,
stunning ; W. ht/rldur^Com. /jothar,
Arm. fjouruir, deaf ; W. byddaru,
to deafen, to stun
Prof. Skeat refers, after Garnett, to Ir. hiiaidhim, I
vex, disturb. This is probably connected with hodha7\
and all with Sans. hadhWa, deaf.
Iiot!<, a name for all under-grubs
(N.)
liottU' of hay, a bundle (N.)
Uollani, a ball of thread (N.) See
Hod
Boufjp, an insect which sometimes
infects sheep, " but which I have
been unable to identify" (L.) ;
Fr. houfje, a swelling, boss, belly
W. hot, any round thing ; hotv;jn, a
boss; both, bothcll,^ a round vessel,
nave of a wheel, a boss; Arm. bod,
a tuft, a bunch ; Ir. Gael, hot,
cluster, bunch; both, a booth, tent;
hard, a bottle ; Gael, hotut^, a bot
Formed, as lots, from a root denot-
ing roundness ; W. borj, swelling
or rising up ; Ir. Gael, bocaim, I
swell : bocoid, a boss ; Gael, bdc,
pimple, pustule; W. birccn, a mag-
got ; probably the Leicester bouge
Ir. Gael, buac, liquor prepared for
washing or bleaching ; to bleach ;
bitacc'tr, cow-dung {bu, cow, (jaorr,
dung) ; Ir. buacuire; a bleacher
Bonk, buck, to wash coarse linen
clothes by placing them in a tub
and covering them with a cloth.
On this is spread a quantity of
ashes, over whicli water is poured
(N.)
Though hyka in Sweden, and hijge in Denmark, mean
to wash, it is certain that bleaching or washing by this
process was a Celtic usage, and that the word huch is
Celtic. (See Arch. Camh., Jan. 1884, p. 11, and Prof.
Skeat, s. v.)
Bond, a hoop for trundling (L.); Sw. W. bivl (boot), a rotundity, a round
bula. Germ, beule, boil, boss thing : birlan, a round straw ves-
sel; Arm. iow/, bowl, globe: Sans.
bula, strength, stoutness, bulki-
ness
Brag, to boast- (X., L.) W. brag, a sprouting out, malt; bra-
gio, to swell out, to boast ; Arm.
hraga, to walk in a fierce way, put
on fine clothes ; Ir. braguhn, I
boast
' Hence the Leicestershu-e words bottle-tit, the long-tailed titmouse, and
hottle-JHfi, a bird (I suspect the hedge-sparrow) ; Ir. Gael. g\uhj=giug, a
drooping, crouching attitude. Bottle-jug is=round- bodied creeper ; Fr.
se juclnr, to roost.
2 This can hardly be called a dialectic word ; but Miss Baker and Mr.
Evans so regard it.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Brangle, to wrangle or quarrel (L.) ;
0. N. hrang, turba, tumultus ;
hramla, tumultuari
Brafch, any kind of spring-sown corn
(N.)
CELTIC.
Ir. brang, to snarl, carp, cavil ; Gael.
brionglaid, wrangling, disagree-
ment ; W. bragal, to vociferate ;
Ir. braighean, quarrel, debate
W. Corn, brag, Ir. Gael, hraich,
Manx, braUi, malt
Pliny says that the Gauls had a fine sort of grain
of which they made beer, and this kind of corn they
called brace, — "genus farris quod illi vocant brace".
Probably the W. brag, Ir. braich, meant primarily a
tine kind of barley used for malting ; and hence came
to denote malt, and figuratively to boast, from the
swelling of the grain.
Brock, a badger (N., L.); A.-S. broc.
A Celtic word (Skeat)
Broiise, the small branches of a tree,
not fit for timber (N.) ; Fr. broust,
sprig, young branch (Cotg.) ; brosse,
brush
(N.) "Pure Saxon."
Ir. Gael, broc, grey, a badger; Manx,
broc, id.; W., Arm. broch, id.
Ir. brus, small branches of trees ;
Gael, brids, fragments, splinters ;
Ir. Gael, broma, a fagot ; W.
hncys, thick - branching ; Arm.
brous-koad, petit-bois; A'oof/=wood
Ir., W. bran ; Gael, bran, brain, bran
Brun, bran
(Baker)
I insert this word, though dialectic only in form,
because it shows a Celtic and Sanskritic usao-e in chans;-
mg short a to u.
Buck, to wash clothes (N.)
Budgy, thick, clumsy (N.), commonly
pudgy
Buffer, a fool (N., L.)
Bug, big, proud, conceited (L.)
Bug, to take offence. " He was quite
bugged (N.) Boog, to take fright
or offence (L.). Halliwell has " to
take bug, to take fright or offence."
See Bogle
Bug, in Maybug, the small cockcha-
fer, Scarabceus solstitiaris (N.)
See Bouk
W. j^'f-^t, short, squabby ; invten, a
short, squabby female ; allied to
W. bot, any round thing ; Arm.
boutek, a round pannier, a dosser ;
Ir. bodach, a clown, pint-measure,
codfish ; the primary idea being
roundness
Gael. baobh=babJia, a foolish wo-
man ; Ir. baobhcdta, simple, fool-
ish {baobhal, a fool) ; Arm. abaff,
foolish, stupid
W. bog, a swelling or rising up ; bo-
gel, the navel ; Arm. bouch, tuft,
bunch ; Ir. Gael, boc, to swell ;
bochd. to swell, grow turgid ; full,
complete ; Manx, boggyn, boast-
ing, pride ; Arm. bugad, ostenta-
tion, vanterie
W. bugad, a terrifying ; bu-gwth, to
frighten, to scare ; bwg, a hobgob-
lin; bygv)l (pron. bugool), threat-
ening ; bygylu, to threaten, inti-
midate
W. bwcai, a maggot
10
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANOLO-CKLTIC.
liule, tho semicircular handle of a
hatchet, pot-lid, etc. (L.) See
Bullies, sloes, fruit of the bullace
(N.). Cf. " bullies, rouud pebbles.
South." Hall.
Bumhle-foot, a thick, clumsy foot
(N.); bumpy, knobby (N.) ; bum-
mel, Inmimlp, ball of the hand or
foot (L.); '■'■bumble, a small round
stone (West), a confused heap
(N.)."Hall. ^^ Pummel-footed,cluh-
footed'\ Hall.
Bun, the stubble of beans left by
the scythe after moAving (N.);
Bone or Bun, to draw a straight
line from one point to another by
means of three sticks, for the
purpose of surveying (N.). The
meaning is to take a base
Bunk, be off, apage (L.)
Bunny, a juvenile name for a rabbit
(N.)
Bunt or punt, to kick or strike with
the feet (N.), to push; Du. honsen,
to knock hard
Burgoo. "As thick as iio-^roo."' "An
Irish dish, I am informed ; but
why the rustics in this midland
district should go so far for a com-
parison I cannot conjectui-e" (N.)
CELTU;.
W. hid (bool), a rotundity, round
body, bole ; bwlan, a round vessel
See Bule. W. hwlas, winter sloes,
bullace ; Arm. boulas, bourgeon,
bouton qui pousse aux arbres ;
holos, prune sauvage ; Ir. bulos, a
prune ; Gael, buluister, a buUace,
a sloe
W. pirmpl, a knob, a boss ; pv'H'Pi *
round mass, a lump ; Arm. bom, a
rising ; Sans. ])un, to collect or
heap together
Ir. Gael, bun, a stem, stalk, base,
bottom ; Manx, bun, id. ; W. bon,
stem, stock, base ; bonad, base-
ment
See Bog
From bun, meaning here, tail; prim,
bottom or base : W. bonyn, stem,
stock, base
Arm. hounta, bunta, pousser, repous-
ser, heurter, choquer ; W. jnmio,
to beat, to thump
The word is still used in Ireland,
though nearly obsolete. Probably
a compound of Ir. bun', knob,
lump, and coth, food ; in comp.
goth
The word came by inheritance. It is the name of a
thick oatmeal pudding. See Ash, s. v.
Bur-head, the name of a plant called
cleavers, Galium Aparine (N.), a
hybrid word
Burk, to warm by fondling, to try
to lull a child to sleep. '■'■Burk
the chUd off to sleep." A brood
hen burks her chickens under her
wings (N.)
Ir. Gael, burr, knob, lump. Found
also in bur-dock (Gael, dogha, the
burdock)
The word denotes properly to warm
the child, to set it to sleep by
warming its feet at a fire, as nurses
are wont to do. Ir. barg, hot, ex-
tremely warm, which becomes
burk from the u sound in Sanskrit
^ The Rev. F. Crawford, Rector of Derryloran, Ireland, wrote to me
some years ago, in answer to an inquiry on this subject, " The word bur-
goo is used to denote a kind of food prepared from oatmeal and water or
milk, and more commonly known as stirabout. In Ireland it is made very
thick."
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER. 11
ANGLO-CELTIC. • CELTIC.
and partly in Irish ; g represent-
ing a prior c or k. The O. Gael.
harg has the same meaning. The
W. bar, affiiction, fury, is, I think,
from the same root. Cf. Sans.
tapas, heat, pain, suffering, and
rushd (prim, light), heat, anger
This is an interesting word, showing that the lan-
guage of the nursery was often Celtic. It is connected
with Sans, hhrdj, to shine, to gleam, and hhrajj, to fry,
to scorch ; the ideas of light and heat being often inter-
changed.
Burr, the sweet-bread or pancreas Ir. Gael, buri', borr, a knob, hunch,
of a calf, a round piece of wood lump ; borra, a swelling
or iron on the nut of a screw, the
calyx of the burdock (N.) ; Prov.
Sw. horr ut sa, to stretch out one-
self
Buskins, upper stockings without Ir. buiscin, thigh-armour ; buisgin,
feet, like gaiters (N.) ; Du. h-oos, haunch, buttock ; Gael, bmscean
a buskin (Skeat) {busceii), thigh, haunch, thigh-
armour (Armstrong). The root
is bos, a lump ; Manx, bossan, a
bulb or boss
Buss, a kiss (N.); Fr. baiser ; Prov. Ir. Gael, bus, the mouth, lip, ^ a kiss ;
Sw. 2)t^ss, kiss ; j^ussa, to kiss busog, a kiss ; W. bus, the human
lip ; gioefus, id.
Buttrice, a tool used for paring a Ir. butun, butan, a smith's paring
horse's hoof before shoeing (N.). knife (O'Don.); W. trych, a cut ;
"i?M^, a shoemaker's knife" (N.). tr ychu, to cui\ W. i?i-s,9, a tool for
Hall raising the bark in gi-afting
Cabal, noise, loud talking, confusion Ir. Gael, cab, the mouth ; cabais,
of tongues (N.) talking, babbling ; Manx, cab, the
jaw
Cac, dung, excrement (N.), S. ; Du. Ir. Gael., Manx, cac, dung, ordure ;
kak, id.; Lat. cocaj-e W. each. Corn, cac. Arm. kakach,
dung ; Sans, kalka, dirt, faeces
The Dutch kah must be a borrowed word.
Cad, a blinker (L.) W. caead, cover, lid
Caddee, an under-servant (N.) W. caeth. Corn. caid=cadi, servant,
bondman ; Arm. kaez,'^ id. ; Sans.
cheta, servant, slave (?)
^ Hence, probably, bussock, a Leicestershire name for a young ass ; Ir.
Gael, busach, snouty, having a large mouth.
2 The Arm. kaez represents an older kaed=kadi, probably from a root
cad, implying misery. Cf . Sans, kad, to grieve, to suffer. If caeth and
Corn, caid are from Lat. captiviis, the word cadclee has come down from a
Celtic race.
1 2 CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANOLO-CFLTIC. fKLTIC.
Ca(l<hi, the caddis- worm, or grub of Ir. ruideoy, an earthworm
the May-fly (N.)
CW/oc/:, charlock or wild mustard, W. cerhv, mustard; llysfoTlIych,herh,
Sinapis (irven.sis (N., L.); some- plant; fia.nn.katu, — (1), pungent;
times charlock (2), mustard
The char in charlock is from Ir. Gael, ciar, black,
from the colour of the seeds.
Cdffle,^ to quarrel (N.); Fr. caviller, W. cabin, to calumniate, abuse ;
to reason crossly (Cotg.), to Arm. ^a/y/o, insulter, outrager, in-
wrangle; Lat.cat'i//«?-i, to satirise, jurer. The root is Ir. Gael. ca6,
jest. Prof. Skeat says, "origin mouth ; Manx, cab, jaw
obscure"
In Lancashire, to jaiv a man means to abuse and re-
vile him ; Pro v. Sw. gaffia, to talk insolently or fooHshly;
Ir. Gael, gab, mouth.
Ca/jg, "an old caga", any old, Ir. caio^, Gael. caJa//, an old, tooth-
wrinkled female (N.) ; Prov. Sw. less female, a tattling woman.
kagg, a passionate man The vowel-flanked b has dropped
out in the Northampton form
Calkin, the hinder part of a horse's Ir. Gael, calg, sting, prickle, sharp
foot turned up to prevent slipping point ; culgin, a single prickle ;
in frosty w^eather (N.) Manx, caulg, the ears of barley ;
O. W. colginn for colc'inn, arista
{Cod. Juv.) ; W., Corn, col. Arm.
kolo, koloen, beard of corn, sharp
point
Callice, sand of a large grit (N.). S. O. W. caill, Arm. kail, hell, a stone
Callice seems to sIioay that the old plural of caiU=
calli, was callls, now ceilliau. Of. Sans, gclti, ace. pi.
gatis.
Cambrel (L.), cammerel (N.), a curved Ir. Gael., W. can\, crooked, curved ;
stick used by butchers to suspend W. preu, in comp. bren, wood
a slaughtered animal
Blount has the form camhren {Glossographia, a.d.
1G61). He derives it from " the ancient British".
Cank, punishment (N.), S.; prim, a W. mwijr, eawgrc, bough, branch ; Sans,
stick or switch sdkiui=kdkhd, id.
Sivitch is used in Lancashire for a slight branch of a
tree, and also as a verb, to beat, to punish by beating.
Cf Sans, daiid, to punish ; dancla, stick, staff.
' I think this word is of native origin because the root is Celtic, and is
used in the Craven country as caf, with the same meaning. The Fr. cavil-
ler means to use quibbles, to scoff.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
13
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Canl; talk, gossip ; to talk, prattle
(L.) ; Fr. cancan, plainte, bruit
(Roq.)
Cant, canny, to coax, to wheedle (N.,
L.); Lat. cantare
Car, a bottle or keg of one or two
gallons (L.)
Cast, warped, twisted (N., L.)
Cat, a stand made of three pieces of
wood or iron to hold toast (N.,
L.); Grerm. kante, border, brim,
ledge
Caul, hdl, the thin membrane that
sometimes covers the face of an
infant at its birth (X.)
( C«ri°, to form fissures in the earth,
J. to fall in (N.); Lat. cavus
( Cawing. A female with a bare neck
is said to look caving (N.)
Chats, small bits of dead wood, etc.
(N., L.)
Chizzel, wheat-bran (L.)
Chock, chuck, a throw with a jerk ;
V. to throw or cast up (N.) ; cook,
to cast, to chuck (N.)^
Chorion, calf's tripe, a delicacy (L.)
Chuck, a great piece of wood (N.)
Chunk, lump, stock of a tree (N.,
L.)
Chuckle-headed, thick-headed, dull
(N.). The prim, idea seems to be
roundness. See Cock
Chuff, pleased, delighted. "The
children are quite chuff to come"
(L.)
Churn, an aquatic plant, but of what
kind unknown (N.)
CELTIC.
W. cynghan (pron. cungaii), talk, dis-
course ; cynganhu, to talk, from
cyd^cum and canu, to sing,descant
Ir. Gael, ca'int, speech, language ;
cainteach, loquacious ; W. canu,
to sing, descant; Arm. kana. Corn.
kane, id.
From the Celtic car, prim, winding,
circling ; hence car, cart, dray, etc.
Ir. G-ael. cas, to curve, to twist ;
caMa, twisted (Ir. GL, p. 120) ;
Manx, cast, twisted
W. cader. Arm. kador, seat, chair ;
Corn, cader, a frame for a fisher-
man's line ; Ir. Gael, cathair, chair,
bench
Ir. Gael. ceo /=cf/«, a cover; Ir.calla,
0. Gael, call, veil, hood ; W. caul,
a calf's maw
W. cau for cai\ empty, hollow, a
vacuum ; Arm. kao, kav, a hollow
W. cat, piece, fragment
W. sisel, bran of wheat : idem quod
rhuddion ,canica,wheat-bran (Dav.)
W. cwg (coog for cook), a projection;
chware cwg, a game of ball ; Arm.
kouga, to raise {Arch. Camh., Jan.
1882, p. 12) _
W. cor, dwarf, little one; ton, skin (?)
W. cocw, a lump ; cocos, cockles ;
Arm. kok, holly-berry ; Ir. Gael.
cochul, skull, head, cowl, pod ;
Sans, kucha, female breast ; kos'a
=koka, bucket, shell, pod
"W. hoffi, to delight in, to love ; hoff,
dear, fond ; Sans, chujj, to move,
to stir (?)
Ir. cuirin-en, the water-lily, from cui-
rin, a small pot (the form of the
flower)
Britten says that churn is a name in North Lanca-
shire for the Narcissus pseudo-narcissus, and in Oxford-
^ The boys in Northamptonshire play at a game called cook-a-hall,
which is the same as the W. chirare-cu-g (ch ivar e^game, play). Prof.
Skeat refers chuck to Fr. chequer, to give a shock. This, however, does
not mean to throw up, but to jostle.
14
CELTIC EL FOMENT IN THE DIALECTS
sliire for the capsule of Nuphar Lutea, the yellow water-
lily. (Eng. Plant-Names, E. D. S., p. 104.) This is,
no doubt, the Northamptonshire churn.
ANGLO-CEI-TIC.
Clnhhi/, worm-eaten, applied to car-
rots (N.)
Cla;/, hoof of a cow or sheep (L.);
"corruption of clavi' (Evans)
A later / often takes the
when lost, is often replaced
clay, Germ. hlei.
cut, to cleave (unite) tightly (N.) S. ;
A.-S. chit, clout. A Celtic word
(Skeat, s. v.)
Clock, the head of the dandelion
(N.); "so named because children
blow off the seeds to determine
the hour"! (B.)
Clough, a large, shallow, earthen pan
(N.), S.; a stock of a tree (Cumb.)
Clout, a blow on the head (N.)
Clutter, to huddle together, to heap
in a disorderly manner (L., N.)
Cob, to strike; a blow (X., L.)
Cobnut, a large nut (N.)
Cobbles, small, round pieces of coal
or stone (N.)
Cock, cogger, a striped snail-shell
(N.)
Conger, a snail-shell, a cucumber
(N.)
Cock, the top of a rick (N.) S.
Cock-hend, the common knop-weed
(X.); Sw. koka, a clod of earth
Cock-eyed, having a cast in one eye
(N.)
Cocker, to fondle or indulge children
(N.), p. 'J().; Fr. coqueliner, to
dandle, cocker, pamper (Cotg.)
Cod, a pod (L.)
CELTIC.
W. claf, sick, corrupt ; clqfr, scurvy ;
Arm. klanv. Corn, claf, sick ; Jr.
Gael, clamh, scurvy
Ir. Gael, crag, paw, foot ; Manx,
craug, paw of a beast
place of an older r ; and g,
by i. Cf. A.-S. clceg, Eng.
W. clwt, piece, clout; clytio, to piece,
to patch ; Corn, clut, Ir. Gael.
dud, Manx, clooid, aclout
W. choch (clooch), a round body ;
clogoren, a bubble ; Ir. (xael. clock,
the pupil of the eye ; clog, bell,
head ; Manrx, dag, bell
Corn, clout, W. cleivtan, a blow ; Arm.
kaoud for klaoud, an attack
W. dueler, heap, pile ; cludeirio, to
heap together
W. cob, a blow ; cob'io, to beat, tun-
dere (Dav.) ; Hind, hob, beating,
pounding
W. cob, tuft, head ; Arm. kah, head;
Ir. Gael, caob^coba, a lump ; co-
pan, boss, cup; Sans, kuhja, hump-
backed
W. cocw, a round lump ; cocos, cockles ;
cogwrn, a round body, a shell ;
Arm. kokes, cockles {Rev. Celt., iv,
159) ; Ir. Gael, cochul, shell, pot,
husk ; Sans. s'ankha=.kankha, a
shell
Ir. Gael, caog, to wink ; caogach,
squint-eyed
W. cocru, to fondle, indulge
W. cod. coden,' pouch, bag, pod.
• The truth is exactly the contrary. The time is supposed to be indi-
cated by the calj'x of this plant because the real meaning of its name had
been lost in course of time.
2 Prof. Skeat thinks the W. end may be borrowed, and refers to O. N.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
15
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Cod, coddle, to cover, to wrap up
(N.), S.; the primary meaning
Cof/(7^?-, a rough, uncivilised old man
(N.)
Coqgle, easily shaken or overturned
(N.)
Cole, a conical heap (N.), B.; Prov.
Sw. holl, upper part of the head^
CELTIC.
bladder-husk ; Arm. Icod, bag.
pouch ; W. cod'i, to rise, swell up ;
cv)ddu, to rise round, encompass ;
cuddio. Arm. Tcuza, to cover, to
hide; Ir. cwdd, surrounding; Corn.
cudhe, to hide; Sans, hat, to cover,
surround; hut, to curve; hutr, hota,
a curve, house, tree, etc.
0. W. cott, old ; coth, an old man ;
Arm. hot, old ; W. egr for eger, Ir.
Gael, ger, sharp, sour
W. gogi for cogi, to shake, waver,
tremble. Cf. Sans, huch, to bend,
curve
W. col, a sharp hillock; Corn, col, a
pointed hill; Ir. Gael, coll, head;
colann, body, trunk
Beans are mowed with a scythe, and after being
turned over are put in coles in the fields, like hay.
(Agric. Sure. B., p. 119.)
Collar, the fork of a tree where the
branches spring out from the
trunk. In bird's nesting a boy
says, "I'll swaum up the butt,
and I shall soon be in the collar'''
(N.)
Colly, a term of endearment for a
cow (L.), a name for a cottager's
cow. " Goo and fetch the collies
whoam" (N.)
Colly -v'eston. When anything goes
wrong, it is said, "It is all along
o' Colly Wcsfori'' (N.). In Lanca-
shire it is Colly-west, and means
going on the wrong road, speeding
at a loss. (See Arch. Ccunb., Oct.
1882, p. 2.55)
Colt, a third migration of bees; they
are then said to have colted (N.);
Prov. Sw. hulla, to cut off hair, to
clip wool
Conger, a cucumber, a snail-shell (X.)
W. cidl, separation ; cyllu, to part,
separate; c«<;Zas, a compartment in
a building
Ir. Gael, colan, a young cow
W. coll, loss, and gioes (in comp.
wes'), motion ; gwesod, departure,
straying ; give st, gwesta, to go about
W. cyllu (hilly), to part, separate ;
cii:ll, a separation ; Sans, hrit^
hart, to cut, cut oif, divide
See Cock and Coger. The Sans.
s' anhha=canh}ia has retained then
kodd'i, a pillow ; hothr'i, scrotum ; and to Sw. hudde, a cushion. If the
root-meaning here is that of surrounding or enclosing, then the Sans,
roots hat and hut show that these are borrowed words.
^ Rietz, in his excellent Svensh Dialeht Lexicon, connects this word with
Ir. (and Gaelic) coll, head. The Swedish word is certainly borrowed. Cf .
Sans, kola, breast, haunch, wild boar, from hul, to make a mass or heap.
c.
CELTIC; F:LKMr<:NT IN THE DIALECTS
AN(ii,i>-('Ki/n(;.
C(>iif/;/rrr, a naiiu- for ii rabbit-warren
(N.), S.; usually con/jurar
(•Fj.ric.
Ir. coimn,2L rabbit (lit. a little dog);
coinicfr, a raljbit-warren ; cerir,
placing, putting; W. cwnbifj-f/ear,
rabbit-warren
Concijheare in Carlow, Conicar in Galway, Conigar
in Limerick, and other places in Ireland, are so named
from their rabbit-warrens. (See Joyce's Irish Place-
Names, i, 430. The Danish Jcanin, coney, is borrowed.)
Cook, to throw. " See how that cat
is cnok'nif] (tossing) that mouse
about (N.)
Coomh, tlic hollow at the junction
of the main branches of the trunk
of a tree (N.) ; A.-S. comb, a valley;
a pure Celtic word
Coo/>, to throw (N.). S.
Cot, a fleece of wool matted toge-
ther, refuse wool (N.), H.; Germ.
hotz", a shaggy coverlet
Cotter, to plague, vex, annoy (L.)
CottPrhifi, cott'nirj. A person who sits
close to the fiie is said to be cot-
tiitij it. If children creep close to
their mother she will say " Don't
stand cotterhif] round me so" (N.).
" Inclosing or securing", says Miss
Baker, " appears to be the primi-
tive meaning of the word co/"
See Chock, Chuck
W. cvjin, 0. W. ciomb. Arm.
hollow, valley
komh.
Perhaps from W. cohio, to strike. If
the word means to throw over,
see Coup
W. cotfoin, dag wool ; Ir. ca'itin, shag,
coarse hair, blossom of osier
O. W. cothivy, laedat {Rev. Celt., iv,
.339) ; W. cocldi, to vex, afflict ;
Corn, cothys, grief
The primary sense of cot has been
accurately preserved in these
words : W. cot, hut ; cod. bag ; Ir.
coit=coti, boat ; Sans, kofa, hut,
fort, curvature ; r. kut, to curve,
wind, be crooked; Sans. kuta,hut,
fort, water-pot, etc.
From the idea of winding or circling comes that of
surrounding or straitening ; hence W. codi, to straiten,
to vex ; and the Celtic cota, coat, as that which sur-
rounds or incloses the body. See Cod, Coddle.
Coulch, to fall or slip without any
impetus, as the edge of a bank
(N.)
Coup, to tilt or tip (N.)
Cozie, snug, warm, comfortable (N.)
W. r?r/, dropping, flagging : cwhjn,
a dropper ; Arm. koufch for koii-
eJch, a fall, movement of a body
that falls
W. civy»ipo, to throw down, to fall
Corn, cos-h soft, quiet; Ir. cir.'i (coos),
quiet, rest : cysol, quiet ; ojs^ur,
comfort ; Manx, cox-'-al. solace,
comfort : cossalagh, comfortable
Jamieson {Scot. Diet.) has cosie, which he says is radi-
cally the same as cosh, snug, quiet.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
17
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Cradle, a framed, wooden fence for
a young tree (N.)
Crag, crog, a large quantity (N.).
" What a crog of things !" (N.)
Crab}, pile-wort, Ranunculus ficaria
(N.), B., (K), S.
Crank, brisk, lively (N.); 'Du.krank,
sick, ill (Skeat)
Cratch, a hayrick (L.), M.
Crates, panniers used to carry tur-
nips (N.). They are made of
plaited rods
Craw, the bosom (N.), S. ; a shirt (?).
Cf. craw-buckles, shirt -buckles
(Beds.), H. Craio may mean
bosom. Cf. W. cropa ; Ir. Gael.
(s)groban ; Manx, {s)crobane, crop
of a bird ; Du. krop, id.
Creach, the thin laminae of the lime-
stone (N.), S. ; loose rock (N.)
Creemy, trembling, nervous (N.), S.
Creeny, small, diminutive (N.j, S.;
crinklin, a small, early apple (N.),
o.
Ci-ib, to obtain surreptitiously (N.)
Crick, a sudden twist in the neck
(N.)
Cricket, a small stool, footstool
Grizzle, to freeze (N.), S.; to crisp,
grow hard or rough by heat or
cold (N.), L.;' Dan. kruse, to curl
Crocks, earthenware (N.), L. ; A.-S.
crocca ; Du. kruik, Germ, krug,
pot. " Probably originally Celtic"
(Skeat)
Crocus- men. At a yearly division of
land at Wirkworth a feast is pro-
vided by the hay warden. He and
the master of the feast are called
Crocus-men. (Bridge's Hist, of
N'hamp., i, 219; Brand, ii, 12, 13)
(N.), S.
Croiv, the pig's fat fried with the
liver (N.)
CELTIC.
Ir. Gael, craidhal, creathall, a cradle ;
crath, to shake, to rock ; Ir. crud,
a cradle (Richards)
W. crug for crag, Corn, cruc, Ir. Gael.
cruach, heap, pile
The Irish name of the plant is Grain
aigein
Arm. kren, vigorous, impetuous; W.
crai for crain, fi'esh, vivid
Ir. Gael, cruach, heap, pile. See
Crag
Ir. creathach, a hurdle; Ir. Gael, cli-
ath=crati, a hurdle; W. cliayd, id.;
Sans. Icrit, to twist, to spin
W. craw, a covering ; W. Corn, crys;
Arm. kres, a shirt
Ir. Gael, creach, rock ; W. crag, a
hard coating, rock
W. cryn, a shiver, trembling ; crynu;
Arm. krena, to tremble ; Manx,
craynagh, trembling
Ir. Gael. crion=crina, withered,
small : W. crin, id. ; crinell, what
is dried
W. cribo, to comb, card ; used figu-
ratively
W. erych, a curling, wrinkling; cry-
chyn, a curl
W. crug (pron. crig), mound, tump;
crugaidd, of a roundish form
Arm. krlz, wrinkle, fold ; kriza, to
wrinkle ; W. crych, criched, a
wrinkle ; crych, wrinkled, wavy ;
crisp, a crisp coating or covering
W. crochan, pot ; crioc, pail ; Ir. cro-
gan,Gael.crog, jar, pitcher; Manx,
c?-oc/i'an,earthen pot; Sans. ^araA-a,
water-pot
Ir. croic=croci, and in the nomina-
tive case crocis, a venison feast (?).
A round of beef now is the main
dish, but formerly venison may
have been offered
W. cro, a round ; croen, skin, cover-
ing
^ In glass-making a plate is said to crizzle when it becomes rough, and
loses its transparency ; its surface is wrinkled.
5th ser., vol. ir. 2
18
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Q'uddle, to curdle, congeal (L.);
cruds, curds (L.)
Crudge, to crowd (N.)
Crummy, plump, fleshy (N.); Germ.
krumm, crooked, bent
Crumpet, a kind of light, round cake
(N.)
Crunch, to crush with a noise, as a
dog with a bone (L.). Prof. Skeat
refers to Du. schransen, to eat
heartily
Cuck, to throw (L.)
Qiddy, the hedge-creeper (N.)
Cuff, to remark upon, talk of (N.).
" The appearance of Miss H. was
aiffed over at the ball." (N.) Sw.
kufwa, to strike, overwhelm; A;«^a,
verberibus insultare (Ihre)
Culls, inferior cattle separated from
the rest (N.)
Cushat, the stock-dove, columba
cenas (N.) ; A.-S. cusceote, the
ringdove
Cutchel, to house or inclose comfort-
ably. "I think I have cutcheVd
him nicely", said of a pig (L.)
Cuts, lots ; to draw cuts, cast lots
(N.)
Dad, daddy, a child's name for a
father (N.) ; Prov. Sw. dad, father
Daddle, the hand (N.); Dade, to hold
a child by the hand in teaching it
to walk (X.)
Daffle, to be bruised or decayed (N.);
daffled, applied to fruit that is
bruised or decayed (N.)
Dag a sharp, sudden pain^ (N.), S.
CELTIC.
O. Ir. cruth, gruth, pressed milk, curd ;
gor-gruth, lac pressum {Gold., 76);
Gael, gruth, curds; Sans, hrud, to
become thick
W. crug, heap, pile ; crugo, to heap
up
W. crrvmach, spherical, convex, a
rotundity ; crwm, round ; Arm.
kroum, courb6
Corn, crampoethen, a pancake ; W.
crempoyen, a fritter ; Arm. kram-
poez, fine cake ; W. crempog,'^ pan-
cake, fritter
Manx, crancal, to make a noise ;
cranch, to grind with the teeth ;
Gael, cracan, crackling ; Ir. crac,
to make a noise
See Cook
W. cuddan, wood-pigeon ; cuddio, to
hide; Arm. kuza for kuda, to hide,
conceal
Ir. G&el.cubhas, a word; cabais, tat-
tling; cab, mouth ; Sans, kup, to
speak
W. cwll, separation ; cyllu, to sepa-
rate
Is not cusceote Celtic ? Cf . Com.
cus, wood, and W. civt-iar (short
bird), coot, water -rail. Cf. W.
cictyn, a plover
Ir. Gael, cochal, cope, cowl, pod,
shell (prim, meaning, inclosure);
Sans. kus'=kuk, to surround, in-
close
W. cictws, a lot ; Manx, kuht, id.
It. GaeL daid=dadi, father; W. tad,
dad. Corn., Arm. tad, id. ; Sans.
tafa, Hind. tat. father
Ir. Gael, doid^dadi, the hand.
O'Clery has dae (for dadi), lamh
(hand)
W. daif, a singe, a blast ; deifio, to
nip, to blast ; deifiol, blasting
Ir. daga, dagger; Arm. dag, id.; dagi,
^ Probably compounded of W. crtcm, round, and the old root retained
in Sans, pach, to cook.
* The primary meaning is a sharp point. Cf. dag-prick, a spade that
ends in a point (East); dag, a pick (Devon); the projecting stump, point,
of a branch (Dorset).
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
19
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Daglocks, taglocks, locks of wool
matted together (N.)
Daps, a likeness. " The very daps
of him" (N.), S.
CELTIC.
to strike, to stab ; Ir. Gael, dealg
^dalg'i, thorn, pin, prickle
W. tag^ a clogged state ; fag-Iys, the
bind-Aveed ; Ir. Gael, fagh, to join
closely, cement
Ir. Gael, dealbh, 0. Ir. delb=dalbi,
form, image ; W. dpho^=delb or
delv, form, image, likeness
Dalbi would become in the case-form dalbis, dalpis,
and by contraction daps.
Dandy, the hand (N.)
Dauber, a builder of walls with mud
mixed with straw (N.); daubing,
wet and dirty (L.); 0. Fr. dauber,
to plaster' (Skeat)
Dawsey, sticky, as bread not suffici-
ently baked (N.), doughy
Deck, to desert or break an engage-
ment on some frivolous pretence.
" I'll deck the job" (N.), S.; A.-S.,
decan, to cover
Dips, a slang word for money (N.);
properly pieces of money
Devilin, the swift, Hirundo apus (L.)
Dicky-bird, a child's name for any
small bird (N.)
Dids, breasts, properly nipples or
paps (N.), S.; A.-S. tit, a teat
Dilly dally, to delay, loiter, linger
(N. and L.); O. N. divelia, morari
(Skeat): Eng. divell
Dock, the plant so called. Rumexob-
tusifoHiis (N.); A.-S. docce (bor-
rowed). Cf. Gr. SavKos, a kind of
carrot
Dock, to lower price or wages (L.)
Dollop, a lump or large piece (N. and
L.)
Dohey, the hedge-sparrow (N.), some-
times called dunnock ; A.-S. dun
See Daddle, a nasalised form
Ir. Gael, doh, water, mud; v. to daub,
to plaster : W. dvb. mortar, ce-
ment ; dirbiwr, dauber, plasterer;
diofr, water. Fi'^m de-albare, to
whitewash (Skeat)
W. toes, dough, paste ; toesaidd, like
dough, doughy
Arm. techi, to flee, desert, avoid,
evade (fuir, s'eloigner, esquiver);
W.iechu, to skulk, prim, to evade
(?); Sans, tik, to go, move oneself
W. tip), particle, piece
Ir. duibheall=dibhal , quick, swift ;
Ir. Gael, deifir, haste, speed ; W.
diflin, unwearied, unresting
W. dicen, a hen, female of birds ;
perhaps used because the female
is generally the smaller bird
W. did, diden, nipple, teat ; didi, teat,
also pap ; Manx, did, diddee, id.
Ir. dala, Ir. Gael. dail=dali, delay,
procrastination, respite ; Manx,
daill, credit, trust, i.e., a delay in
payment
Gael, dogha, the burdock ; Ir. meacan-
dogha, the great common burdock ;
meacan, tap-rooted plant^
W. tocio, to clip, curtail, dock
W. talp, lump, large piece, mass
From its colour; Ir. Gael, donn, W.
dv^n, dun, dusky; connected with
du, black
' In Cotgrave and Roquefort, dauber means to beat, to cuff.
- I suspect that the Ce\i\c dogha and Gr. SavKos are connected with Sans.
dogha, milking (Ved.), from the juiciness of their roots.
20
CELTIC ELI^MKNT IN THE DIALECTS
ANfJLO CKLTIC.
Dowdy, dark and dull in colour (N.)
Dowle, the downy particles of a
feather (N.)
Dozpy, unsound, as wood beginning
to decay (N.). From rfoze, to slum-
ber, grow dull (Baker)
Drob, a female dii-ty in person and
slovenly in dress (X.) ; druhhled,
dirtied by walking in mud (N.);
A.-S. drdhhe, dregs, lees ; a bor-
rowed word. See Skeat s. v. drah
Di-pdf/rri/, carefully, cautiously. " If
you move her a,rm. ever so dredgei'i/,
it gives her pain" (L.)
Drud(ie, a female servant compelled
to do all sorts of laborious and
dirty work slavishly (N.)
Duhhy, blunt (N.)
Dumpy, a thick, short
thing (N.)
Dumple, a dumpling (N.)
person or
CEI-TIC.
W. du, black; duder, blackness; du-
aidd, blackish
Ir. dul, a lock of hair or wool
Allied to dawsey, q. v.; from W. toes,
dough; toesaidd, doughy, i.e., soft
Ir. drab, spot, stain; drahach, dirty;
Jr. Gael, draboy, a dirty, sluttish
female; drabh, refuse
W.rfryf/,carefulness, economy; dryd-
o/, careful, economical. We might
also have drydgar, careful
Ir. drugaire, Gael, drugair, a slave,
a drudge ; Ir. Gael, dragh, trouble ;
Sans, dragh, to exert oneself, to
be tired
W. homp, a round mass or lump ;
twmpan, a fat female ; twmpan,
a bulky one ; Ir. tuimpe, a hump;
in Gael, a turnip ; Ir. damba, a
lump (O'Don.); Manx, torn, bump,
swelling
Prov. Sw. tanijy, what is large and gross : a borrowed
word, as the Lat. tum-ulu-s and Sans. tumra,\)\g, strong,
show.
Dubbing, a mixture of oil and tallow
(N.)
Duch-atone, a name given to a stone
on which, in a game, other stones
are placed (L.)
Duds, rags, or clothes generally (N.)
Dudman, a scarecrow (N,); Du. tod,
a rag
Eane, to bring forth, applied to an
ewe (N.), S. ; A.-S. eanian, to bring
forth a lamb
See Dauber
W. dwg for dwc, bearing, carrying
Gael, dud, a rag ; dudach, ragged ;
Ir. dad, piece, a trifle
W. oen, a lamb; oena, to bring forth
a lamb ; Arm. oan. Corn, oin, Ir.
Gael, wo;?, a lamb ; INIanx, eayn, id. ;
eayney, to bring forth a lamb
Prof. Skeat says the only clear trace o^ eanian is in
the expression, ge-eane-eowa=^t]ie ewes great with
young (Gen. xxxiii, 13). " There can be little doubt",
he adds, " that ge-edne is here a contracted form oi ge-
edcne or ge-eacene.. .and edcen signifies pregnant. Hence
the verb ge-eacnian, to be pregnant (Luke i, 24), which
would be contracted to ge-ednian (s. v. yean).'' But the
A.-S. eanian is evidently connected with the Manx
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
21
eayney, W. oena, from eayn., oen, a lamb. The ideas of
pregnancy and birth are quite distinct. The W. o-en
is compounded of o, Sans, avi, Lat. ovis, and en, a suffix
of diminution.
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Earnest^ money given to bind a bar-
gain or ratify a hiring (N.)
Eccles. " Building eccles in the air."
A singular phrase, equivalent to
building castles in the air (N.)
Eccle, eecle-hickol, the woodpecker
(N.), S. Hickol is also used in
Herefordshire, and heccle in Glou-
cestershire
Edgy, keen, eager, forward (L.) :
sometimes (erroneously) ft edgy ;
A.-S. ecg, edge; Dan. eg, id.
Eel-pout, the barbot, the name of a
fish caught in the river Nen (N.),
S.
Ester, the inside of the chimney (L.);
generally astre or as<ir=hearth
Evvern, untidy as regards appear-
ance (N.), S.
Fad, whim, fancy, caprice (N.), L.
Fadge,fodge, a. loosely or half -filled
pack-sheet or sack (N.), In the
North /ar/^e means a bundle
Fadge, to make a person believe a
lie, to cram (L.); usually /urfr/e,
A.-S., facn, deceit ; Lat. fucus, a
dye, deceit, disguise
Fag, fog, long coarse grass (N.). Fog
is the more usual form
Fagged out, a term applied to a gar-
ment worn at the edge. "My
gown '& fagged ouf (N.) '^^ Fag,
the fringe at the end of a piece of
eloth" (Ash)
CELTIC.
W. ernes, a pledge ; em, earnest
money; Ir. Gael, earnas, tie, band;
earuadk, payment ; Ir. arra for
arna, a pledge; Sans. rina=arna,
debt, obligation
I think this must be the O. W. ec-
licys, church, from Lat. ecclesia,
though it is in the singular num-
ber. Perhaps the Anglicised form,
eccles-es would be rejected as diffi-
cult to pronounce
W. hie, a snap; hicio, to snap; hicell,
a long-handled bill
An interesting form of the Aryan
root ah, to be sharp, which is found
in W. eg-r, eager ; dl-auc, slow;
W. aicch=ak, edge
A hybrid form. W. pv)t, any short
thing ; Sans, p;/^^, to be small ;
pota, the young of an animal
Ir. Gael, as, to kindle a fire, to light
up; tir, land, earth {Arch. Camb.,
Jan. 1884, p. 21) ; Manx, as, fire,
and teer, land
See Avern
Arm. fazi, mistake, error, wildness,
disorder (egarement, erreur, aber-
ration d'esprit);/a~(a, errer, s'ega-
rer ; W. fado, a trifle (see Arch.
Camb., Jan. 1884, p. 21). The
Arm. z represents an older d
W.ffasg, bundle, faggot ; Arm. fes-
had, a sheaf ; Lat. fasc'is. The
root seems to be Ir. fasg,'W.gwasgu,
to press, press together, bind
^y.ffug, feint, deception, guile; ^w.^-
io ; Corn, fiigio, to feign, delude;
Arm. fouge, vanite, fanfaronade,
rodomontade
W. jfwg, dry grass; Manx, fog, after-
math
W. ffaig=fugi, extremity, turn, em-
barrassment ; Arm. /ec//, overcome.
wearied out ; especially used of
disputants
22
CELTIC ELKMEiNT IN THE DIALECTS
The W.ffxiifj, Arm.fech, apparently meant, brought
to an end, the end or extremity itself, and therefore
worn out, defeated. The prim, meaning was probably
circling or winding, and hence W. ffaig means a turn.
C'f. Sans, vak, to curve, wind ; vahra, winding, tortuous.
The course of ideas is then winding, turning, returning,
ending ; and hence the ideas of embarrassment and
being worn out. From the idea of circling we hav^e Fr.
fagoty a bundle of sticks fastened (encircled) by a cord.
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Fantigue, irritability, ill-humour
(N.); fantecuje, fit of passion, pet
(L-) ,. . .
Funtodds, a slight indisposition,
bodily or mental (L.), E. D. S.;
fcuitoddy, indisposition (L.)
Fantome, loose, flabby, as the flesh
of a sick child. Light, unproduc-
tive corn is said to be fantome.
Vegetation is so called when it
droops from heat and drought.
Cattle that dwindle on change of
pasture are fantome (N.)
Feece, convalescent, cheerful, active
(L.) ; A.-S. fus, ready, prompt,
quick
Fell, a holiday. A workman will
say he cannot catch a /(?//' this
week when he cannot complete
his work within that time (N.),
B. s. V. Catch (a fell)
Fell, to sew the inside of a seam
(N.); gen. to fold down and sew
slightly
Fezzle, a litter of pigs (N.), to litter
as a sow (L.); prim, a verb
Fiddling, trifling, loitering (N.)
Fig, to fudge, to flatter (N.)
File, a name for a shrewd, unscru- \Y.ffel=Jila, cunning, subtle, wily;
pulous old man (N.) Ir.jileoir, a craftj' person
/•"i/uwuA, to trifle, to loiter ; spoken lr.feimh=^jinia, negligent, neglect-
of servants who go idly about ful ; with the usual Celtic verbal
CELTIC.
Ir. Gael, fann, weak ; iaoig, a fit of
passion
W. gwan=van, weak ; teithl, quali-
ties, faculties ; taeth=tati, essence
(P.) ; properly being, nature ; Sans.
tatica, nature, being, reality
Ir. Gael, fann for f ant, weak, feeble,
infirm ; fantais, weakness, lan-
guishing ; W. gican, Arm. gicdn,
weak, feeble, poor; W. gifantan=
vantan, fickle, variable ; Sans.
vanda, vandam, maimed, crippled,
impotent
W. ffi/sg, quick, active ; Ir. Gael.
fuis:^isu, active ; fiusach=fisach,
earnest
0. Ir. fel, festival, holiday {Ir. GL,
70); Ir. Gael, feil, id. ; W. giojl,
id.; Lat. vigilice
Ir. Gael, fill, Manx, filley, to turn,
fold, plait; W. gicili, full of turns
or starts
Ir. Gael. feis=(fesi), a pig, swine ;
with the Celtic verbal suffix -at
Generally piddling. See Piddle
W.ffug, proTi.fiig. See Fudge
1 This word shows that Christianity was established in Xorthampton-
shire before the Sa.xon inva^<iol). and therefore before St. Augustin began
his mission here.
OF NOBTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
23
ANGLO-CELTIC.
their work, not in good earnest
(N.); 0. 'N.feim, pudor, verecun-
dia; feimar, pudet, pudere; Prov.
Sw. femma sej, to cause shame to
oneself
Fin, the rest-harrow, Afionis arven-
sis (N.)
Flannen, flannel (L.)
Flack, a blow (N.)
Flasket,^ a circular or oval basket
made of peeled osiers (N.), -L. ;
flachet (Holderness) \flashin (York-
shire) ; O. Fr. flasche, flask, bottle ;
O. H. Q.flasca, O. 'iH.Jiaska, id.
F letches, green pods of peas (N.);
O. 'N.Jlicl-a, vestis linea trita
Fletv, shallow, expansive. " Your
bonnet sits very fleiv"; i.e., the
poke is very open and wide-
spreading (N.) ; O. N. flcir, wide,
open
Flimp, a variation of limp, flaccid
(L.)
Flinket, a long, narrow slip of land,
whether arable or pasture (N.)
Flip, any poor, insipid liquor (N.)
In Brittany Jiip is the name of a
compound formed of brandy, ci-
der, and sugar. So called, proba-
bly, from its soft taste
Flommacking, loosely dressed in pal-
try finery (N.); flommacks for
flommach-es, an ill-dressed, slat-
ternly female ; one, for instance,
with a broad-bordered cap falling
loosely about her face (N.)
CELTIC.
formative we have fimak, to be
careless or negligent
"Vf . ffion=finu, (1), crimson; (2), the
foxglove. Applied to the rest-
harrow from its rose-coloured
blossoms
An archaism. W. gwlanen = vlannen,
id.
Ir. Gael.^a(7, a blow
W. flasged, a vessel made of straw
or wickerwork, a basket; Ir. Gael.
fleasg =Jiaski, rod, wand ; prop.
osier, a wreath made of twisted
rods ; flasgan, a flask; Arm., flach,
a wand
W. hl'isg, pods, husks; plisgyn, husk,
shell; Corn, hlisg, Arm.. plusk,id.;
Ir. QsifA. ptlaosg , pod, husk^
'W.fflau, spreading out ; ffreu, fluor,
fluxus (Dav.) ; ffluio, a diverging,
running out
W. llipa, flaccid ; llimp, smooth,
sleek. Cf . Fluellin from Llewelyn,
fluvimery from Uymru
Celtic from its form; probably con-
nected with W. ffrin, ffring, the
brow or edge of a cliff
W. llipa, flaccid, limp
Flommack is certainly Celtic, from
its verbal suflfix ; probably con-
nected with Ir. Gael. Nomas, os-
tentation. Cf., however. Arm.
fiammik, petit-maitre, pretentieux
^ As many other words that belong to an early stage of civilisation,
fiask or flasket is Celtic. The termination -et in nouns belongs to this
class of languages, as in basket, bonnet, etc. ; and only by the Irish or Gaelic
can the v/orA flasket be explained.
2 BUsg does not seem very nearly related to fletch; but I do not know
any German or Scandinavian word, of the same meaning, that is nearer
in form. B in Celtic, as in Sanskrit, easily becomes/ or v, and g repre-
sents an older k. Thus we come to the form flisk, which by a not iincom-
mon change becomes fletch. Hiihr and skida are respectively the German
and Swedish names for our English pod.
24
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Fluff, any downy particles (N.), L.
Flunnneri/, fulsome flattery (N.)
Flurrigigs, useless finery (N.)
Fodf/e, to make one believe a lie
(L.)
Foff, coarse grass (L.)
Footy, small, insignificant (L.)
Fi-eni, lusty, abundant, thriving. A
person liberal in a bargain is a
frP7n customer (N.) ; frim, fi'em,
lush, abundant (L.) ; /nan, fine,
handsome (N.), S. ; thick, rank,
overgrown (West), H. ; A.S. /re-
am, firm, strong
Friddle, to waste time in trifles (N.)
Froio (pron. as snow), to pine,
dwindle (N.)
Frump, to invent. " Thej/rumpt up
a fine story (X.)
Frump, a sour, disagreeable female
(N.)
Frt/ste, new, smart (N.): Germ.
/risch, fresh, new
Fudge, lying nonsense (L.)
Fullock, a violent rush ; to rush,
knock, kick (L.)
Fussocl\ a large, coarse woman CN.) ;
formed, as W. hoglynog, bossed,
from boglwm, a boss
Gab, a mouth, loquacity, idle talk
(N.), L.; O. N. gabba, decipere,
deludere (Hald.) ; to mock (Skeat) ;
Prov. Sw. gabb, derision, insult
(ioble-poles, slender rods placed out
side the roofs of thatched build-
ings to protect the thatch (N.).
Gable here is not a fork, but a
holdfast
fiat/. Cattle are s;iid to Jiave <'ot
CELTIC.
W. phi/ feathers, plumage ; Lat.
phj7na
W. Uymru, flummery ; used figura-
tively
W. pfur, a bright hue ; Arm. flour,
lustre, brightness; W. gvnsg. Arm.
gwisk, di'ess, clothing
See Fudge
See Fag
Gael. /udaidh, mean,vile, contempt-
ible, trifling ; W. ffictog, a short
tail (?)
W. ffricm (/room), luxuriant, rank,
large ; Arm. /romm, repletion,
swelling (gonQement); /romma, to
swell out
W. ffrilian, to trifle, waste time ;
ffrityn, a little, flighty iQ\\ovf;ffrid,
a sudden start ; Manx, /j-^/, a fri-
volous person ; /ryttag, rag, shred
'^.ffrau, flowing, streaming
A.VT[i./ramma iov/rampa (?), to form
or put together ; /ramm, assem-
blage des grosses pieces de bois
pour la construction des maisons
W. /ram, fuming, testy, touchy ;
ffroiiiyn, a testy person
y^.ffrost, pomp, ostentation; Manx,
/roash, pride
See Fudge
W. ffiill, haste, speed ; ffulUo, to
hasten
W. bost, a swelling or rising up ;
Arm. bos, bosen, the plague, from
its boils; Corn. bost,/os. boasting;
prim, swelling
Ir. gab, mouth; gubaire, prater, tat-
tler; Gael, gob, beak, mouth: gu-
ba\r, goba'ir, a prating, talking
fellow ; Manx, gob, cab, mouth.
Allied to Sans, gubha, a cleft, slit,
opening
Ir. Gael, gabh, to take, to hold ; W.
ga/ael, a hold, grasp, fastening ;
cafael, to hold, enclose
Ir. gndh. arrow, dart; Ir. Gael, gath.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
25
ANGLO-CELTIC.
the gad when they run madly
about from being stung by a gad-
fly (X. and L.) A.-S. gad, point
of a weapon, sting ; O. N. gaddr,
clavus (Hald.)
CELTIC.
a spear, javelin, sting ; Gael, gad,
twig, withy ; Sans, gadu,^ spear,
javelin
The anlaut in Sans, gadu shows that gad and gaddr
are borrowed words.
Gaffer, the master of a house, fore- Corn, coth, goth, W. coth, Arm. coz,
man of workmen (N. and L.). old, old man; Ir. Gael. /ea?-, man
Usually it means an old man, a
grandfather ; goifer in Wilts
A.-S. ge-fceder, god-father (Mahn), a corruption oi gixim-
fer, grandfather (Skeat).
Gag, to tighten so as to prevent W. ceg, mouth, throat ; cegio, to
motion, as an over-tight gown (N.) choke (Skeat)
Galls, vacant places in a crop (L.), W. gal, a cleared spot ; open, cleared
M.
Gaily (pron. gauly), having the
hair rubbed off ; applied also to
land having patches where the
crop has not grown (L.) ; 0. N.
gain, vitium, nsevus (mole on
the skin)
The change from long a to at( is a Celtic usage (ODon-
ovan's //■. Gram., p. 10).
Gamble, a butcher's staff (N.) Ir. Gael., W. cam, crooked, winding;
Gambril, gamhrel, a crooked or bent W. jirai (in comp. h-en), wood
stick used by butchers (N. and
L)
Game-leg, a crooked leg
In Ash's Dictionary the forms are camhrel and camhren.
Garry-ho, loose, improper language
(N.); 0. N. gari, violentia, ssevi-
ties : ho, clamor opiliouuni ; only
our Eng. ho ! hoa !
G^auZ^ the bubbling motion produced
in a liquid by its rapid conversion
into vapour, ebuUicion (X.), S. ;
Germ, ivallen, A.-S. vreallanj O.
N. vella, to well or boU up
Gauly, a blockhead (L.)
W. gair=gari. Arm. ger, word, say-
ing ; W. hodc, sprightly, volatile;
Sans, gir, voice, word, speech
Ir. Gael, gall, smoke, vapour, steam;
gaileadh, evaporating ; goil, boil-
ing, ebullition, vapour ; goilleadh,
boiling ; Manx, gall (gait f), va-
pour
See Galh
' I refer to Sanskrit here, as in other places, to show that the Irish or
Welsh word is not borrowed.
26
CELTIC ELEMENT IN TQE DIALECTS
ANdLO-CKI.TIC.
Gaunt, emaciated (L.); Norm, ganrl
=(fii)it, a thin, pointed sticlc, a tall
and thin man (Skcat)
Gutnili/, luxuriant ; applied to trees
tall and over-spreading (N.)
Gaury, exuberant, quick-growing.
Corn too exuberant in the blade
is said to be gaury (N.); 0. N.
(jorr, plcnius
Ginon, any vessel for lading out
liquid (L.). a small tub(M.); var.
of gallon (L.)
Gawney, a simpleton (L.)
Geason, sparing, scarce (N.) ; O. N.
gisiiw, rarus, hiulcus (Hald.). It
means open, gaping ; Prov. Sw.
gisna, to open from drought
Gig, a winnowing fan (N.)
Giggling, goggling, unsteady, easily
shaken (N.) ; Fr. gigue, a dance,
a jig; O. N. geiga, tremere
Gimlet-eye, an eye with a squint
(N.); O. Fr. gimhelet, a gimlet
Gimmy, very neat, spruce, nice in
person (N.). Gimp in Brockett's
Gloss of N. Country Words. Prov.
Sw. giminelig, fair, beautiful, ap-
plied to light. Rietz refers to O.
N. gim-steinn, jewel, and gimlir,
splendour'
Gimsoning, ingenious trifling, gim-
cracking (N.)
Gird, a twitch, a pang (N.) ; A.-S.
geard, gyrd ; O. H. G. gertc, rod,
wand
Glauds, hot gleams between showers
(N.); Dan. glode, a live coal ; Du.
gloed, glowing heat, flame
CEI.TIC.
Ir. Gael, gann, gand, scarce, scanty,
little : gantar, scarcity ; Manx,
goan, scarce, short
Ir. Gael. gann=gant, strong, stout,
thick
W. gor, high, large, excessive; gene-
rally used as a prefix, as in gor-
«c/i, supremacy; Arm. ^o«r, super-
lative; gorre, dessus, la partie su-
perieure ; gorrea, elever
Ir. Gael, gann, a jug ; W. gwn, a
large bowl ; Sans, gaiiju, a drink-
ing vessel
Ir. Gael. geoin=gom, a fool, simple-
ton
Ir. gaisiii, Gael, gaisean, a scanty
crop; Ir. Gael, ^ajse, flaw, blemish;
Gael, gaiseadh, blasting, withering
Ir. gig-rand (rfl?;rf^=nimble), a whirl-
igig; giog-uch (gig-ach), unsettled,
moving to and fro ; giogaire, an
uneasy person; W. goyi, to shake;
gogwy, full of motion ; gogr, a
sieve
The root is, I think, the Ir. Gael.
giomh, a lock of hair, a curl, and
the gimlet is so named from the
twist or curl at its base ; Ir. gim-
leid, a gimlet (borrowed ?)
W. gwymp, neat, spruce, handsome
See Gimmy, Arm. sauna, to cut, to
form
W. gyrth, dash, hit, stroke ; gyrthio,
to hit, push, run against; arietare,
pulsare (Dav.) ; gyr, drive, onset,
thrust ; Ir. Gael, gearr, to cut,
hew, taunt; Manx, giarey, to cut,
wound
W. glawdd (glaud), lustre, glow,
splendour
^ The 0. N. gim-steinn is, I think, from Lat. gemma (gem), and the prov.
Sw. gimmelig is gem-like. The Eng. gimmy is for gimpy, and the TV.
gwyntp, Iv.jidmh, hue, colour, are connected with Sans, viinba, mirror, re-
flected form, picture ; vniibit((y reflected, pictured, painted. The primary
idea is bright, shining.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
27
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Glaver, to flatter (L.)
Glaiiver, flattery (N.); A.-S. ^/urere,
a flatterer
Gleeting, a place where the land is
made moist by water that cannot
escape (N.) ; gleeting springs^
" springs that have no free outlet,
render the earth hollow and fuzzy"
(Morton), N.; A.-S. glicl, Low Sax.
glett, slippery
Gleeve, a pole with serrated prongs,
used for catching eels (N.) ; Fr.
glaive, a sword
Gob, a small, mucilaginous lump
(N.); Fr. gob. "L'a valla tout de
gob ", at one gulp he swallowed it
(Cotg.); gobeau, piece, morsel
Goddle, to deceive (N.), S.
Gog, a bog (N.)
Goggy, boggy, swampy (N.)
Goggling, unsteady (N.)
Gogmire, a quagmire (N.) Cf. geg,
gaig, to swing (Warw.), E. D. S.,
iv, 126
Goggle-shells, large snail-shells (N.)
Goggles, id. (N.)
G^o^ in goose-gog, gooseberry (L.)
Gomeril, a fool (L.)
Goodjers, an exclamation of wonder
and surprise (N.), S. Cf. Goodjer,
a term for the Devil (Dev.)
CELTIC.
W. glof, smooth, glistening ; glafr,
flattery ; glafru, to flatter
To gleet is to make moist ; Arm.
gllz, dew (prim. liquid); W. giclith,
id. ; Corn, gulhy, to wash. The
root is Sans, gal, to ooze, distil ;
galita, liquified. Cf. W. gwlaw
rain ; gwlyb, liquid, moist
W. glaif, a bUl-hook ; falx (Dav.)
W. gob, heap, mass; cob, tuft
W. godicyllo, to deceive slightly (S.)
W. gogi, to shake, quiver ; Ir. Gael.
gogach, wavering
Ir. Gael, cochal, husk, shell ; W. co-
cos, cockles ; cocio, round lump.
See Cock
Ir. camar, a soft, foolish fellow; ca-
maran, an idiot
W. gygior, a grim-looking person ;
gioyu, gygu, to lower (2/=E. u)
" The gougeres (demons) shall devour them, flesh and fell (skin),
Ere they shall make us weep."
Lear, v, 2.
Gound, the vulgar pronunciation of
gown (N.). Only an archaism.
The word gound means what is
sewn ; an advance from the pri-
mitive skin
Goiiry, stupid, sullen (N.) ; O. N.
gari, violentia, ssevitas
Gouty, wet and boggy (N.), S.
Gowl, to open, enlarge, as when a
button-hole is worn out of shape
(N.)
Ir. gunn for gund, gunnadh, a gown;
Gael.^M'??,W. gwn, gown ; W.guviio,
to stitch, to sew; gynel, a close
gown ; Manx, goon, gown ; Sans.
gonl, sack ; guna, string, thread ;
gundana, a covering
Ir. gorach, foolish, stupid ; Gael, gur-
ruch, a great, clownish fellow
W. gtcst, moist, wet
W. agaici; opening, breach ; agon, to
open, break, expand, enlarge. Cf.
Vf.achreth, trembling, =creth, idi.
Agoi'i, by a common process, would become (.(<jdli, and
by a ciiatomaiy change (jou'l.
28
CELTIC ELKiMENT IN THE DIALKCTS
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Grab, to seize, catch firm hold of
(N.), L. ; Sw. f/vdhba^ to seize.
Must be borrowed by Grimm's
law
Gravrx, the sediment of chandlers'
taUow (N.)
Grewed, adhered to the pot in boil-
ing. " The milk tastes as if it
were f/reired", a word of similar
import with hitr7it to (N.). It
means simply burnt. Cf. (jrown,
milk burnt in boiling (Line.)
Grisk'ni, the short bones taken out
of a flitch of bacon (N.). " Gi'is-
hin, the back bones of a hog broiled
on the coals, from the Ir. grifigin'''
(Ash's Diet.); O. N. gris, a pig
Groudly, grumbling, discontented
(L.)
Groimr', gravel (L.)
Grout, mortar mixed with small
stones, used for filling up inter-
stices of walls
Grudgeons, a sort of bran (L.)
Guhhij, knotty, full of small protu-
berances (N.)
Gudgir, short and thick, as applied
to the person^ (N.)
Gidah, ribaldry, silly talk (N.)
Gurry, an inward rumbling of the
bowels (L.). Cf. gyrr, to purge
(Lane.)
Gyvpii, sinews of the legs (N.). " Pos-
sibly a metaphorical use of the
word g'lrfs. (sic), a fetter'' (B.). It
is the primitive meaning
Haggy, rough and stiff. A haggy
road. Haggy work for the horses
(L.) Du. hakken, to chop, hew,
cleave
Halt, a command to a horse to go
from the driver (N.). It means
to go to the left hand
CELTIC.
Ir. Gael, grab, to stop, hinder; prim.
to seize; gream, grip, hold; Sans.
(jruh, qrabh (Ved.),' to take, seize
hold ■
It is in the form of flakes. W. craf,
laminae; craf en, a flake; Ir. Gael.
ngreab, scab, crust
Ir. Gael, greidh (dh silent), to burn;
gris, fire, heat; W. greio, to scorch,
to singe ; graid, heat
Ir. gri-fgin, Gael, grisgean, roasted or
broiled meat; grls, fire, heat
W. gricyth, a murmur ; grwythol,
murmuring
W. 7)0, coarse gravel, pebbles; Corn.
yrou\ gravel ; Arm. grozel, groan,
gravel, coarse sand; W. yrut, grit,
coarse sand
W. rhuchion, husks, gurgions (P.);
rhuch, film, husk (with prosthetic
0?)
See Gob
Ir. Gael, guga, a fat fellow; giig, an
Qgg'-i gugan, a bud
W. golch, lye, urine; golchion, slops,
dish-watar
W. gyr, drive, hurry, onset ; gyru,
to drive
W. gav:=gav, sinew, tendon ; g'iau,
nerves; gefyn, a fetter; Corn, goi-
uen, nervus(Z. 110"2); Mod. Corn.
gryen, a sinew ; Ir. Gael, gfibh'i-
onn, fetters, bondage ; O. Ir. g^-
min, compes (Goid., 75). The root
is Sans, gabh (W.gafael), to grasp,
to hold
W. hagr, ugly, rough, unseemly
W. cinvith, left, left-handed
' Whenever there is an accordance of Sanskrit and Celtic, the latter is
invariably related to the older forms of Sanskrit.
•' Hence the Fr. goujoii, Eng. gudgeon, the fish so called.
or NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
29
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Harry, a jeering exclamation. When
a navigator (labourer) is over-
laden, and cannot wheel his bar-
row along, his fellow-workmen
cry harry ! harry! (N.). Fr. harau,
hari, cri, clameur pour implorer du
secours; O. H. G. harm, to give a
loud outcrj'
Harum, slovenly, untidy (N.)
Hassock, tuft of coarse grass grow-
ing on wet lands (N., L.)
Haume, to lounge about (L.). Cf.
hawminff, forming inelegant atti-
tudes (Line); curvetting (Leeds)
Haunty, playful without being vici-
ous, applied to cattle (N.) ; O. Sw.
ant, cendt, quickness, haste
Hard; a board on which a plasterer
or mason keeps his mortar (N.)
Hazzle, azzle, to dry slightly (L.);
hazle, to dry at top (Forby)
Hihp, to move suddenly or hastily
(N.) : to gore (L.) ; O. N. hika,
cedere, recedere
Hingy, said of beer that is at work
or fermenting (N.); Du. hinken, to
halt, go lame
Hock, a shock of hair (L.); A.-S.
sceacga, brushy hair, branches of
trees, rough, shaggy
Hog, a year old sheep (L.) ; Norm.
Fr. hogetz, young wether sheep
(Kelham). Not a French word
Hammocks, large feet and legs (N.);
Du. homj), hump, heap The form
in -oc is Celtic. Cf. hovss, large,
coarse feet (E.)
Hoop. Li the game of hide and seek
the hiding child cries hoop as a
signal to begin the search (N.)
Hop-pet, a small oval basket for the
food of labourers (L.); Du. hoep,
a hoop
Horse-hJoh, the marsh-marigold (N.)
CELTIC.
W. haro, an interjection expressing
contempt or a slight; Arm. harao,
cri tumultueux pour se moquer
de quelqu'un. Probably a later
form of the Irish sar, contempt,
disdain. Cf. Sans, hare, alas !
W. garro, rough, coarse ; garioen, a
rough female ; Ir. Gael, garhh,
rough ; Manx, garroo, rough, rug-
ged
W. hesg=hasgi, rushes, sedge; hesor
for hesgor, a hassock (in churches) ;
Ir. Gael, seasg, sedge
W. camu, to curve, wind, bend,
make a stride; Ir. Gael., W. cam,
curved, winding
W. haiontus, animated, brisk; hawnt,
alacrity, eagerness
W. hawg=hawc, a box, scuttle, hod
Ir. Gael, as, to kindle a fire ; Manx,
as, fire; Ir. adhair, fire; Sans, tish,
to burn ; ushna, hot
W. hicio, to snap catch suddenly, to
make a sudden jerk
W. heini, briskness ; brisk, lively.
Heini is probably for heinig. Ir.
Gael, ing, a stir, a move, force ;
Sans, ing, to move to and fro
W. s'loch, bushy hair
Ir. Gael, og, young, a youth ; oige,
a young woman; oigeach,a young
colt ; Manx, oigan, a youth ; W.
Jiogen, a young woman
W. gomach, a shank or leg ; Ir. cos,
foot, leg ; W. coes, leg
W. hic}), effort, try ; hivj) ! make an
effort, try
W. hob, a wooden vessel holding a
peck in Glamorganshire; hob, hob-
aid, modius (Dav.)
I am inclined to think that horse^ is
' Cf. horse, a reed put into a barrel to draw off the liquor; W. corsen^a.
reed.
30
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANGLO-CELTIC.
//o.v, the sheath of corn (L.), M.
//oH.siHr/.s (prop, housing), high lea-
ther, horse-collars; formerly used
as a cover (L.)
Hougin, a covering attached to a
horse's collar (N.), S.
Hox, to fret, to harass. " She does
hox me uncommon" (N.)
CELTIC,
here a mutation of the W. rorf.
marsh, bog ; Corn, coi-s, Arm. kom,
bog, bog-plant
W. hioaan, a covering ; Arm. Z"os,
enveloppe de certains legumes ;
Sans. A;os'a, covering, case, sheath
A variation of housing (covering),
unless from W. huch, thin cover,
film ; hug, tunic, cloak ; hugyn, a
little cloak or covering
"W. hog'i, to whet, to irritate ; Arm.
hpgn, to irritate, provoke
Hox shows that the verbal form in Northamptonshire
was hocas. Cf. Lane, lammas, to run.
Huh, nave of a wheel (N.)
Huhhij, lumpy, knotty (N.); Du.
homp, hump; Prov. Sw. ho}'), heap,
quantity
Huff, to puff up, to swell (N.)
Huff, to scold, to tell any one of his
faults in low, abusive language
(N.)
Humly, to injure with the horns
(N., S.); O. N. ^wnH, battle
W. hwff, a lump ; hwfan, a rising
over ; hwfanu, to rise over; hufen,
cream, top of milk ; hufio, to man-
tle, overtop
See Huh
W. vfft, slight, scorn
shame, to upbraid
icfftio, to cry
Ir. Gael. guin=gum, points, darts ;
guimm, I wound, sting, stab; gun-
ta, wounded ; guinneach, sharp-
pointed. The last word points to
a primitiv^e gund or gunt. Cf . Sans.
han for ghan, to strike, wound
Some forms of Sans, han are from ghan, and some
from ghat. The prim, form was then ghant ; hence
ghund, and by the Welsh verbal formative, z^=Eng. {,
ghundy and hundy.
Hurburr, the burdock (L.)
Surchjn, hedgehog (N.); Lat. eritm-
cens, id.
Hurds, tow (L.); gen. hards, ex-
plained by Halliwell as "coar-se
flax, the refuse of flax or hemp"
Inkling, a slight desire (N.); inklf,
to long for, desire (Cleveland)
Jabhfir, confused, idle talk (X.)
W. hor in hor-en, a fat woman;
hinricg, a lump ; bar, bunch, tuft ;
Ir. Gael, barr, head, bunch, knob,
something large and round
Ir. uirchin {urchin), a pig ; Arm.
heureuchin, a hedgehog
W. earth, refuse, off-scouring, tow,
oakum
W. ainc. desire, craving ; aviditas,
desiderium (Dav.), with the Celtic
suffix -al
See Gab
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTEE.
31
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Jagg, a large bundle of briars used
as a "clodding harrow" (L.)
Jog, a small cartload (N.); gen. jag
Jannock, a buttress or support for a
wall (N.)
Jerking, fidgeting, romping (N.)
CELTIC.
W. sawch, heap, pile. Sawch is =
sag, which becomes shag and jag,
shortened into jag
Gael, damn, a rampart (McAlpine),
with -oc, the Celtic suffix of small-
ness ; di, and sometimes da=j;
Gael, d'lubhal, pronounced juval ;
or Ir. Gael, daiugncach, a bulwark
W. terc, a jerk, a jolt; tei-cu, to jerk.
Cf. Manx, cheh, hot, for teak
The same as gird, to strike, from A.-S. gijrd, a rod
(Skeat).
Jigling, jogling, unsteady, easily See G'lgUng.
shaken (N.)
Joh, to thrust quickly a sharp-
pointed instrument into anything
(N.); to peck (N.)
Jobbet, a small load (L.)
Ir. Gael, gob, a bird's bill or beak ;
AV. gwp, id.; cobio, to strike
Jonnick, liberal, kind, hospitable.
" I went to see him, and he was
quite jonnick" (N.)
Jorum, joram, a brimming dose of
liquor (L.)
Joivl, to push, knock with force (N.)
Ci.joll, the beak of a bird (Norf .);
to peck (Lane.)
Jubs, the lower course of the great
oolite (N.) ; Prov. Sw. kubb, a short
piece cut from the stock of a tree
Kabes, chilblains (N.) ; a var. of kibes
Kailey, healey, a term for red, stony
land (N.); keal, sand or rock (N.) ;'
Cf. kail, to throw stones (Suff.);
Fr. caillou, flint-stone, pebble
Kecklock, wild mustard (L.), H.;
kecks, kex, the dry stock of the
hemlock or other umbelliferous
plants; the plants themselves (N.
and L.) ; Fr. cigue, hemlock, kex
(Cotg.)
Keel, ruddle for sheep (L., N.)
W. gob, a heap, a pUe. The termi-
nation -et (in Welsh -aid) is a Cel-
tic form
Ir. Gael, geanach, pleasant, in a plea-
sant humour, kind
W. gorm, a plenum ; gor, great, ex-
treme, high
Manx, jolg, thorn, prong ; coU, goll,
sharp point, sting ; Ir. Gael, colg,
sting, prickle ; VV., Corn, col, a
sharp point, sting, awn
W. gob, lump, heap ; Ir. Gael, caob,
a lump=caia ovcoba; Manx, ceo fe,
a lump; Sans, kap-dla, head, skull
W. gibics, commonly y gibi (cibi), a
kibe, kibed heels (Rich.;, cibivsf,
chilblains, from cib, vessel, shell,
husk (a round form), and gwst, a
watery humour
0. "W. caill, a stone; Arm. kell, testi-
cle, prim, a stone (r. cal, hard) ;
kail, kalch, stone, testicle
W. cecys, plants with hollow stems;
in some places hemlock ; cegid,
hemlock ; llys for llych, plant,
herb
Ir. Gael, cil, ruddle, red ochre
^ " Whether they are pieces or shreds of the limestone, of the ragg, or
of our ordinary sandstone, they have all the name of keale."' (Morton.)
32
ClilLTFC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS, ETC.
ANCLO-CKf^TK!.
Kcll, mombnine covering the omen-
tum of a .slaughtered animal (N.,
L.). Sometimes caul
Keltcr, order, condition, good case
(N.)
Kfi/s, the seed-vessels of " the ash
(N., L.)
hid, a bundle or fagot of dry thorns
(N.)
Kidnunck, h'lddenunch. "If in a cap
or bonnet the ribbon is oddly or
irregularly placed, one part pro-
jecting before another, it is said
to stand up in hidnuncks''' (N.)
Kids, pods of beans and peas
Kill, kiln (N.), S:
Kimble, to humble. '• He was very
much Jdmbled'" (N.)
Kimple, to flinch from, to hesitate.
"Come, don't kimjile^ at your
work" (N.)
Kimmel, kimhle, a washing tub (L.)
Knack, to be more fortunate than
another. If one boy has a piece
of plum-cake, and another has
none, he says, "1 knack you" CN.).
Cf. Lancashire phrase, " That
beats me (sui-passes me)"
Knoggings, small refuse stones used
in masonry for the inside of a
wall (N.) ; Germ, knocken, knot,
bunch, a borrowed word (see
Skeat, s. v. knoll)
CELTIC.
Ir. Gael, ceal (cela), a covering ; W.
cdu, to cover, to hide ; caul, a
calf's maw
Ir. Gael. cail=cpl, condition, state ;
-dar as a suffix (in Welsh dfr)
answers to Eng. -ness in goodness
W. cae inclosure
W. cedi/s, bundles of wood, fagots ;
Sans, chiti, layer or pile of wood
W. cyd, denoting^union ; cnioc (knook),
lump, knob
W. cydijn, a little bag or pouch ;
c%od, cod, bag, pod, etc.
W. cylyn, a kiln; cil, a recess
Probably from W. camu, to curve,
bend, wind. Cf. ceimwch (lobster),
from cam; Eng. kim-kam, crook-
edly
W. cioman, a tub (cymanell, a little
tub); Ir. rM?H,a», a dish; Gael. c(t-
7nan, a milk-pail
Ir. Gael, cnag for oiac, to beat,
strike ; s., a knob, a knock ; W.
cnocio, to beat, to rap (see Skeat,
s. V. knock')
W. cmoc, bunch, hump, lump ; Ir.
Gael, cnag, a knob; Arm. cnearh,
hillock
1 The word cam was primarily camh {camp), as the Sans, kamha (shell,
ring) shows ; and camh or camp, with the Celtic verbal suffix -al, would
become campal, varied into kimple.
{To be eontinued.)
girchaeal0|ia Camk^n^i^.
FIFTH SERIES.— VOL. II, NO. VL
APRIL 1885.
THE CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTIC
WORDS OF THE COUNTIES OF NORTH-
AMPTON AND LEICESTER.
(Continued from p. Z2.)
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Lace, to beat (N.)
Loivk, to beat, to thrash (N.)
Lag, to loiter, to flag (N.); Sans.
laghu, weak, mean ; Prov. Sw. lakk,
loose, limp
Lair, corn which is beaten down in
one direction is said to be laired
(N.)
Lash, juicy, rank (N.), S.; lush, id.
(N.), S.
Lathy, thin, slender, as a lath of
wood (N.) ; Du. lat, Germ, latte,
lath
Lawn, laund, an open space in a
chase or forest (N.) ; Fr. lande, a
wide, untilled plain; Germ, land
The diphthoDgal sound
in lawn is a Celtic usao^e.
CELTIC.
W. llachio, to beat ; llach, blade,
stroke; Corn, lace, lak, to slap, to
cudgel
W. llag, Corn, lac, loose, sluggish ;
W. llacaii, to become loose, to
droop; Corn, lacca, to faint; Arm.
lug, slow, lazy ; Ir. Gael, lag,
Manx, lliag, slack, loose
Ir. Gael, lar, the ground ; Manx,
laare, ground, floor ; W. llawr,
Corn, ler, floor, ground, earth
Ir. Gael, lua, water ; O. Ir. lus, gl.
ihhe, drink, liquid {O. Ir. G^Z.,101);
Ir. Gael, luis, drink ; lusach,
drinker
W. Hath, rod, wand ; Arm. Zas;,perche,
long baton, gaule ; Ir. ladliar, fork,
prong ; Sans, lata, branch'
W. llan, enclosure ; llawnt, smooth,
rising hill, lawn ; Ir. Gael, lann
for land, enclosure, house, church ;
Corn. Iaw7i, clear, open; W. llaned,
of a level and open surface; Arm.
lanou, waste, level ground
which the vowel has taken
"A, when long, sounds like
' The Sans, lata means also a slender, graceful woman.
5th sek., vol. II. 6
82
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
a in the English words call, fall." (0'Don.,/r. Gram.,
p. 8.)
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Leam, to drop or leap from the hull,
as a ripe filbert or nut (N.), L.
Learn, a drain or water-course in
the fenny districts (N.), S.
Leech, the cuticle or harh of mutton
or beef which remains on the
back or loins of an animal after
it is skinned^ (N.)
Leuf, the palm of the hand (N.), " a
very old word" (Baker) ; 0. N.
lumma, magna et adunca manus
Lick, to beat (N.)
Lowk, id. (L.)
Limb, a virago, a termagant (N.)
Limp, flimsy of texture, as un-
starched linen, or that has lost its
stiffness (N.) ; 0. N. limpiaz, de-
ficere; linqm, limpness, weakness
(Skeat). Not in Halderson's or
Egillson's Dictionary
Listen, to meditate. " What are you
listening on?" (N.)
Lob, to hang down, to droop (N.);
looving, roving idly about (N.)
Loo ! loo ! loo ! a reiterated excla-
mation used to excite dogs to fight,
or to urge greyhounds to the pur-
suit of a hare (N.); commonly
Eloo ! the hunter's cry
Looby, an awkward, clownish fellow
(N.)
CELTIC.
Ir. Gael, leim, a leap, a spring ;
Manx, IJieim, id.; W. Ham, Corn.
lam, a leap, a bound ; in Corn, a
slip, sliding
Ir. Gael, lo, lua, water; leann, liquidj
lean, leana, a swampy meadow
W. llych,a covering; llech, a covert;
llech, a flat surface, a flat stone;
llechfa, lurking-place, covert ; Ir.
leac, a flat stone, a flake; to flay ;
Arm. leach, liach, a stone ; Sans.
lekhana, the bark of a plant
W. Haw, the hand, for llav ; Com.
luef, luf; Arm. lav, lao; Ir. Gael.
lamh ; Manx, lane, id. Probably
connected with Sans, labh, to take
hold of ; Gr. Ac/x/S-ofw. See Fick^,
i, 192
See Lack
W.llym, sharp, keen, severe; Ihmin,
of a sharp or keen quality; Arm.
lemm (for lemb?), sharp, keen,
cutting
0. W. Uimp, soft, smooth ; "W. llipa,
llibin, soft, flaccid; lleipr, flaccid;
Ir. Gael, liomh, to smooth ; Ir.
limbron, smooth ; Sans, lamb, to
fall, lie ; lamba, hanging
Ir. liseaclh, thinking, imagining ;
lisim, I think of, imagine ; Sans.
las, to do anything scientifically
or skilfully (?)
Ir. Gael, tub, to bend, bow down,
incline, curve
W. elu, to go, to move ; ehcch, go ye !
Arm. elo, a kind of poplar with
very mobile leaves
W. llob, a dull feUow, blockhead
' It is a common direction of a butcher to his boy, when skinning a
beast, " Take care you don't spoil the leech." The primary meaning
seems to be that of covering. " En Haut Leon", says Pelletier, "on donne
06 nom (pleach) a certaines grandes pierres plates, un pen elev^es de terre,
sous laquelles on pent etre a couvert." Cf. Sans, lij) (for lik ?), to cover,
spread over.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
83
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Lush, strong drink (L.); lushj, rather
tipsy, fresh (N.)
Machled, spotted (N.); Lat. macula^
Fr. macule
MacJcy, neat, spruce, smart. " He 's
quite a viachy little man (N.) ; Du.
viak, tame, gentle
Mag, a penny (N.) ; meg, id. (Leeds) ;
Fr. mahon, cuivre, medaille de
cuivre (Roq.)
Mag, to prate, to chatter (N.); mag-
ging, disputing (N.), S. ; Fr. 7no-
quer, to deride
Mammered,perplexed, confused (N.),
S.
Mammock, to cut anything waste-
fully into small pieces (N.)
Maunder, to mutter, to grumble (N.) ;
mant, to stammer, to stutter
(Lane.)
Maung'm, the same meaning as maun-
der; 0. N. mogla, murmurare
Metheglin, honey beer, made after
the pure honey is extracted from
the last crushing of the comb (N.),
L.
Midgerum, fat, fat of the intestines
(L.);' midgerum (Lane). Halli-
well has midgerim. Cf . W. rhim,
rhimp, rim, edge, limit
CELTIC.
Ir. Gael. luis=lusi, di'ink, liquid ;
O. Ir. lus, gl. ibhe, drink (0. Ir.
GL, 101); Ir. Gael. Zo, lua, water;
laith, liquid, milk, ale, strong
drink
W. mad, magi, a spot, macula (Dav.) ;
apparently in both senses, spot or
mesh, for magi means a portion
of land, as we say a spot of earth ;
Ir. masla, a spot, for macla (?)
(Foley)
Ir. Gael, mac, clear, bright ; Gael.
macahh, a fair youth, an accom-
plished person ; Sans, makha,
cheerful, lively (Ved.)
Gael. meachainn=mach-in, a half-
penny, gratuity to a servant,
abatement of rent ; Ir. meachain,
an abatement ; meaGan=mac-in,
hire, wages, reward ; prim, mo-
ney (?) ; Ir. Gael, umha, for um-
hag (?), copper. Cf. Sans, ambaka,
id.
Ir. Gael, mag, to scoff, deride, jeer ;
Ir. magar, a word ; macha, scold,
termagant ; Sans, man'h, to speak
Ir. Gael. maoim=mam\, fear, alarm,
surprise ; maom, fear, terror ;
Manx, moandagh, dull, faltering;
Sans, manda, id.
W. man, small, petty, fine; Ir. Gael.
m'ln, small; Manx, minnig, a pinch,
a crumb ; with the Celtic verbal
suffix, -oc or -och
W. mant, jaw, mouth ; mantai for
mantair, a mumbler; Ir. mant, the
gum; muntaire, a lisper; mantach,
lisping, mumbling; Gael, mand, a
lisp, a stammer ; mantair, stam-
merer ; Manx, moandagh, to lisp,
to stammer
W. miongial, to mutter, to murmur
W. meddyghjn, hydromel, a medi-
cinal drink, from meddyg, physi-
cian; Lat. medicus, and llyn, prim,
liquid
Ir. Gael, meadhon, middle, centre ;
ramh-ar, fat, gross, thick
* In the North the form is mugerorn, from W. mrich ; Ir. Gael, muc, a
pig, and ramh-ar, fat. Midgerum may be only a variation of mugerorn.
6«
84
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
Miff, ofFoncc, a slight fit of ill hu-
mour or peevishness (N.), L. ;
Prov. Germ, muff, sulky ; muffen^
to be sulky (Mahn)
I Mhmckinfj, sickly, weakly (N.)
< j]Ji)i'ikin, small, delicate (N.)
( Alinnockin;/, affecting much deli-
cacy, aping fine manners (N.)
Moil, to labour, to toil wearisomely
(N.)
Ir. Gael, miahhan (iniv), ill humour,
a megrim
See Mammock
Ir. Gael, m/iol ; Manx, mryl, a ser-
vant; Arm. mael, servant d'armes;
W. mael, work. Cf . Ir. Gael, modh,
mocjh, slave, labourer, which, with
-al, become mndhal, mofjhal, to
act as a slave ; a vowel-flanked d
or g being often silent in Celtic,
g being represented by i
From 0. Fr. moiller, to wet, to moisten : the original
meaning was to soften. (Skeat.)
Mommered, puzzled, perplexed, be-
wildered. " He was so mommered
he couldn't speak" (N.), fright-
ened (?)
Mop, a fair at which servants are
hired (N.), L. ; commonly a broom^
See Mamm^red
Mopus, money. " Have you got any
mopusesf (N.) In Lincolnshire
mawpuses
Gael, mob, anything rough, as tuft,
mop, mob, disorder ; mohag, a
rough -haired girl ; mohamn, to
handle roughly ; W. mapiol, a mop;
Ir. moipal, id. ; Gael, moibeal, a
broom
From mag (g. v.), a penny, whicli
with the case-form becomes via-
gas, whence, by a regular Celtic
variation, mapas, and afterwards
maupas and mopus
For the change from a primitive c (k) to p, see Kuhn's
Zeits, viii, 35 ; for that of a into au or o, see Zeiiss^,
17, and O'Donovan's /r. Gram., 8. The ancient Britons
had coined money in gold, silver, brass, and tin. Of
this last form we have a reminiscence in the slang
phrase, " How are you off for tin f' See Evans, Coins
of the Ancient Britons, p. 123.
Mart, a great quantity or number W. maicr, mor; Ir. Gael, mor, great,
(N.), L.; O. N. margr, multus large, W. ; W. maivredd, great-
ness ; Ir. moradh, augmentation ;
Sans, mahas, greatness, abundance
Mospsf. To say vjoses is to make a W. mmvs=mds, pleasure, delight,
matrimonial offer (N.) pleasant, sweet ; mawsi, to be
sweet, give pleasure
As nieaning a broom, probably from O. Fr. mappe, napkin (Skeat).
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
85
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Mozy, shaggy, covered with hair
(N.),L.
Mozy, tainted, musty, beginning to
decay (L.)
Mudgins, the fat about the intestines
of a pig (L.)
CELTIC.
Ir. Gael, mosach, rough, bristly
W. mws, stinking, rank; Arm. moues,
humide, un peu mouille
Ir. Gael, muc, W. moch, a pig ; cen,
cin (in comp. gin), a skin, a sur-
face ; Ir. Gael. (^s)gann, a mem-
brane
The d in mudgins seems only to strengthen the g, as
we have judge from Fr. juge ; but if it be organic, cf.
Ir. meath, Sans, meda, fat. In this case, however, it is
difficult to account for the change of vowel. The final
s denotes probably a case-form, -ginis.
Mug, the face. Ugly-mug is a com-
mon nick-name (L.)
Mug, a cup for liquor (N.) ; Sw.
mugg, a mug (Skeat). Not in
Widegren or D;ihnert
Muggy, damp with warmth, hazy
(N.); 0. N. mugga, caligo pluvia
V. nivalis
Muggy, the white-throat, Motacilla
Sylvia (N.)
Ir. muig (jnugi), a surly face ; Gael-
(s)muig, a snout, (in derision) face;
Sans, mukha, face
Ir. mugan, a mug ; mucog, a cup, a
hip (berry) : Ir. mogal, mogul, a
globe, a husk
W. mioci, fog; mwg, smoke; mwygl,
sultry, tepid ; Ir. much, smoke
W. much, gloom ; muchiad, darken-
ing, blackening ; mivg. Arm. nid-
ged, smoke
Its general colour is a rusty gray with blackish wings.
Mull, to rub, to grind, as paint (L.);
O. N. mylia, to bruise
J/u/Zoct, dirt, rubbish, refuse, sweep-
ings (N.) ; Du. mollem, violm,
mouldering stuff
W. malu. Arm. mala, to bruise, to
grind
W. miolwch, miolog (moolog), refuse,
sweepings, filth ; imvl, chaff, re-
fuse ; Ir. Gael. 7710II, dust, refuse ;
mollach, rough, ragged; muilleach
=muUec, a puddle
Primarily a mining term; W. mwn-
dill, a ladle, a stirrer; from vixmi,
ore, and dilu, to work
W. mwngial, to murmur
See 3Iuggy
W. maen=mani, stone, and tyn,
stretched (?)
Prof. Skeat connects midlion with munnion, &t\\\ used
in Dorset, and the latter with Fr. 7noignon, a stump,
the blunt end of a thing ; but this will not explain the
word muntin. The change of short a to u is common
in Sanskrit and Celtic.
Mundle, a wooden instrument used
for washing potatoes, etc. (L.)
Mungel, to murmur (L.) ; 0. N. mog-
la, to murmur
Mungy, sultry, hot
Muntin, the stone mullion of a win-
dow (N.)
86
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Mupped^ crowded, inconvenienced
for want of room (N.)
Mask. To send pigs to mmk is to
send them to pick up stray corn
after harvest (N.) Prim, it meant
to send them to the wood to pick
up acorns ; A.-S. m^ste, food,
acorns
Nab, the head (N.); 7ioh, id. (N.);
iiobhT/, a lump of anything (N.);
Du. kno}), O. N. kncqyj^i', knob,
globulus
Nackling, striking one hard sub-
stance against another (N.); A.-S.
cmician, to knock. "Borrowed
from Celtic." (Skeat)
Nan, what did you say ? (N.), S.
Naunt, to bridle up (L.)
Nauntle, to hold yourself erect (N.)
Natty, spruce, smart, neat (N.)
Nitle, neat, handsome (L.); Prov.
Sw. 7iytli, pleasant, savoury, use-
ful, from njota, to be of use ; Fr.
net
Neddy, a simpleton (N.) ; sometimes
noddy, Fr. naud'in, a simpleton
Newk, corner, angle (N.) ; O. N.
hnocM, a hook
Nick ! Nick ! the cry of a boy when
obliged to leave a game^ (N.)
Nickled, beaten down, as corn by a
violent wind (N.)
Ni7nm, 7iim, to fidget. " Doont ye
nim soo"; used of one playing the
Devil's tattoo, tapping his foot, or
swinging one leg over the other
(L.)
Noggi)!, a short, thick lump (N.); a
small drinking horn (N.); a small
drinking ve ssel (L.); Germ, knock-
en, knot, bunch
Nor, than (N.)
Nub, a knob (N.)
Nubbin,^ the stump or stock of a tree
See 3fop
CELTIC.
W., Corn, mes, acorns, food; Ir.
Gael. measg=masgi, an acorn ;
vieas, tree-fruit, especially acorns;
Arm. 7)iesa, garder les bestiaux au
paturage ; rather, to feed them
W., Ir., cnap, knob, boss, a round
thing ; Ir. cnaijnn, a lump of any-
thing
Ir. cnag, Gael, cnac, to knock, crash;
W. cnoc, a blow; cnocellu, to tap,
to peck
W. nan, what now ? Gael, nann, an
interrogative particle^
W. nawni, to raise or hold up ; uni-
aioni, to straighten
W. nith, clean, pure ; Arm. neat=
nati, neat, comely (net, propre) ;
Lat. nitidus
Ir. Gael, naoidhe, babe, infant (?)
Ir. Gael, niuc^nuki, a corner
W. nyclia ! Lo ! behold !
W. cnic, a rap, a blow ; cnicell, a
striker. See Nackling
W. mi-yf=nem, vivacity, animal
spirits ; mcyfo, to grow lively or
wanton ; Arm. n'lnra, chagriner,
s'inquieter, i.e., to be restless or
uneasy
W. cnwc, lump, knob, boss ; cnycyn,
pron. cnucyn, a knob ; Ir. Gael.
noigean, noigin=nogin, a mug, a
small cup : hence nugget, which
has a Celtic suffix
O. W. noj", than ; Arm, na for nar
W. cmcb, knob [cnybyn, pron. cnu-
bin, a single knob] ; Ir. Gael, cnaj).
1 See Arch. Camb., April 1881, p. 96.
2 A more common form is nix, but nick is nearer the W. nycha. The
player calls upon his adversary to take notice that he is obliged to leave
the game for a time. For nix, see Arch. Camb., Jan. 1883. p. 11. Miss
Baker thinks that St. Nicholas is appealed to, as he is the patron saint of
boys.
3 The form, nubb-in, is Celtic. It means a single lump. Cf. W. hesg.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
87
ANGLO-CELTIC.
after it has been cut down (L.);
Germ, knopf^ knob, button, head ;
Dan. knap, small ball, boss ; Sw.
knubb, a short block
Nuddle, to nestle, to fondle (N.);
Lat. nidus, nest
Nunting, curtailed in dimensions, so
as to have an appearance of scanti-
ness and meanness (N.); Prov.
Sw. niitta, a little maid
q/',2 a fool, a blockhead (L.), a
clownish rustic (Sal.); also aiifia
med. Eng.; A.-S. (elf, fairy, elf
(Skeat)
Offling, a feeble, shufi&ing gait (N.);
Du. hobbelen, to toss on the water,
to stutter (Skeat)
Omj/, mellow, applied to land (N.)
Otchil,^ hole, lurking-place
Pack, heap, quantity, number. A
genuine Celtic word. The Dan.
packe, Germ, pack, are borrowed
Pad,, a fox's foot, sporting term
(N.), V. to travel on foot (N.);
Lat. p>es (j)eds), foot
Pads, peds, open panniers (N.)
CELTIC.
knob, boss; cnapan, a small knob,
hillock ; W. cjiapan, a round mass
or knob
W. nyth, Corn, noth, Arm. nytli, Ir.
nead, a nest ; W. nythu, to form a
nest, to nestle [_nythal, pron. nu-
ihal, to nestle] ; Sans, nlda, nest,
lair^
Ir. nainan, a dwarf (?); Lat. nanus
W. of, Ir. Gael, omh (of), raw, rude;
am, amh (pron. dv'), fool, simple-
ton; Manx, aiv (av), raw; awane,
a silly fellow
W. hobelu, to hobble, to move as a
bird, subsultare (Dav.); hobel, a
bird
Ir. Gael, omh, amh, raw, unsodden;
prim, moist, soft; W. of, raw; of-
aidd for omaidd, crumbling; of-
awd, mouldering
W. achel, hole, hiding-place
Ir. Gael, pac, paca, pack, a mob ;
Arm. 2iak, assemblage of things ;
paka, to pack, also to seize; Sans.
^;as', to bind; paksh, to seize, take
a part ; paksha, side, troop, num-
ber of adherents
Ir. ^jaiit, W. 2^^d, foot ; Sans, pad,
foot
Ir. 2^cita, a vessel; padhal, pail, ewer;
Sans, patra, vessel, jar ; puta,
cup, vessel
sedge ; hesgen, a single rush ; caws, cheese ; cosyn, a single cheese ; plant,
children ; j^l^nfyn, a child.
^ The Sanskrit 7ilda is probably for nista^=ni sta, for stha, to dwell. The
W. nyth represents, then, an older nista, which became 7ilta ; and the
vowel-flanked t becoming aspirated, nytha, nyth. The retention of the
primitive t is an argument for the Aryan, not Roman, origin of the W.
nyth ; but the y must have changed to the u sound before the Saxon in-
vasion.
2 The changeling supposed to be left by fairies was puny and sickly ;
but in Lancashire and Shropshire the oaf was a large, heavy, coarse man,
a "clownish rustic" in the language of Miss Jackson. He was certainly
stupid, but clownishness was his chief feature. In The Slang Dictionary
(1874) an o«/is said to be " a lumbering, awkward fellow". This describes
the Lancashire, and I presume the Leicestershire, oaf.
^ I find that this word is used in Nottinghamshire, a neighbouring
county. It belongs, therefore, only presumably to Northamptonshire.
88
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANGLO-CELTIC,
Paddle^ a plough-spud to clean the
plough (N.); Lat. spatula
Paid, beat. " I've paid him well"
(N.)
Panne! , a pad with a ridge before
and behind to carry calves (N.);
Fr. panneau,a, pannel; O. Fr.^;a?t-
nel
Pattikeys, the seed-vessels of the
ash (N.)
(Peak,peakinff, weak, languid, nip-
•< ped, sharp-featured (N.)
(Piked, pointed, as a piked stick
(N.); Fr. pic, a peak
Peark, said to be a var. of peart; but
peark has more reference to
form, and ^5mr< to speech, though
not exclusively. To j)ei'k oneself
up is to adorn (H.)
Peart, lively, brisk, impudent (L.)
CELTIC.
Jr. Gael, spadal, a plough-stafiP; spad,
a flap; W. yspawd, a blade; yspo-
dol, spattle
W. piJiyyo=peo, to beat, to bang
W. pannel, a thick matting of straw,
cushion of a pack-saddle ; pan,
down, fur; Arm. ^;a?«wcZ, a cushion
W. pitw, small ; cae, inclosure
W. pig (pic), a sharp point ; Arm.
pik, id.; Jr. Gael, jwac, any sharp-
pointed thing, a long tail
W. 2Krc, trim, neat, compact ; Arm.
pergen, propre, net, pur, poli; W.
per, sweet, pleasant
W. ];>ert, smart, saucy, pert ; herth,
fair, neat ; Arm. p)ilt for purl,
sharp, biting
W. picio, to cast, to throw
W. pegiim, pin, spindle ; pegor, peg,
pivot ; W. pig, Corn, peg, sharp
point, prick
Jr. Gael. ^jcaZZ (for peltaf), skin,
hide ; Lat. j^ellis^
'W.pen,head, top, summit; lie, place;
penile, the top-place, summit
W. paffio, to bang, to buffet
Peck, to throw, to vomit (L.)
Peggens, children's teeth (N.)
!Pelt, the skin of a slaughtered
animal, esp. a sheep's skin (N.)
Pilch, a ilannel wrapper; formerly
a mantle made of skins (N.)
Pendle-stone, a name given by quar-
rymen to the upper course in a
stone-pit (N.)
Pevy, to pelt. " He pevy''d him well"
(N.)
The W. Jpciffio seems to be connected with the curious
Northamptonshire word ])Gps, to throw at, or rather to
beat down, to cause to fall. A market-woman said, " I
was obliged to get the plums before they were ripe, the
boys 2^(-'ps'(-l 'em down so." A Greek scholar will be
reminded of Gr. TriTrra), which Fick corrects with Sans.
pat, to fall, descend. Cf. Sans, j^'iisat for pij^tsat, a de-
siderative form, but meaning " habitually falling down".
Arm. Jilip, passercau
Phillip, the sparrow, Fringilla do-
mestica (N.)
Pick, to throw, to cast (N.), L. See
Peck
W. picio, to throw, to fling
^ The Latin pelliti shows that the Prov. Sw. pels, skin, must be borrowed.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
89
ANGLO-CELTIC.
P'lch, a sharp point, a prong (N.)
Ficken, to sharpen (N.); ^jecZ:, short
stubble (N.) ; Fr. ^«c, a peak ;
O. N. pikka, A.-S. pycan, pun-
gere
Piddle, to trifle with one's food, eat
daintily without appetite (L.), to
do any light work (Glouc.)
Pirjgin, a small cylindrical vessel
formed of staves, one longer than
the rest serving as a handle (N.)
P'lghtle, intle, a small inclosure at
the back of a cottage (N.)
(Pike, a piece of land running to
-} a point (N.)
{Pikell, a two-pronged fork (N.)
Pile, to take off the awns of thrashed
barley (L., M.,N.); j^«/es, the awns
of barley (N.) ; Fr. peler, to peel
off ; Prov. Sw. ^^^eZa, to peel off
(borrowed)
Pill, skin, bark; v. to peel (N.), L.
P'lnglc, a clump of trees or under-
wood not large enough for a spin-
ney (N.) ; pimgled, shrivelled (N.)
Pink, Spink, the chaffinch, Tringilla
coelebs (N.), L.
Pinnock, to take out the feathers of
a bird to prevent flight (N.)
f Pm'Z, a term applied to a top when
J it revolves very rapidly. "It
I pirls well" (N.)
l^Purl, to bring the cotton from
the back to the front of the
knitting pin (N.)
Pit, a pond (L.); A.-8.pi/tt, pit, well;
Lat. puteus, a well (Skeat)
CELTIC.
W. pig (for pic), a sharp point ; Ir.
Gael, peac, id.; W. picell, dart,
javelin; Arm. ;jiX"a, piquer, percer;
pigel, houe, hoyau
W. ptitw, small, minute; Arm. pitoul,
delicate
"W. p)icyn, Ir. piiQin, Manx, inggyn, a
wooden vessel with a handle, from
pic, a sharp point
W. pitw, small ; lie, in comp. le, place
See Pick
W. pilio, to strip, to make bare ;
Arm. pila, broyer, f rapper
W. pit, paring, rind
W. pivng, mass, cluster (^pyngell,
little cluster) ; Sans, punga, puga,^
heap, mass, quantity
W. 2^inc, gay, fine ; pincyn, what is
gay or smart, a finch
A Celtic verbal form {see Bommock);
W. pin, a pen, a stile ; Ir. Gael.
pnnne, a peg; Manx, pi?m, a stake,
a pin of wood
Gael, piurn, a pirn, a reed to wind
yarn on ; piridh, top, whirligig ;
Corn, pyr, round; Ir. Gael, piorra,
a squall: prim, a whirling wind^
Ir. Gael.^^i/, a hollow, a dyke ; Manx,
pitt, pudendum muliebre, a pit.
Is the first meaning a hollow or
water ? Cf . Sans, pita, soaked ; pi,
to drink; pltha, water
If the A.-S. pytt is related to Lat. iiuteus, it must be a
borrowed word.
^ The Sans, piniga, in connection with W. p<"«5', is sufficient to show
that the theory of a total loss of a primitive p in Welsh or Irish is quite
untenable.
2 Jamieson has •'■jnrl, to twist, to twine", -al is a Celtic verbal form-
ative. Shakespeare has the word. " From his lips did fly thin, winding
breath which, jmrled up to the sky". (Lucr., 1407.)
90
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANCJLO-CELTIC.
Plache.t, the open part or slit in a
gown or petticoat, before or be-
hind (N.); the part that folds
down
Plowding, wading and splashing
through thick and thin (N.)
Poach, to impress pasture-land by
the feet of cattle (N.); Fr. pocher,
to push or dig out with the fin-
gers
Pod, to go. "Pod into the parlour"
(L.)
Poke, to push, to thrust (N.) ; Germ.
pochen, to beat
Poke, a bag (N.);' A.-S. pocca, 0. N.
2)oki, a bag. Cf. Poochin, a wicker
eel- trap (Sal.)
Poll, a hard, driving blow (N.), L. ;
Sw. bulta, to strike ; Lat. pultare,
to beat
iPoomer, anything very large (N.)
(Pommel, the ends which project
at the back of a cart (N.); O.
Fr. pomel, a boss
!Poothy, close and hot, applied to
the weather (K), S.
Pothery, hot, close, muggy (N.)
Pooty, a snaU-shell (N.), S.
Pother, to puff as a person after vio-
lent exercise. "A jist did imther
some" (N.), S.
Pouchy, sullen, sulky (N.)
Poult, a blow on the head (N.)
Pncj, to steal (N.), L.
Prog, to prick, to poke into holes
s. a short, pointed stick (N.)
Proke, to stir the fire (N.)
Proggle, a goad (N.)
CELTIC.
W.plygedd, a folding ; j^^l/ff, a bend or
fold(2}lygedd=2)luged, ?/=Eng.w) ;
Arm. j?5^er/a, plier, courber, ployer;
2}legadur, pliage; Lat. p/i^a
Jr. Gael, jdod, a pool ; 2^lodacIi,, pud-
dle, mire ; plodanachd, paddling in
water ; Manx, plod, pool ; plodey,
to float
Arm. 2}uka, f aire impression, en pe-
sant sur un corps mou ; Jr. Gael.
2wc, a blow
See Pad
Jr. poc, a blow ; Gael. ^)wc, to push,
to jostle ; Corn. 2^o<^i a push, a
shove ; Arm. peiika, to butt, push,
press
Ir. jjoc, Gael, poca, a bag. The root
is the Ir. hoc, poc, to swell : hence
Ir. 2}oicin, a round-bellied man ;
2mcoid, a pustule ; pucadh, swell-
ing or puffing up; Sans, pa, wind;
2MJra, fat, corpulent
Ir. Gael. ^j«Z^ta(/, j^jaZ/tor/, a blow ;
Manx, 2^oalt, 23olt, a blow, especi-
ally on the head ; 2^oUeyr, a
thumper
W.picm (poom),pwm2J, a round mass
or lump ; piom2')l, a knob, a boss ;
Sans. p7«, to collect or heap toge-
ther
W. poeth, hot, burning; Arm. p)oaza,
to burn, to cook
W. pwt, any short thing ; 2nvten, a
squabby female ; prim, small, or
short and round
W. 2^oth, pothan, what bulges out, a
boss ; iJothellu, to puff up
W. ^jMc/i, a sigh; 2^ucMol, sighing. If
from 2^ont, this is Celtic ; W. ^JiwZw
(^p)iotii\ to be sullen, to pout ;_ptt5-
tio, to thrust out the lip (Skeat)
See Polt
Ir. Gael. 2^'>'S(i(^h, to seize, lay hold
of (?)
W. proc, a thrust, a drive ; procio, to
thrust, to stab
^ Prof. Skeat admits that 2^oke, in each sense, is of Celtic origin.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER. 91
ANGLO-CELTIC. CELTIC.
Prog, food, provision (N.); Mid. E. Manx, x>roghan, bread steeped in
prokken, to beg. The noun from buttermilk, a stufl&ng ; broghan,
the verb (Skeat) pottage ; Ir. Gael, brochan, pot-
tage ; Gael, priogliain =pi-ogin,
choice food; y^.iJry^tovpryg^fooA;
Corn, bruha, for brugha, pottage ;
Ir. brachtan, wheat
Proud, projecting, extending, swol- Perhaps connected with W. pledru
len. " That lock 's a deal prouder for predru, to stretch or extend
on one side than the other" (L.) out; Sans. ^:wi;/j, to extend ; pra-
tan, to extend, stretch out
Prof. Skeat says (s. v. 2^'i'oud) that the root is unknown.
May not the root-idea be extension or projecting, as in
the Leic. word ? Cf. Ir. |)r^i^c?^?^, an upstart poet.
Pughe has prad, a gentle spread, and pryd, time.
Puddle, thick, dirty, stagnant water Ir. Gael, plodan, a small pool ; plod,
(N.) a pool, standing water ; plodach,
puddle, mire (Skeat) ; Manx, plod,
pool
Puddle, to poke, to push (N.) ; punt, W.pwtiOjto push, thrust, poke; Arm.
to push with force (N.) bunta, to thrust, push, repel; j^ou-
ta, to push
( Puddock, a species of kite (N.) W. pivt, any short thing ; pwten, a
\ Puddy, 2^^'^'i9yi short, thick-set squabby female; pwtog, short and
(L.) ; Prov. Sw. putte, a little thick; Sans. ^w«, to be small
thing
Pug, to crowd (N.). " The two fa- W. i^wg, what pushes or swells out
milies live ^jM</^in^ together" (?) Cf. Sans, ^w^a, jijwn^tt, heap,
multitude ; W. pwngu, to mass,
cluster
Pugs, the chaff of small seeds (N.) Gael, puicean, Ir. puicin (pucin),
Puggens, the husks of barley (N.) covering, veil ; Ir. Gael, pocan, a
little bag or pouch
Puggy, damp from perspiration (N.) Ir. Gael, bog, soft, moist ; bogach,
soft, wet, a marsh
Pummel, to beat with the fist (N.) W. pwmp, a thump ; pwmpio, to
thump, to bang ; p-wm^tl, knob,
boss
Pun, to pound, to beat (N.) ; Prov. W. p^onio, to beat, to thump ; Arm.
Sw. punna, to beat with the hand bunta, to butt, strike against
Pun, a slow, inactive person (N.) Arm. x>ouner, heavy, dull ; W. picn,
a load
Punt, to push with force (N.) See Bunt
Purr-appAe, cone of the Scotch fir W. pyr, the fir-tree
(N.)
Quail, to curdle, coagulate (N.); Fr. W. ceido, to curdle
cailler, to curdle
Queegle. to swing backwards, crouch- W. cJnviongl, a sudden turn; chwylo,
ing down on the heels (L.) to turn, revolve
92
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANGLO-CICr.TIC.
Quihhlinr/^ an attempt to deceive, a
subtle evasion (N.)
Quiddle, to suck as a child sucks its
thumb (N.), L.
Quilt, to beat (N.)
QuirJcinrj, quick turning (N.); qmrk,
to question, draw one out; Germ.
zioerchy awry
Quob, to throb, to palpitate (L.);
prim, to beat ; Low Germ, quah-
beln, to waddle
Race, the heart, liver, and lights of
a calf (N.). It is applied to them
in their totality as a row or mass.
Prov. Sw. ras (pron. rose), rank,
file, line. The proper Sw. word
is rad
Rag, a whetstone for a scythe, from
being made of the stone called
Weldon rag (N.)
Ramp, a technical term for the slope
between a higher and a lower wall
(N.)
Ramping, coarse and large ; used
most to wild, luxuriant vegetable
growth (N.) ; O. Fr. ramjjer, to
climb
Randan, a name given to ground
corn after the second sifting (N.)
Raum, to reach with an effort after
a thing, to stretch after (L.)
CKLTIC.
W. chivip, a quick flirt or turn ;
girAhl, an abrupt turn, an eccentric
course, a quirk ; gvnh, a quick,
sudden motion; Ir. cuiiAe^, fraud,
deceit
W. chxind, a quick turn ; ehzvido, to
move quickly ; chioidro, id.
Jr. cuilse, a beating ; probably from
cuilc, a reed ; as we say, to cane a
man
W. chic'ired, a sudden start or turn ;
craft, cunning ; chwyrn, quick,
nimble; Gael, cuireid, a turn, wile,
trick
W. chwap, a blow, a stroke; chicapio,
to strike smartly
W. rhes=rasi, row, rank, line ; Arm.
reiz, id.; Sans, ras'i, heap, group,
series
A corrupt form of crag, W. crag, Jr.
Gael, craig, stone, rock
W. rhamp, a running or reaching
out; rham, a reaching out; rhamu,
to rise up or over, to soar ; rhem-
p\o, to run to an extreme ; Arm.
rampa, glisser en ecartant les
deux jambes ; Gael, rama'ir, a
romp, a coarse, vulgar fellow
W. rhan, part, division, and dain
(dani), fine, delicate (?)
See Ramp
The diphthongal sound is a regular Celtic mutation of
d. Cf. caivm, to curvet (Leeds) ; W. camu.
Rathes, rath'mg, the movable rails Gael, rath, W. rhaiod, raft, float
round a wagon (N.)
In Craven it is the frame added to a wagon for the
purpose of carrying hay or straw.
RaunpiJccd, said of an old oak that W. rhawn=^'aun. Arm. reun, long,
has the stumps of boughs stand- coarse hair ; W. pig (pik), sharp
ing out of its top (L.), M. point, top
Not for raven-piked, as Mr. Marshall supposes, for that
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
93
gives no sense. The small shoots that grow in such a
position are not unlike hairs.
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Raves, the same as Rathes (N.)
CELTIC.
May be only an accidental variation ;
but cf. Ir. Gael, ramh, branch,
bough
Ret, the growth of weeds in a pond Ir. 7-od, sea- weed ; Gael. 7-dd, weed
or river (L.) cast on shore
Probably rati or roti at first, then by a well known law
reti and ret.
Riddle, a large, coarse sieve (L.);
Germ, rddel, a riddle, a little wheel
Rolloch, to romp about rudely (N.) ;
O. Fr. roler, to roll
Rommack, to play and romp about
boisterously (N.)
Romps, rude, boisterous play (N.)
Rost, hurry, bustle (L.)
Rosty, impatient, hasty (L.)
Rounce, to bounce, to move uneasily
(L.)
Rout, fuss, bustle, stir (N.)
Rub, an indirect reproof (N.)
Rum, odd, queer (N.); common
Runt, runty, a dwarfish person (N.) ;
a breed of short-legged oxen :
hence a short, stout, stunted per-
son (L.) ; Du. rund, bullock, ox
W. rJiidyll, Arm. 7'idel, a sieve ; W.
rhidio, to drain ; rhid, a drain ;
Corn, ridar, Ir. Gael, rideal, a
riddle; San. rit, moving, flowing
W. rholio,to roll; Ir. rolaim, I roll;
with a common Celtic suffix
See Ramp
Arm. rust, rude, violent, brusk; rus-
tu, restive ; W. rhys, a rushing ;
rhysedd (?/ = Eng. u), a rush, a vio-
lent course
W. rhont, a frisk ; rhontio, to frisk
W. rhawter, a tumultuous rout ;
rhaiotio, to hurry on ; rhawnt,
vigour, spirit, activity
W. rhwb, a rub, a chafe ; Ir. Gael.
rubh, rubha, a wound ; rubadh,
friction ; ruboir, a rubber
In Scotland it means excellent (Ja-
mieson); as a slang word, "any-
thing large, good, or strong"
(Slang Diet, by Bee, 1823) ; for-
merly " gallant, fine, rich" (BaUey,
1776) ; rum cull=rich. fool; ruin
bung, a full purse ; rum bleating-
cheat, a very fat wether. This
last is the primitive meaning. Ir.
Gael. ramh-ar,iat;^ raimhe^rami,
fatness ; with the Celtic pronun-
ciation of short a
Manx, runtag, a round lump of a
thing ; Ir. Gael, ron, strong, fat,
gross
^ In slang language fat means rich. The idea of eccentricity seems to
have arisen from the independence of a rich state. A rich man may in-
dulge in whims.
94
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANOLO-CELTIC.
Sad, heavy, as brcafl that is not pro-
perly leavened (N.), L.
Sags, segs, rushes, reeds (N.), L.;
A.-S. secg, sedge, reed
Sale. " The proprietors of the un-
derwood are empowered, by the
ancient laws of the forest, to fence
in each part or sale as soon as it
is cut." (Britten, p. 117)
A.-S. seel, time, occasion. A borrowed word{?). It does
not refer to space.
CELTIC.
W. sad, firm, solid ; Manx, sod, id.;
Jr. sodaii, a dumpy (O'Don.)
Ir. Gael. spasg^ = sesga, sedge or hur-
reed ; W. hesg, rushes ; hesgen, a
single rush
Ir. Gael, seal, a while, space of time,
distance, course ; Sans, sel, sal, to
go, to move
Sammy, a term of endearment, a
favourite. " He 's quite saminif
(N.). In Shropshire it means a
fool. Corn that is soft, and will
not grind freely, is said to be
sammy
Sap, a silly fellow, weak in intellect
(N.)
Saioney, a silly, half-witted person
(N.)
Scald, to boil slightly (N.); scald, to
scorch (Norf.); 0. Fr. escalder, to
warm; Lat. excaldare, to wash in
warm water (Skeat)
Scale, to disperse, to scatter (N.);
A.-S. scylan, to distinguish, sepa-
rate, divide
Scamp, a worthless, unprincipled
fellow (N.); Ital. scamjjare, to es-
cape, shift away (Skeat)
Scome, a mantel- piece (N.)
Scotch, to dock or curtail (N.), L.
Ir. Gael, sarnh, samhach, pleasant,
quiet. Sometimes used unfavour-
ably, as samachan, a soft, quiet
person ; samach, quiet, soft
Ir. Gael, saobh^sapa, silly, foolish
W. san, a maze ; sanol, amazed, stu-
pefied; synnu, to wonder
Ix. Gael, seal, to burn, to scorch ;
gal, heat ; Ir. sgoll (for sgold),
Manx, scoaldey, to burn, to scald;
Arm. skaot (for skrilt), brulure
causee par I'eau ; skaota, bruler
Ir. Gael, scaoil, sgaoil, to spread,
disperse, scatter ; scaol, flight ;
Manx, skeayl, to spread, to scat-
ter ; W. chwalu, to spread, dis-
perse
Arm. skoemp, skoem, a knave, a
swindler (Rev. Celt., iv, 166) ; Ir.
scambhnn,^ a, roguish trick, a vil-
lainous deed; scanili, a wry mouth;
Gael, seamhan, a villainous per-
son, a term of great reproach ;
Manx, scammylt, a reproach
Probably connected with Ir. Gael.
sgonn (pron. scone), a block of
wood
Ir. Gael, sgoth, sgatJi, to cut, to lop;
Gael, sgoch, to cut ; W. cytio, to
cut, cut off ; ctrta, short ; Sans.
skhad, to cut, lop
' Seasg means also dry, barren. The root is the Sans, s'ush, to dry, dry
up ; and from it is formed s'ushka, dry, barren. Seasg is = saski. It is a
genuine Celtic word.
2 The root is cam, crooked, awry, perverse.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
95
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Scrab, to scratch (N.) ; scrabble, to
scratch, as dogs at a rabbit-hole
(L.)
Scribing -iron, a tool for branding or
marking trees (N.); Lat. scribo, to
scratch, engrave, write ; O. N.
skrapa, Du. schrapen^ to scrape
Scrim, crim (Hall), a small bit of
any edible (N.); A.-S. scrimnian,
to dry, wither
Scroot, a weak, sickly child. " A poor
little scroot" (N.)
CELTIC.
Ix". Gael. s[/riob, scriob, a scratch, fur-
row;' to scratch, engrave; Manx,
screeb, a scratch, a graze; W. cra-
fu (for crabu), to scratch ; craf,
claws, talons; cribo, to comb; Arm.
krafa, to scratch, engrave
Ir. Gael, crimog, a bit, a morsel ;
Manx, cramman, a fragment, a
piece
Ir. Gael, sgruit, any lean creature;
sgrut, send, a mean, contemptible
person; W. crwtyn, a little, dumpy
fellow
Prov. Sw. skruten, feeble from age, frail. The W. root
criut, seems to show that the Sw. shruten is borrowed,
as many Swedish provincial words are.
Scuff, scuft, nape of the neck (N.)
Scug, a pet name for a squirrel (N.)
Scuttucl', a little bit, of the lowest
value (N.)
Seam, the best lard (L.); Germ, seim,
thick, glutinous slime
Secket, a term of reproach for a child
(N.); Lat. siccus
Segg, a castrated bull (L.)
Sess, a kind of peat turf (N.)
ShammiJig, counterfeiting (N.)
Shindy, a spree, a row (N.). It is the
name of a rough game played
with curved sticks and a knob or
knur of wood. This knur and the
game itself are called shindy
W. gioddf, the neck ; Arm. gouzouk,
neck, throat
Ir. Gael, eosog, a squirrel; probably
for eascog, connected with easgna-
im, I climb, ascend ; easgnaidh,
nimble. E is a frequent prefix in
Celtic. Cf. W. efryd=e+bryd
Ir. Gael, cutach ; Manx, skuttagh,
short ; W. civta, short ; cyiio, to
cut, curtail ; Sans, kut, to cleave,
divide
W. seim, fat, grease; Arm. soa, soav
=soam; in the ninth century,
suif=sem, fat, lard ; Corn, seiin,
train-oil
Ir. Gael, sioc, seac, dry, dried up;
siocair^, a little, contemptible crea-
ture ; seacta, secta, dried up
Ir. segh, ox, buffalo (Cormack, p. 41),
or sioc, W. sych, dry; Ir. seasg, dry
Probably connected with Ir. Gael.
seasg, (1), dry; (2), sedge_
W. siom (shorn), a void, deceit, seem-
ing to be when there is nothing ;
sio77ii, to balk, deceive; Gael. sio??ia-
guad (deceit-word), evasion,, pre-
tence
Ir. Gael, sine, sinne (tor sinde), what
is round, a teat, a ball or knot of
wood; Manx, shinney (tor shinteij),
id.
' The primitive meaning of the Lat. scribo. The first writing was with
a style or graver.
96 CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS, ETC.
ANGLO-CELTIC. CELTIC.
5/tir7(;, to twist about in your clothes, W.trrcu, to jerk, to twist; <e?-c, a
as when the skin is irritable (N.) jerk
In some parts of Ireland, t before a vowel "is pronounced
sibilantly". (O'Don., p. 39.)
Shommacks (iov ahommack-efi), a slip- Gael, sgonnach, lumpish, coarse,
shod, untidy slattern (N.); Germ. shapeless, rude
schaumig, frothy
The termination -s, for -es, is Celtic. Cf. W. dyn, man ;
dynes, woman.
Shoddy, the waste in worsted mills W. sothach, dregs, refuse
(L.)
What is shed or separated in spinning wool; A.-S. scea-
dan. (Skeat.) Shoddy is made by " tearing into fibres
refuse woollen goods". (Webster.)
Shoo! used to drive poultry or scare W. siw (pron. shoo), similarly used
. birds (N.)
O. Fr. chou, id., an old Armoric word still used. {Eev.
Celt., iv, 148.)
Shoi-ry, a large stick on which hedg- Corn, skoren, branch, stake ; W. ys-
ers carry fagots (N.) gvjr^sL-our, ysgyren=skuren, id.;
Arm. skourr, id.
Shrud, shruddy, grave, stern (N.) W. ysgrad=scrad, rigid, stiff
Sometimes appears in slang as shirty,
Shiiff, a quick gust of wind (N.) W. chicaff,^ a quick gust
Sidder, light, loose, friable ; applied W. sitr, what jags or shreds (P.); si-
to soil that breaks up readUy (L.) trachu, to jag, to shred ; sittrach,
lacinise (Dav.)
^ The Welsh chw represents an older sic. Cf . Sans, svid, to sweat ; W.
chtvysu.
{To be continued.)
rclm^ffl0jgia d^ambr^usiH.
FIFTH SERIES.— VOL. II, NO. VIL
JULY 1885.
THE CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTIC
WORDS OF THE COUNTIES OF NORTH-
AMPTON AND LEICESTER
(Continued from p. 96.)
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Sizzle, to dry and shrivel up by the
fire; formed from the sound pro-
duced by the action of heat on
greasy substances (N.). Properly
it means to crackle^
SLeg, the wild damson (N.), S.
Skelper, a tall, lanky youth (L.)
Skerry, sJcerrig, the thin, grey bands
(of stone) found in the red brick-
earth near Bosworth (L.)
Skid, an iron slide applied to a wheel
on going down hill (L.); A.-S.
scid, a billet of wood
Skilly, a drink made of oatmeal and
water (L.)
Slats, the sleepers or rails for the
bed of a cart (N.)
Slim, thin, slender, slight (N.); O.
Du. slim, awry, bias-wise (Skeat)
Slommacks {slommack-es^^, a drab, a
CELTIC.
W. sis, a low sound ; sisialu, to mur-
mur
Ir. Gael, sgeach^skega, the haw oi
berry of the whitethorn ; Manx
skaig=skaga, id.
Gael, sgecdp=skalpi, a tall man ; Ir.
Gael, sgealh, a long stake, a splin-
ter
Ir. Gael. sgreag=skragi, W. careg,
rock, stone ; Manx, karrig, sker,
id.; Ir. W. craig, rock
W. esgid=skid, Corn, escid, a shoe ;
Sans, sku, to cover
W. isgell, Corn, iskell, broth, pot-
tage
Ir. Gael, slat ; Manx, slatt, branch,
bough; W. llatJi, rod, lath ; Sans.
lata, branch
Ir. Gael. sZi/H, lank, lean, thin; Manx,
sliman, a loose garment; W. llym,
sharp in edge or point ; Arm.
lemm, id.
Ir. slab (for slam); Gael, slaib, mud.
^ '■'■ Sizzle, the half hiss, half sigh of an animal; of an owl, for instance"
(Hall). Ray says that yeast is called in the North sizzing, from the sound
of the working beer.
- -.s> or -es is a Celtic feminine sufi5x.
5th ser., vol. ir. 11
1G2
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANOi-o-cEr/rK,'.
.slovenly girl or woman (N.); A.-S.
.s7/w, Germ. Kchlnm., slime, mud
Sli/)i('ii, the faces of the peculiar
"jointing" found in the coal-beds
are called slynes by the colliers
(L.)
^na<i, to hew or cut roughly with an
axe (N.)
Sock, a farm-yard drain (N.), S. ;
A.-S. SOCHI n, to soak; Sw. iiO(/y,wet
Sor/, a mass of earth, any solid bulk
(L.)
Soo ! Sue ! a word addressed to a
cow that she may be quiet (N.), S.
Soom, to drink a long draught (L.),
H.; O. N. suiubla, compotare, de-
glutire
Sosh, to dip as in flight, to plunge
suddenly (N.)
Soss, anything foul or muddy (N.)
Soiujh, a covered drain (N.), L.
Sow, a wood-louse (L.)
Spade-bonp, blade-bone or shoulder-
bone (N.), L.
Spank, to strike with the open hand,
to smack (N.), L.; O. N. hang, pul-
satio
Spicket, a spigot or peg, a faucit
(N.), S.
Spiff, dapper, dandified (N.); Germ.
puff, a puflf, something puffed up
Sprer, a lark, a wild frolic (N.)
Spud, a small, narrow spade for re-
moving weeds (N.), L.
Spuddy, short, thickset (N.) ; Du.,
Dan. spade, spade
Sptivl; mettle, spirit, vivacity (N.);
Lat. spongia, spunge
Slank, a dam across a stream, a pool
formed by such a dam (L.)
CEi/rir;.
mire, filth ; Ir. slum, slime {slam-
arh, slimy, dirty)
Ir. Gael, slinn, a flat stone or tile ;
also a weaver's slay or slea ; pri-
marily a flat stone
Ir. Gael, snaigh, to hew, cut, cut off;
M.anx, sneih (pi. sne'ujliyn'),a. wound
W. soch, a drain ; sng, moisture,
juice; Corn, .so/y, moist, wet; Sans.
s'lich (for such), to give moisture,
to wet
W. sawrh, heap, pile, load ; Corn.
saio (for sav:g:=sog), id.
Ir. Gael, .so, W. hoe, rest, quiet
Ir. sum, to gulp, to swallow ; sumaire,
a gulper, a great drunkard ; Ir.
Gael, sumaid, a wave
Ir. Gael, sios, downwards, down
W. SOS, a sluttish mess ; pulpamen-
tum sordidum (Dav.) ; Gael, sos,
an uncleanly mixture, a foul mess
See Sock
Ir. Gael, sor, a louse
W. ysbawd=spud, the shoulder-bone
W. yshonc, a jerk, smack, slap ; ys-
hongc, ictus, verber (Dav.) ; Ir.
speach, a kick, a blow ; Ir. Gael.
spag,ii paw; 'W .paic,pawen ; Arm.
pao, paw, hoof
Ir. Gael, sp'wcaid, a spigot. The root
is p\c, a sharp point ; Ir. spice, a
spike ; W. pigodcn, a prickle
Ir. Gael, spa'ilp, a beau, one with
airs of importance ; spa'dpin, a fop,
a conceited fellow
Ir. spre, a spark, life, animation; Ir.
Gael, sprac, spra'ic, a spark, life,
motion, vigour : W. ashri, mis-
chief (?)
W. pict, any short thing ; short,
squabby; pu-fen,a, short, squat fe-
male; Sans. ^j«//, to be small
Ir. Gael, sponc, touchwood, tinder;
Manx, spongey, spunk, anything
dried up and ready to take fire ;
v. to dry up, parch
Ir. Gael, stang, a ditch ; tain, water;
Arm. stank, a pool : Lat. stagnuni
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
163
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Steio, stour, vapour, dust, dust in
motion (N.)
Stoor, in the North (Brogden)
Suck, a word used to call sheep, etc.
(N.), S.; prim., to call pigs, as sic
in Hallamshire; A.-S. sugu, a sow
Swither, fright ; to fear (North) ;
sivooth, a fright (L.), H. ; Sw. swida,
to burn, to give severe pain ; O.
N. svicla, to burn
Tab, the latchet of a shoe fastened
by a string or thong (N.)
Taching-einls, shoemaker's threads
with a bristle for attaching the
leather (N.)
Tack, to attack (N.)
Tackle, a horse's harness (N.)
Tag, the low rabble (N.)
Tang, to ring bells (N.)
Tank, a blow, a stroke (L.)
Tantarroio, a savoury pie made of
apples, onions, and fat bacon (N.)
Tantle, to fondle, make a pet of (L).
Tantrums, airs, odd freaks of pas-
sion (N.), L.
Tare, tear, to go at full speed (N.),
L.
Tawsey, a term applied to hay when
it clings together in masses (N.)
Tazz, a heap of knots, etc. (L.); Fr.
tas, A.-S. tass (borrowed)
Ted, to spread about new-mown
grass (N.)
Teer, to smear with earth (N.), L. ;
totr?/, adhesive as earth (N.); Lat.
terra
Teg, a yearling sheep (N.)
Tetlwr, to confine animals by a rope
(N.); Low Germ. ;ir/ffl-. "Proba-
bly of Celtic origin" (Skeat)
CELTIC.
Ir. Gael, stxir, dust; Manx, stoor, id.
Ir. su\g, a pig; suige=suge, a call to
pigs ; W. hwch, a sow ; Sans. st(-
kara, pig
W. stogd, awe, dread; swydo, to awe;
Ir. sgath, fear, fright; W. ar-sv)i/d,
terror
W. tap, a projecting ledge ; Arm.
iapen, a piece
Ir. Gael, taca, pin, nail, surety, bail;
tagli, joining, weldering, soldering;
Manx, taaghry, to solder, cement;
tag gad', a little nail ; Arm. tach,
nail ; Ir. tac, a lease ; facair, one
holding land under a lord ; W.
taig, a nail
W. taeog, ta'iog, vassal, tike, peasant;
rustic, rude, clownish ; or from
the tag of a cord. See supra
W. tone, a ringing of bells; toncio, to
ring
Arm. tonka, tounka, toucher ou f rap-
per dans la main, en signe d'ac-
cord ; W. ton, shattered, broken ;
tvmio, to break
W. tan, a spread, and farad, taste,
flavour (?)
W. tant, a throb, sudden gust of pas-
sion. Prim, tant means a cord,
and its contortions are used figu-
ratively. Sans, tantu, a thread
or cord ; iantri, chord of instru-
ment
W. taer, eager, ardent ; Arm. tear,
vif, prompt ; teara, marcher vite;
Ir. Gael, tura, brisk, quick ; Sans.
tur, to hurry
W. tas, heap, rick, stack ; Arm. tas,
amas, monceau ; Ir. Gael, taisce,
store; taisg, laid up, stored; Sans.
tas, to cast, throw up
W. teddu, to spread out ; tedd, a
spread, row, range ; tyddu,to lay out
W., Ir. Gael, tir. Corn, teer. Arm. fir,
land, earth; Sans, sthird, earth
Ir. Gael, othaisg, a yearling sheep
Ir. tead, fed, a rope ; Gael, teadhair,
rope, tether; Manx, tead, teid, id.;
W. fid. chain
112
164
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANGLO-CKLTIC.
Thrave, thave, a female yearling See Teg
sheep (L.)
Thump, to beat, to strike (N.), L.
CELTIC.
TImrrock, a heap, chiefly applied to
manure (L.) ; A.-S. tor, tower,
high hill (borrowed)
Tiff, a slight quarrel (N.) ; til
wrangle, dispute (L.)
?f, to
T'ui ! tig! tig! a call to pigs (N.);
Low Sax. tik, a call to hens
Till, to entice, draw on, tempt (N.);
toll, to attract, entice, allure (L.);
O. N. tcela, decipere
Tiller, to throw out a number of
stems from the same root (N.) ;
Prov. Sw. tilldr, to roll as a ball
Tin, a name given to some meadows
near Grace Dieu Abbey (L.)
W. twmpian, to strike, to stamp ;^
Corn, tumrnas, a blow; Arm. tum-
pa, verser, en parlant d'une cha-
rette ; Sans, tuj), tump, to hurt,
wound
W. twr, heap, pile \Jyrog, a little
pile] ; Arm. tor, belly ; torgen,
small hill : Com. tor^ prominence,
womb, hill ; Jr. Gael, tor, tower,
lord ; Sans, tor una, mound or ele-
vated place
Ir. Gael, tihhe, jibe, taunt ; tahaid,
broil, quarrel ; Arm. tuhut, bruit,
dispute, querelle
Ir. Gael, tigh, come !
W. tu-yllo, to allure, deceive ; tv-yll,
evasion, deceit, fraud ; Arm. tou-
ella, charmer, seduire, tromper,
allecher ; Corn, tolla, to deceive,
allure
Ir. Gael, tilg, to throw, to cast ;
Manx, tilgey, to throw, throw out
W. tyyio, dale, green
So named because they belonged to a Despenser who
had been attainted. (Evans.)
to make yourself smart
Titivate,
(N.)
Tittup, a canter, a slow gallop (N.)
Titty, a fond name for a kitten (N.).
Sternberg has " tit, a cat"
Toggery, togs, clothing (N. L.)
Tommy, provisions given to work-
men instead of money (N.), L. ;
tommy, tam, bread, meat, any food
opposed to broth, etc. (N.), S., i.e.,
hard food; tammy-bag, a provision
bag (N.), S.
W. tirtio, to make neat or trim; twf,
neat, smart
W. tuth («=Eng. i), a trot
to trot
W. titw, a cat
tiithi
W. tvyg, cloak, wrapper; Lat. toga.
Probably the Arm. words, toek,
fleece, wool, and tok, hat, head-
cover, may be related ; Sans, tvj,
to clothe
W. tama, hard food, as bread and
flesh ; O. Ir. iomil, manduca (Z.,
457); Ir. Gael, tomaltas, food, vic-
tuals; Ir. tioinal, to eat
* In Welsh tiomp, a round mass, and ticmpian, to beat, there is the same
connection as between Sans, tumha, a gourd or milk-pail (from their form)
and tu)iih, to hurt. Perhaps the primary meaning of the verb was to
strike with the closed fist. Cf . p)ommel, to beat ; prim, a round lump, a
boss.
OE NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
165
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Tomodge, the ventricle of a pig (N.),
S.
Tot, tot up, to add up, cast up ac-
counts (L.) ; toot, the whole (Suff.),
tote, the whole (N.)
CELTIC.
A corrupt form of tormodr/e (?). Cf.
W. tor, a belly, and mochijn, a pig ;
Arm. tor,gvos, ventre; moch, pore,
cochon ; Corn, tor and moch
Ir. Gael, toit, whole, entire ; Lat.
totus ; Ir. Gael, toitear, lumpy ;
Sans, tati, so many
The Ir. toit is for toti or ^«^^, which Fick (i, 85)assumes
as the Aryan form for Lat. totus.
Trangle, luck, chance, way. " Turn
the pigs out, an' let 'em tek their
own trangle'' (L.)
Trrasels, trussels, long-legged stools
for holding up planks, etc' (N.);
Fr. treteau for tresteau, trestle
Trig, a term used by boys at mar-
bles (N.). It is a word for the
line or spot from which they
shoot
Trigged, decked out fine (N.)
Trim, to beat (N.); to whip or beat,
to scold (L.); A.-S. tryraian, to
set in order, prepare
Trolly, a dirty, indolent slattern
(N.) ; Germ, trolle, trull, trollop.
Must be a borrowed word
Trolly, a hand-barrow without sides,
for wheeling sacks,etc.(L.) ; Germ.
trollen, to roll
Trook, to give in, give way, " knuckle
under" (L.) ; Fr. troquer, to barter
W. trangc, departure. Now used for
the final departure, death. Sans.
trank, to go, move
"VV. trairst, rafter, beam ; trestl,
stretcher, frame; Corn, troster (pi.
tresters), a beam; Arm. treust, (rest,
poutre, piece de bois qui sert a
soutenir le plancher; Gael, treast,
long bench or form
W. trig, a fixed state. In North-
amptonshire it means a fixed po-
sition
W. tree, gear ; trecio, to furnish,
equip
W. trino, to handle, scold, fight
W. trolen, a fat female; Arm. trulen,
femme sale, malpropre, delabree
en ses habits ; Ir. Gael, troll, cor-
ruption, defilement; trail, a drab,
a slut ; Manx, trallee, sordid, dirty
W. trol, a cylinder, a small cart ; tro-
lio, to trundle ; troelli. Corn, tro-
ilUa, to turn, to whirl; Arm. troel,
the convolvulus, from its winding
shoots
W. trycio, to fail, decay ; trychu,
Corn, trochy, to cut, to break
Truss, & bunch of flowers growing W. fnfs,^ a covering; f)-i6-.sa, a packet;
1 Prof. Skeat has a long note on this word, which he derives from Lat.
transtillum, a little cross-beam, from trans. He has caught the right idea,
for the W. trawst is from traws, a traverse or cross ; but this is not from
the Lat. trans. It is a relative of Sans, tiras, through, across. The W.
tratcs is for tras, and hence a regular change to the dialectic form, trussel.
Cf. Corn, trus, transverse; trusse, to cross.
'■^ The W. trii;s means also a dress, that which is put together (?). The
prim, idea seems to be to grasp or keep together, as in the Sans, tras, to
grasp, to hold.
IGG
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
ANGLO-CELTIC.
in one foot-stalk (N.) ; O. Fr.
trusser, to pack, bind in
Tank, a blow, generally with force,
so as to leave an impress (N.)
7'M.s'6'or7.;, tusk (L.)) tufts of coarse
grass (N.); Prov.Sw.iwss, a bundle
of hay. See las
Tat, to be prominent, to jut out or
forward. A bonnet tuts up that
is too much elevated in poke or
crown (N.) ; 0. N. tiUna, tumes-
cere
7\(t, offence (L.) ; tutti/, short-tem-
pered (N.), L.
Twiddle, to twist and twirl things
about between the fingers (N.)
I'wig, to comprehend, observe slyly
(N.)
Urchin, a hedgehog (N.); urk, a small
child or diminutive person (N.),
S.
Vamped, invented (N.); a vamjjed-up
story ^trumped-up story (N.) ;
We speak of such a tale being
patched up; Fr. avant-jned (Skent)
Varnish, harnish, harness, to grow
fat and well-liking, to fill out (L.)
Vlannen, flannel (N.)
iWadge, a large bundle (N.)
Wadjet, id.
Wadjock, id. ; Germ, ifase, a bundle
of brushwood
Wnp, a blow; v. to beat (N.); Low
Germ, quabheln, to palpitate
(Skeat)
Washer, a flat ring of iron or leather
placed before the nut of a wheel
to prevent rocking (N.)
W'ff, a musty taste. " The beer has
a iirft of the barrel" (N.)
Welt, a seam (L.); iveltiny, a seam,
seaming (L.)
CELTIC.
Jr. Gael, trus, a bundle; to gather,
collect ; Sans, iras, to seize, to hold.
Of. Ir. fflacoin, bunch, bundle,
from glue, to take, seize, grasp
See Tank
W. tunjs, timjsfj, a tuft, a heap; tirys-
og ; Corn, tushoc, tufted. The
suffix is a diminutive ; Ir. Gael.
dos, Manx, doss, a tuft ; W. tusv),
a bunch
W. twdd=tooth (soft th), what pokes
or juts out (P.); twddf, a poke ;
ti/ddu (y=Eng. u), to spread out
Ir. Gael, tut, a bad smell, stink; tut .'
W. twf ! an expression of dislike
and anger. Cf . /it n/j, dislike; prim,
a bad smell
W. chwid, a quick turn ; chwido, to
turn quickly. Cf. fit'ii/=quill ;
twilt=qm\.\j (see Hall.)
Ir. Gael, tuig, to see, observe, under-
stand; ^MJ^sp, discernment; O. Ir.
^Micd, intelligit (Z', 438); Manx,
toiggal, to perceive, comprehend
Ir. uirchin, urcain, Gael, uircean, a
little pig ; Arm. heureuchin, a
hedgehog
W. gtvani, a tilt, a vamp ; Ir. Gael.
faime, border, hem ; Sans, vimba
for vamha, disc of sun or moon,
i.e., round border ; prim, border
simply (?)
See Barnish
An archaism. W. giclanen for vla-
nen, flannel; gidan, wool
W. ffasg, a bundle ; jfas, ligature, tie,
band; ffasgell, a handle; ffasg u, to
tie in a bundle ; -et and -oc are
Celtic forms
W. chvKip, vap, ivah, a blow; chwa-
pio, to strike smartly
Ir. Gael. faisg=fasgi, to press, com-
press,bind;/o.s-f/air,keeper,binder;
fasg, band; W. gvMsgu=vasgu, to
press, to squeeze
W. ehii-aeth, taste, savour, or chiciff,
a whiff
W. gii-ald^=raU, border, rim, welt ;
Ir. (iael. faltan, belt, welt ; Jal,
rim, border; Sans, fa/, to surround,
enclose
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
167
CELTIC.
W. (/war, mild, gentle, tame (?)
W. ffwestl, hurly-burly, riot ; gwest-
log, tumultuous; gioestol, roving
W. chwyth, blast, puff ; ckwythellu,
to whistle ; Avm.chouital, a whistle;
chouitella, to whistle
W. chwiff, a whiff, a hiss
W. chwlf, a whirl, a turn ; chwifio, to
fly about, to wind
W. clnoig, — (1), sour ; (2), clarified
whey; Sans, siikta, sour, acid (?)
W. chivyn, weeds; chivy no ; Arm.
chouenna, to weed
W. cifJ?/n, complaint, wailing; cwyno,
to complain ; Arm. keina, gemu',
se plaindre ; Ir. caoinim, I cry,
lament; caoine, dirge ; Sans. ka7i,
to cry as in distress
Ir. Gael, cuithe, furrow, deep place,
pit
See Whap
W. gwyth, anger, fret (Evans) ; gy-
ihu, to murmur, grumble; gythol,
murmuring; Sans, vid, to cry out
against, revile
W. chwid, a quick turn ; chivldo, to
move quickly, to juggle
W. wo, a stop, stop !
Ir. Gael, ceangal, band, tie, restraint,
fastening ; Manx, kiangley, band,
tie ; V. to bind, tie, secure ; W.
cengl, girth ; Sans, hich,^ kanch,
to bind, to tie; kacha, a band
It now only remains that I should prove my former
statement, that the Celtic inhabitants of the Eastern
counties were of the older Celtic or Gaelic race, which
Professor Khys calls Goidelic. As this paper has
^ The Sans, kach is a near relative of our dialectic cagg, a voluntary
engagement (generally to abstain from intoxicating liquors for a certain
period), and of the Ir. cacht, restraint, fetter. The latter is said by a
well known Celtic scholar to be a borrowed word from the Lat. captus.
Kach and cacht are related to the Lat. cingo, but have no relationship
whatever with raptus or cap'w. See Fick^, i, 36.
ANGLO-CELTIC.
Werrish, feeble, deficient of stamina,
insipid (L.), N.
Westy, giddy, confused (L.). "My
head 's very ivesty and bad"
Whewt, to whistle (N.)
Whiff, to puff (N.)
Whiffle, to shift as the wind, to veer
(N.),L.; to whisk (L.); O.'N.veifa,
vibrare, gyrare
Whig, sour whey or buttermilk.
Used only in the phrase, " Sour as
whig''^ (N.). N. S. hioccg, whey;
Du. loei
Whin, the rest-harrow (N.), Ononis
arvensis : gen. furze or gorse
Whinnock, to whimper, cry as a
child (N.), N. S. The verbal ter-
mination -oc is Celtic. A.-S. hwi-
nan, to whine; 0. H. G. loeinon, to
weep
White, a name given by butchers to
the part that joins the round, i.e.,
the flank (N.) ?
Whop, a blow, a heavy stroke, to
beat (L.)
Widdle, to fret (N.)
W'tddle, to move loosely about, to
oscillate (L.). See Twiddle
Woa, a call to a horse to stop (L.)
Yangle, a triangular frame of wood
placed over the neck of a cow to
prevent its breaking through
fences (N.); L. cingulum, girdle
168 CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
already extended to very large proportions, I do not
propose to present the whole Celtic element in the
dialect of these counties. There are many such words
that are common to the earlier and the later forms of
Celtic speech, but I offer only some examples of the
earlier form or division. Some of these words may
have been in use among the Cymric race in the fifth
and sixth centuries, but it is difficult, if not impossible,
to suppose that all were then used, and were afterwards
forgotten.
IRISH OR GAELIC WORDS IN THE EASTERN
COUNTIES.
EASTERN COUNTIES. IRISH GAELIC.
A ijyah,^ the fat about the kidney of Jr. Gael. igJia, pron. e/jha, fat : Manx, ■
veal ormutton(Suff.). The form eeh, suet, tallow, fat of the caul;
is properly iyah, the first a being Sans, auj, to smear, anoint
inserted according to a well known
Celtic law
Ask, lizard, newt (Line.) Gael, asc, adder
In Yorkshire ask means damp. Ir. Gael. easc=^asci,
water.
Bamhary. A hanihary tale is one not See Bam, Gael, heurra (pron. harm),
to be relied on (Line.) spoken; Ir.Gael. berach, talkative;
bearla, language ; Sans, bru (for
berii), to speak. Bamhary means
a mocking or deceitful tale^
Bask, to be drenched in a heavy Ir. basg (base), to droyvn;bais,vrater,
shower (E.), F. heavy rain; O. Gael, hai.% water
Bear, a tool to cut sedge (Norf.) Ir. Gael, bearr,^ to cut, cut off, lop;
Manx, baarey, to cut; baare, edge
of a tool
B'lge, a teat (G.), H. Ir. Gael. hoi(/=btga, a teat
Bog-spavin, a soft spavin (Line.) Ir. Gael, bog, soft
Boof, stupid (Line.) Gael. 5ao&^=iq/a, wild, foolish ; Ir.
baobhalta, wicked, foolish
Bo}^, father (Suff.); O. H. S. babes, Ir. Gael, bohan, father ; Hind, bdj),
papes, papa (Graff.) father
' Major Moon says that it is also called n'lyah, and sometimes ear and
near. This is a mistake. Near, O. N. nyra, denotes the kidney itself,
ren; atjah, the fat upon the kidney. '■'■Ren a nere'\ Nom. M. S, "• neare of a
beest, ro\g)wn'" (Palgrave, Hall.). Ear may be related to W. aren, a kidney.
- Bam-bary means in itself a false or mocking tale. The Irish Lrr-ach
implies a noun, btr=bari, word, narrative.
^ The verb bcarr has not been retained in Welsh ; but it is the soui'ce
of W. byr, short. Cf. W. cioki, short, and cytio, to cut.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
1G9
EASTERN COUNTIES.
BotUj, proud (E.)
Bratti/, dirty (Line.)
Bruff", the halo round the edge of
the moon (Line), P. Cf. coiirjh,
pron. cof
Bud, a calf of the first year (E.),
Sufe.
Budram, oatmeal-gruel (Norf.)
Bunter, a low, bad woman (E.), H.
Bylders, a kind of water-cress (E.);
byllerne, in Promp. Parv. ; hillere
in old English^
Caddoic, a jackdaw (Suff.), E.; Sw.
kaja, Du. kaauio, a daw
Cullender, the top soil of a gravel-
pit (Ess.)
Cast, warped (Line.)
Cat, a mass of coarse meal and other
ingredients placed in a dove-eot
as a lure (E.), H. ; Du. cost, food
Caul, a landing-place (Line.)
Caul, the fatty membrane of a pig
(Line.)
Clan, family, taken in a wide sense
(E.)
Cl'^cks, refuse of oatmeal (Line.),
H.
Cod, deception. " That 's all cod"
(Lino.)
Commence, an awkward event (Ess.).
Bell
Coney-foqlp, to cheat by bewildering
(Line), B.
IRISH GAELIC.
Ir. Gael, hoiteal (hotel), pride, arro-
gance
Ir. Gael, hrod {hrof), a spot ; brod-
ach, filthy ; W. hront, dirty, cross
Ir. Gael, bruach, edge, rim, border
Ir. Gael, hodog, hodag, a yearling
calf
Ir. Gael, buadh (buda), food ; ram-
har, gross, thick
Ir. Gael, ban, woman; tair=^ter,\o\f,
vile
Ir. Gael. Uolar {bilar), water-cress ;
bil, water; W. bericr, from O. W.
ber, water
Ir. cathag, Gael, cadhag, the jack-
daw; Sans.A:a/ta,erow. The change
from h to t or d is not uncommon
in Celtic
Ir. Gael, caille, veil, hood [cailleun
=callen, id.] ; tir, in comp. d'lr,
earth
Ir. Gael, cas, to twist, curl ; casta,
twisted
Ir. Gael, coth, food ; cothaigh, to
feed; Sans, khcid, to eat
Ir. Gael, caladh (pron. kala), port,
harbour
Ir. Gael, ceal, covering (W. caul, a
calf's maw)
Ir. Gael, clann, children, tribe; Sans.
kula, n. c. kulam, troop, family,
race
Gael, cailleach, husks of corn ; Manx,
cletch, bran, husk of wheat
Cod represents an older cuda for cu-
ta. This is the Sans, kuta, fraud,
deception, from kut, to be crooked ;
in Irish, cud-al, wicked, with a
more general meaning; W. hud,
illusion
A curious corruption of Ir. Gael.
cumhainge, distress, difficulty ;
Manx, comys, offence, blame (for
comy)is)
Ir.foghail, an inroad into an ene-
my's country, robbery, plunder.
Coney is pex'haps from Ir. cu, for
1 "Bibulta, billere" (E. Eng. Voc, i, 286). I cannot find hihulta in any
dictionary; but it must be related to blhulus, and will therefore denote
an aquatic plant.
170
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
EASTERN COUNTIES.
Cork, a hard chalk (Norf.), Britten
Cosher, huge, extraordinary (Line.)
Creel, a basket (Suff.)
Cuff, to insinuate (Ess.)
Cull, the fish called bull-head (Ess.),
toiii-cull in Wilts
Carrel, a rill or drain (E.), H.
Dak, a call to pigs (Line.)
Z)aZZa?-M?^, dressing in a great variety
of colours (Line.)
Darnak, a
(Suff.)
thick hedging - glove
Daio, a beetle (Suff.)
Dihles, difficulties (E.), H.
Didall, a spade used for ditching in
the marshes (E.)
D'llver, to weary by labour (E.) ; dll-
vered, weary, confused, heavy,
nervous (Suff.)
Dorjgertj-bair, nonsense (Line). Of.
dogcjery, dull, slow (Cumb.)
Domelous, wicked; especiallyapplied
to a seducer (Line.)
Doon, the village prison (Line);
A.-S. lim, close, field, dwelling
IRISH GAELIC.
cun, dog (Sans, s'van). Coinrii,
rabbit, is in O'Reilly's Dictionary
It denotes primarily hardness ; Ir.
core, a hard skin
0. Ir. coscur, a marvel. " Bahard
in coscur^\ high was the marvel
(Gold. 138)
Ir. crioI=c7-ila, a basket; croil, bas-
ket, hamper ; Gael, croidhle {dh
silent), id.; Ir. crilin, box, chest
Ir. Gael, cuhhas, word, promise ;
cuibhet, fraud, deceit ; Sans, kujj,
to speak
Ir. Gael, coll, head
Ir. corr, Ir. Gael, curr, pit of water,
well-spring; with a suffix of dimi-
nution
Ir. deacadh, coming {deach, come)
Gael. cleaUair, to shine, gleam, glow;
Ir. Gael, dealradh, brightness,
splendour; Manx, dallagh, dazzl-
ingi
Ir. Gael, dornog, a glove; dorn, W.
diorn, a fist; Manx, dornaig, cover-
ing for the hand against thorns
Ir. Gael, daor, a beetle
Gael, d'mhliail, d'lhal, calamity, dis-
tress ; Ir. Gael. diobhal=dlbal,
loss, want, injury
Ir. Gael, dig, a dyke ; tall, to cut ;
tal, in comp. dal, a cooper's axe
Ir. duUbhir, Gael, duilbhearra, sad,
anxious, cheerless
Ir. Gael, doghra, dulness, sadness ;
dogar, sad; baidh, to speak; Sans.
vad
Gael. clomail^domU, injury, harm,
damage, especially by cattle in
trampling corn (McAlp.); domail-
each, hurtful, injurious; Ir. dom-
haoin, evil, w-icked
Ir. Gael, dun, a fort, a fortified house
or hill; v. to shut in, inclose; W.
din, city
1 The Manx didlagli seems to show that W. daJl, blind, denotes blind-
ness by excess of light, being dazed or dazzled. From this root dall, we
have dawks (Line.) for dallaches, a woman dressed in gaudy clothes.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
171
EASTERN COUNTIES.
Diiddle, to cover with an unneces-
sary quantity of clothes (E.); O.
E. duds, rags (see Nares) ; Du. tod,
a rag
Eerie,^ causing fear (Norf .), N.
Emer, one who rescues another from
any danger or difficulty (Line.)
Fapes, gooseberries (E.)
Fassil, to loiter, waste time, work
lazily (Line.)
Feed, to amuse by talking or read-
ing (Line), H.; to tell, relate^
Feel, to smell (Line.)
Flack, a blow, especially with some-
thing pliant (E.)
Foky, soft ; used of fruit. Boggy
land is said to he foky
Froth, small, not fully grown (E.)
Gant, scanty (E.), N.
Gafer, an old man (Line); gotfer in
WUts
Gare, heat, heat of passion (Ess.)
Gaskin, a horse's thigh (E.) ; gas-
coynes, buttocks (Herts.)
Gocken, voracious. " That gilt (sow)
is very gocken''' (Line.)
Golls, the hands (Ess.). In Forby's
East Anglian Vocahulary the word
is said to mean " fat chops, ridges
of fat on a corpulent body". Nail
says that goll means, in Suffolk,
a fist. O. N. kollr, head
Grede, a small wash-tub (Line.)
Grog, vexed, excited with passion
(Line.)
Gulp, a short, squabby person ; 0.
N. kalpa, tumere
Gur, green as a wound (Line), H.
IRISH GAELIC.
Gael, dud, dudag,a, rag; Manx, doo-
dee, a sloven
Ir. Gael, earadh, fear
Ir. eimh^emi, protection, sanctuary;
Sans, inv, to surround, embrace,
gladden (?)
Gael. faob=fapa, lump, knot in
wood, acorn
Ir. Gael, fuasgail, to loose, untie ;
fuasgailte, loose, untied, slack
Ir. Gael, fead, fiadh=fola, to tell, re-
late; Ir.fed, a narration
Ir. Gael, faile, smell, scent
Ir. Gael. flag=flac. a blow, a bang
Ir. Gael, hog, soft ; bogach, morass,
bog
Ir. Gael. frioth=froti, small, little
Ir. Gael, gann tor gant, scarce, short;
gainne, scarcity
Corn, coth, goth. Arm. coz, old ; W.
coth, an old man; Ir. Gael, fear,
W. gior, man
Ir. Gael, gar,^ to heat; garaU, warm;
Manx, gaer, heat ; Sans, gharma,
heat
Ir. Gael, gasgara, buttocks ; gasg, a
tail
Ir. Gael. geoc=goci, throat; geocach,
voracious
Ir. Gael, glac, palm of the hand, for
golac; gol, drop, tear; Sans, gola,
ball, anything circular ; gula, a
pill, any globular substance. The
Essex goll meant probably, at first,
the closed hand or fist
Ix*. Gael, criot^creta, vessel, earthen
vessel
Ir. Gael, grog, frown, hufE ; grogach,
pettish, sulky; grug, morose
Ir. Gael, galba, stout, firm, hard
Ir. Gael, gorm, green, blue
1 This is not a modern word. " Common", says Nail, in his East Anglian
Glossary, " to Norfolk and Scotland."
'^ "Gestis iofcde'' (Line. MS.; Hall.); Sans, vad, to speak, tell.
^ The root of Eng. garish, glowing. " Day's garish eye"; from gare, to
stare (Skeat).
172
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
EASTERN COUNTIES.
Hunger-stone, a quartz pebble (L.)
Isriim, isei'um, a long, stupid story
(Line.)
J'lhhy, a flaunting wench, dressed in
flashy finery (E.)
Jlbhy-liorse, a showman's horse, de-
corated with trapping, streamers,
etc. (E.). Cf. jib, a rag, a tatter
(Webster)
Job, to peck with a beak, to strike
with a pointed instrument (E.)
Jockey, gay, very lively (Suff.) ; O.
Fr. gogues, jollity, glee
Jot, plump, downright (Suff.), H.
Jot-gut, intestinum rectum (E.), H.
Jug, to squat on the ground as part-
ridges at night (E.); Fr. sejucher,
to roost as fowls
Kain, rent paid in kind (E.), H.
Kelch, kelk, a blow or thump (Line),
Kelk, to beat severely (Newcastle)
Klich iq), to catch up quickly (Line.) ;
cf. klick, a nail to hang things on;
prop, a hook; Mucks, claws (N.)
Lape, to walk in mud (Line.)
Lash, soft and watery (E.), H.; to
pour out water (Mid- Yorks.) ;
lashy, wet, applied to weather
(Suff.)
Linty, lazy (Suff.)
Lob, to lean, incline. " The stack
lobs heavily" (Line.)
Locer, a carpenter's plane (Line.);
A.S.^^locer, a joiner's instrument,
a saw, a plane ? (S.)", Bosworth's
A.-S. Diet.
Louche, sonitus, strepitus {Prom.
Parv.^). Cf. longc, to tell a fair
tale, to make a flattering speech
(Jamieson) ,
IRISH GAELIC.
Jr. Gael, unga, copper
Jr. us, narrative, story ; Ir. Gael.
lurrum for iusram, a tedious
rhyme, a long story ; rariihur,
gross, large; raimp, fatness
Ir. Gael. giobog=gib-og, a rag, a
fi'inge; giobal, rag, clout ; gibeal,
a covering; giobog =gib-og, a
rough, untidy woman
Ir. Gael, gob, beak or bill of a bird
Ir. Gael, gaige, a fop, a proud cox-
comb ; gogaid, a giddy female ;
gog, a toss of the head
Ir. Gael, goth, straight, even
Ir. Gael, gluig, to cringe, droop,
crouch
Ir. Gael, cain, rent, tribute
Gael, sgailc, px'on. skelk (kelk), a
smart blow, to beat roughly ; Ir.
sgaileog, a blow
Ir. Gael. cl'wc=cl'ica, a hook ; to
catch with a hook
Ir. lap, Gael, lab, puddle, mire ; Ir.
Gael, laban, mud, mire; lapach, a
marsh; la, water
Ir. Gael, la, water ; luis^usi, for
lasi, drink ; lasach, slack, prim.
moist ; laith, ale, strong drink
Ir. Gael. luin=lina, sloth ; Ir. liun,
slothful ; Ir. Gael, lundach, lazy ;
luinse, sluggard
Ir. Gael, lub, to bend, incline
Ir. Gael, locar, Manx, locer, a plane ;
Manx, lockernj, to plane ; locker-
skeeagh, shavings ; Sans, lunch
(luk), to pare, peel, tear off ; lun-
cha (lunchas), that which pares
Ir. lonaiche, Gael, lonais, prattling,
tattling; lonach, talkative; luinne,
mirth, music ; luinneog, chorus,
glee. A nasalised form of Sans.
loch, to speak
^ Written in the Eastern Counties.
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER.
173
EASTERN COUNTIES.
Lure, to make a loud and shrill cry
(E.)
Mallock, to abuse (Line.)'
3fank, a trick (Line), Y.
Marfer, the grass which grows close
to the hedge-side or bottom (Line.)
j MpciI, a sand-heap (Norf.)
I Million, a pumpkin (E.), N.
Mosey, mosy, rough, shaggy, covered
with hair (Suff.), Ess.
Mug, to beat (L.)
Alage, the hand (N.)
Alutp, an animal of the male kind
(Line), H.
Netting, urine (Line.)
Nof/f/in, a lump (Line); gen. a small
round mug
Nonnoclc, an idle whim,childish fancy
(E.)
Nonny, to sport, play the fool (E.)
Nookins, the corners of a stack
(Line.)
Okers, boots for ploughmen (E.) ;
Lat. oci-ea, legging or greave
Pelf, blow with the fist (E.), Wr.
Firry, a storm {Pr. Parv.)
Pima, to boil slightly (E.)
Quilt, to beat (Line.)
Rally, a coarse sieve; to sift (E.)
Banning, scolding (Line.)
Runny, the shrew-mouse (Suff.)
Rivets, bearded wheat (E.), H.
Rofhier, any large or good thing
(Line.)
Ruin, a woodman's term for a pole
of four years' standing (H.)
IRISH GAELIC.
Ir. Gael. liur=luri, a noise, prating
Gael, maillaich, Ir. malluigh,to curse,
condemn; Ir. mallacht, a curse
Ir. Gael, mang, deceit
Properly mere-grass, or grass by the
sea; Ir. Gael, mara (gen. of 7nuir,
sea), and feiir ; W. gwair, hay
Ir. Gael, meall, ball, knob, round
hillock
Ir. meallan, a bulb, a plump child
Ir. mosach, rough, bristly; mosan, a
rough, dirty fellow
Ir. Gael, mag ; Manx, mage, paw,
clumsy hand
Ir. Gael. 7noth, the male of any crea-
ture (Cormac's Gl.)
Ir. Gael, nightinn (gh silent), a mix-
ture of urine and other things
used for bleaching linen
Ir. Gael, cnoc, lump, boss ; noigean,
noigin (nogin), a mug
Gael, neonach, droll, capricious, ec-
centric ; neonachas, a droll person ;
Ir. nionach, pleasant, merry
Ir. Gael, niuc — nuci, corner (nucin
a single corner)
Ir. Gael,oc7ia?-, shoe; Manx, oashyr,
stocking ; Sans, a-char, to step
upon, go (?)
Ir. Gael. 2Mlltog, palltag, a blow
Ir.Gael.^io?Ta=pi?'ra, squall, strong
gust
Gael, plod, to scald partially, as a
pig; Ir. ^/wtaf/A, scalding
Ir. cuihe, a beating
Ir. Gael, rillean, sieve; rill, to sift ;
Manx, realley, to riddle, sift
Ir. Gael, ran, squeal, shriek ; Sans.
ran, to make a noise, shout
Ir. Gael, rihe, hair, whisker; rihrach,
hairy ; Gael. reibheid=rivet, barb
of a hook
Ir. rod, very great ; ro, intensive
particle ; rodhuine, nobleman
Ir. Gael, ruihhne (pron. ruin), pole,
lance
' Mallock implies a root, mall, oc being a Celtic verbal formative. Cf.
Sans, mala, dirt, filth, impurity; Lat. mains.
174
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
EASTERN COUNTIES.
Ei/ndes, trees (E.)
IRISH GAELIC.
Jr. Gael, rinn, for I'ind, tree
Sannix, hay-time (Line), M. Ir.Ga,e\.saidh=sacU,haj; nidhe,tim.e
For sad-nicas : cl or dh being often put in Irish and
Gael, for g or gh {kh).
Sanjiock, to weep bitterly (E.), H.
The termination -ock is Celtic
Sai-nick, inanimate (E.), H.
Jr. Gael, san, to dissolve
Scotch, to cut, trim (Line.)
Jr. seam, to loose, dissolve; searnach,
dissolving
Jr. Gael, sgath, Gael, sgoch, to cut,
lop
Shelp, a blow (SufE.) ; to beat with Gael. sgeaJp (skelp), a slap, a blow
the flat hand (Yorks.) with the hand; Ir. sfjealp, to tear,
cut, rend ; Manx, scelp, a lash, a
rent ; scelpagh, to lacerate
Skutij, smart, brisk (E.), H. Gael. s^ocZacA, proud, conceited ;s5'dfZ,
pride ; Ir. sgoid, pride, affectation ;
sf/oideasach, proud, affected, flirt-
ing
Smale, the form (seat) of a hare Gael, smdl, place, seat (Ebrard)
(E.),H.
/S/^a<, the cartilaginous membrane by Ir. Gael, sjmt, a flap
which an oyster adheres to its
shell (Suff.)
Speyre, the flap of an inner feminine Ir. Gael, speklhir (pron. speyre^, the
garment (Prom. Par v.) flap of breeches
Stithe, hot, oppressive (E.), H. Ir. Gael. teitJi, hot, warm
Ir. Gael, tagh, to weld ; taca, nail,
fastening, peg, security, bail
Till, the diluvial soil of the cliff Ir. Gael, tealla, earth; Lat. tellus
(Norf.)
Ti^, liquor, a draught of liquor (E.) Ir. Gael, daif, drink; tihre, fipra ;
Manx, tihbyr, spring, fountain
Tigh, teage, a close, an inclosure Ir. Gael. %A, a house; W-tij
(E.)
Toiml, a tiresome boy (Line.) Ir. Gael, tuathail (th silent), rude,
Towel, a wild or bad character awkward; ^i/«/,awkward,unlucky,
(Leeds) sinister, base
Tr«c7i;,useless commodities. "There's Ir. Gael. truagh=truga, poor, mean,
Tag, to follow closely, as if an ap-
pendage (E.)
useless ; W. tricch, cut, maimed,
unlucky
Ir. Gael, tachas, the itch, scurvy ;
Manx, taghas, the itch ; Sans, tak-
man, kind of skin disease
Ir. Gael. toU, will, pleasure ; Manx,
toUl, id.; Ir. Gael, to'ileil, wilful
Ir. Gael, guala, Gael. guaUain ;
Manx, geaylin, a shoulder
TFa.ss, nonsense (Line); Germ. i(>.sf, Ir. baois=basi, folly, levity, non-
bad, hurtful, angry sense
a lot of truck" (Ess.) ; O. N. tros,
waste, refuse; Ang. trash
Tusky, the itch (E.)
Ticall, a whim (Suff.)
Wall'is, the withers of a horse (S.)
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER. 175
EASTERN COUNTIES. IRISH GAELIC.
Wheuks, sickly (Line.) Gfiel. eucail, disease; Ir. Gael, aicicl^
Manx, eigh'id, sickness, disease
Whuiry, a light boat (E.) Ir. Gael, curach, skiflf, small boat,
canoe
Yare, nimble, brisk (Norf .) Ir. Gael, gear, ger, sour, sharp (W.
garw, rough, harsh)
These instances may suffice to prove my assertion,
that the Celtic race along the east coast was mainly of
the older or Gaelic branch. The inquiry has been
limited to the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and
Lincoln, but if it were extended as far as to the Border
line, the same result would follow. If we extend it to
Northumberland, there seems to be a larger blending of
the two divisions of the Celtic stock as we advance north-
wards, for there they met again after their long separa-
tion. The older division seems to have come from the
lands that borderon the Mediterranean, probably through
Spain, and to have crossed into England by the Strait
of Dover, and thence to have spread partly to the
west, but chiefly northwards into Scotland. The later
division appears to have journeyed through the centre
of Europe, and at the marsh land of Western Germany
to have split into two parts, one turning southwards
and entering France near its central part (as traced by
nant and other words); the other, advancing westwards,
crossed the sea to Scotland near Aberdeen (for there
the abei'S begin), and descended southwards through
Cumberland into Wales. The w^ords that belong to the
earlier division of the Celtic race, and are still used in
the counties that lie to the north of Lincolnshire, are
numerous, but I can only offer a small number as
examples, chiefly from Brockett's North Country Glos-
sary, 3rd edit., 1846.
EASTERN COUNTIES (NORTII). CELTIC.
Airt, point of the horizon, district Ir. Gael, mrd, region, point of the
compass
Aries, earnest-money Ir. Gael, earlas, earnest-penny
Bannoclc, a cake of barley-meal Ir. Gael, bonnach, an oaten cake ;
Manx, honnag, id.
Braugham, horse-collar Ir. hrnicam, Gael, braicheam, horse-
collar, from braigh, O. Ir. brdge,
neck, upper part of the breast,
and oma for (?«7«f/. winding, a curve
17G
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
EASTERN COUNTIES (noUTII).
Brof/.-i, kind of coarse shoes
Cade, sheep's louse
Callaiit, boy, youth
Colley, butcher's meat
Coo, cow, fear
Cro, crow, bar, lever
Cutea, feet
Duiker, to wander, saunter
Difing, a very small quantity of meal
or flour
D'lvet, dufet, a turf or sod used for-
merly for thatching
Dortij, pettish, saucy
Doxy, sweetheart (in a good sense)
Dunt, bad coal
FecJde, to entangle
Fellon, a cutaneous eruption, a boil
Galore, plenty, abundance
Gash, wise, sagacious (Border)
Gowan, the daisy
Gisny, call of pigs to meat ; O. N.
gris, porcellus
Ingle, fire, fireplace
Kae, an interjection denoting disbe-
lief or contempt
Keel, ruddle
Kehhuck, cheese
Lainch, a long stride
Latter, to run about hastily
Oye, a grandchild
Partan, a crab
Sonsy, plump, thriving, lucky
Straith, valley
Tocher, marriage portion
Treet, a species of bran
Weight, iveyt, hoop with skin over it
CELTIC.
Jr. Gael, hrog, shoe
Jr. (lael. cahlpog, earthworm
Jr. Gael, gallan for calkin, branch,
youth
Ir. Gael, colanv, flesh, a carcase ; O.
Ir. co/inn, gl. cam (Z.^, 51)
Ir. cofach, fearful (cota, fear)
Ir. Gael, cro, crodh, an iron bar
Ir. Gael, cos, foot; W. coes, leg
Ir. Gael, deach, moving, going ; Ir.
cleachair, separation, following ;
prim, going off
Ir. dit, end, remainder ; Ir. Gael.
dith, want, failure; Sans. fZi^i, cut-
ting, splitting
Ir. Gael, duibheid, a flat turf used
for covering cottages
Ir. dordha, Gael, dortha, harsh, surly
Ir. Gael, doigh, fire, flame, trust ;
dogh, to burn; doighir (tor dogis),
flame
Ir. Gael, donadh, bad, evil
Ir. Gael. Jigh, to weave
Gael, fealan, a boil ; Ir. Gael./rnZ/,
faillin, kernel, hard lump of flesh
Ir. Gael, gu-leor, enough, plenty
Ir. Gael, gaols, wisdom, prudence
Ir. Gael, gugan, the daisy
Gael, gius, a sow ; Ir. Gael, eels, pig,
sow
Ir. Gael, alngeal, fire
Ir. Gael, cha, negative particle ; ca,
what (?)
Ir. Gael, ell, ruddle
Ir. Gael, cahag, cheese
Ir. Gael, ling, to leap, bound
Ir. Gael. I at, foot; lathar, vigour;
luth, quick, nimble
Ir. Gael, ogha, pron. oha, grandchild
Ir. Gael, partan, a crab
Ir. Gael, sonas, luck, happiness
Ir. Gael, sralth for straith. valley
Ir. Gael, tochar, portion, dowry
Ir. Gael, ^j-ei^p, embrocation (a second
meaning)
Ir. Gael, guite, the same, used for
winnowing corn
It is impossible to determine with certainty the lines
which marked out the different forms of speech, but
they were probably the tribal boundaries, and were
subject to change by invasion and conquest. We may
assume, from the evidence of language, that the Iceni,
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER. 177
the Trinobantes in the south, and the Brigantes in the
north, were of the older or Gaelic race. The northern
counties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, with Lanca-
shire and Cheshire, were occupied mainly by the Cymric
tribe. The same race, but another division of it, held
the ancient Loegria, i.e., the rest of England from the
south of Yorkshire to the Channel. There was, how-
ever, throughout, a mixture of races. There was a
lower stratum of the older race, though only sparse in
some parts of the land. There were also some breaks
of continuity in different places. The Belgas, who came
probably at a late period from the opposite coast, occu-
pied part of the south, and the Parisii, apparently a
Gallic tribe, dwelt along the banks of the Humber.
There was a notable break in the extension of the
Cymry to the district of Elmet, of which Leeds was
the centre ; a spur of the wide-spreading Cumbrian
range. Here a Celtic and Christian community main-
tained itself in partial independence for a long time,
under its own chiefs or reguli. Its latest chief, whose
name, in a Latin form, was Cereticus, held sway over
it until deposed by Edwin in the seventh century.
Their independence was taken from them, but the fire
burned on their hearths and they wrought with the
plough or followed the chase, as their fathers had done
for many generations. As this dialect is interesting on
many accounts, I offer some instances of its Celtic
words, which are numerous, and here close ray long
list of dialectic words that have been drawn from
Celtic sources.
LEEDS DISTRICT. CELTIC.
Aag, eager O. AV. dl-auc, gl. segncm (Juv. 93);
W. egr, eager; awch=ach, sharp
edge; 8a.ns.(ls'u=aJi:u, sharp, swift
Bat'xhj, a prostitute W. baiv, dirt, filth ; baicaidd, dirty,
mean, vile
Bicker, to quarrel peevishly W. hicra, to fight, to skirmish (P.);
bicrr, conflictus, pugna (Dav.)
Bra77. " Marrow to bran''\ a match Must have been some Celtic hero
for bran
Brock. Not a badger, but the cuckoo- W. broch, froth, foam
spit insect
5th skr., vol. ir. li^
178
CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
LEEDS DISTRICT.
CIniff, pleased, excited
Codgfr, an artful person
Croodlp, to crouch
Dunuock, a hedge-sparrow
Fud^ to deceive in talking
Flos^ a giddy, impudent female
Gammy ^ crooked
Guffin, a dull, awkward person
Hoit^ a foolishly awkward man
Kinnle, to bring forth young
Malack, a disturbance
Merle, to crumble
Nogs, knees
Nor, than
0>^s, to attempt
Piggy, a name given by boys to a
piece of wood sharpened at both
ends, used in the game of " piggy"
Raum, to curvet as a horse
Seel, to look. Seeling-glasa, a look-
ing-glass
CELTIC.
W. hojf, dear, fond; hoffi., to delight
in
W. coegiior, a deceiver, a cheat
W. crivd, a round lump
W. dwn (doon), dun, dusky ; with a
Celtic suffix
W. ffadu, to mask, to feign (P.)
W.fflwch, full, flush, brisk, lusty
W. catn, crooked
W. cyff, a stock; cyffo ddyn, a block-
head ; with the suffix of indivi-
duality
W. hutan, an oaf
W. cenel, tribe, kindred ; cenedl, id. ;
cenedhi, gignere, producere (Dav.)
W. moloch, tumult, uproar
W. mwrl, crumbling, friable
W. cnuch, junction, joint ; if not
cnwc, a lump
O. W. nor, than
W. osi, osio, to dare, to attempt
W. |j«</, for 2^0, a sharp point; p'lgin,
a pointed stick
W. rhamu, to rise up
W. sel, a view ; selu, to gaze at, ob-
serve; Arm. sellout, regarder, jeter
la vue sur quelque chose ; Corn.
sell, view, prospect
W. sugno, to suck (?/^^Eng. i) ; Sans.
sicli, to moisten, wet
W. t\tv), a cat
W. tama, hard food, as bread and
flesh ; perhaps related to Arm.
tamopz-en, ear of corn
Arm. gwerbl (in comp. werbl), bubon,
tumour, glande. Dr. Davies ad-
mits the word, but as Armoric.
Richards has, '■'■Gwerhl, Arm., a
kernel or fleshy substance growing
between the flesh and skin."
The only Celtic words in this dialect that I cannot
connect with a Welsh equivalent are meg, a halfpenny,
spiff, smartly dressed, and an interesting feminine
word, toil, which means contentment, quietness. When
a husband takes the baby on his knee, and keeps it
quiet during the evening, the delighted wife will say,
" Thah's kept him \toit rarely a wait' neet (a whole
night) lad !" This is the Ir. Gael, tait, pleasure ; prop,
a pleased, quiet, contented state, as the Sans, tush, its
Six,
Let
hev a s?V, a pull at
your pipe ; rather a suck, A.-S.
sucan, to suck
Tit, used for calling a cat
Tommy, bread. " Two pund o' tom-
my. Missis."
Warhle, a small, hard lump on a
horse's back
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER. 179
relative, denotes/ Tait corresponds, therefore, to the
Arm. diidi, pleasure ; but even in the fifth or sixth
century the final vowel had been dropped in the Elmet
district.
And now my task is done. The evidence that has
been brought forward is conclusive, in showing (1) That
a large Celtic population was left on the soil in every
part of England. If there was any part in which the
theory of extermination would meet the facts of the
case, it would be the counties of Northampton and
Leicester. The Welsh border was far away. The
northern Celts, whether they belonged to the Cymry
or the Gael, could not interfere to protect their distant
kinsmen in these counties. There was absolutely
nothing to check the course of the victorious Saxon.
He might have commenced a war of extermination,
and have destroyed, as he pleased, the whole Celtic
race there. But the tokens of their abiding un-
molested in these counties are as abundant as they are
in Lancashire, whose northern part was not finally sub-
dued until the year 94.5, when, as the A. S. Chronicle
declares, " King Edmund ravaged all Cumberland and
gave it to Malcolm, King of Scots." It is evident,
therefore, that the Celtic population in England lived
and multiplied in peace, and that there was a gradual
blending of the two races by intermarriage. The
advocates of the " theory of extermination" give the
Saxon race very little credit for common sense, or
regard for their own welfare. They were only warriors ;
and who, if the Britons were destroyed, undertook the
tillage of the soil and the tending of the flocks? The
conquered race became, in fact, the most valuable
appanage of the Saxon. They ploughed for him ; they
1 Cf. Sans, tushti, satisfaction, contentment, pleasure. The Irish
tait is from ta(s)ti (pron. tusti), and denotes primarily quietness
more than pleasure. The Elmet toit has no connection with tight
(sometimes pronounced toit), for it is a noun, and the two words
express contrary ideas. Tightness denotes pressure and discomfort,
not a quiet, contented state.
]22
180 CELTIC ELEMENT IN THE DIALECTS
tended liis cattle ; they were his artisans, for the Celtic
words still used by our workmen show that they were
skilled in all the arts of the time, either by their own
ingenuity or by Koraan teaching. The civilisation of
.Home reached our island before the Saxon came, and
even before Csesar invaded the land the Britons were
skilful agriculturists, had. a large foreign commerce,
coined money, dug and exported metals, and built war-
chariots of wood and iron. Their weapons were such
that they could attack CsBsar's forces openly in the
field, and not always without success. The most
foolish course the Saxon could adopt would be to de-
stroy these men, who were his tutors in many things :
for the rude warrior-races brought very little know-
ledge of the arts of life, or of literature, from their
dense forests in Germany. He had, however, good
sense enough to retain and. protect the Celtic race,
that wrought in various ways to his advantage. If
this be denied — and there has been much hardihood of
assertion on this question — how is the large Celtic
element still existing in the dialects of Leicester and
Northampton to be accounted for ? In all future dis-
cussions of this subject this fact must be considered,
and unless it can be shown tha.t this element could
have been brought in by other means, it is certain that
a large Celtic population remained on the soil. If this
cannot be done, the question is at rest.
2. The evidence of our dialectic words confirms the
statement of the Welsh Triads, that " a great multi-
tude of the Loegrians became as Saxons", i.e., there
was a gradual and peaceful blending of the two
races in England. These Triads only represent a
national tradition ; but a tradition of this kind, so wide-
spread as to be accepted by the whole nation, has much
probability in its favour. It is much more likely, if
the whole of their kindred race here had been destroyed
by the Saxons, that such a fact would have made a
deep impression on the national mind, and have been
recorded in its traditions, from mingled emotions of
OF NORTHAMPTON AND LEICESTER. 181
indignation and horror. It is not at all probable that
the national record, as handed down from father to
son, should have been of union, if extermination had
been the fact. Their hostility to the Saxon would
have been a barrier against a rejection of the sterner
and more hateful issue, and to the invention of one
which was much more to his credit. But when to
this improbability there is added the evidence of our
dialectic words, it becomes quite certain that there
was a blending of races, and that the possession of
England after the sixth century was effected much more
peacefully than our historians represent.
3. The dialects that w^e have now examined contain,
as other dialects, many words that are exclusively
feminine or belong to a state of childhood. This proves
that in the Anglo-Saxon age, the mother of the house-
hold must often have been of Celtic blood. When a
Northamptonshire matron directs that her child shall
be htirJced, she uses a Celtic word which means only
that it shall be thoroughly warmed ; and when one boy
asks another to give him a bunt (push up) he gives
evidence of the fact that some boy, like himself, had
been wont, in a distant age, to hear a form of Celtic
speech. These are only instances of a large class of
words. How could they have entered the nursery, or
been borne on the lips of children, if no Celtic inmates
had ever occupied the nurseries, and no Celtic parent
had ever trained a child to speak ? These and other
Celtic words must either have been inherited from
Celtic ancestors, or have been communicated from
without. The only possible inference seems to be that
these words are an historical record of a race that
formerly held possession of the soil, and w^ere retained
on it, as tenants or labourers, by the conquering race.
4. It seems evident from these lists that the Celtic
languages in a collective form survived in England to
a much later period than is commonly supposed. We
know that when a Celtic MS. w^as found at St. Alban'.s
near the close of the tenth century, a priest was found in
182 CELTIC ELEMENT, ETC.
the country who could interpret it (Arch. Camh., 1879,
p. 154). And if the kmguage, as written, was under-
stood by some, we may reasonably assume that it was
still understood and spoken by many who could neither
read nor write. We know, also, that in the north of
England, along the border line, a form of Celtic speech
was retained as late as the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries. We may then reasonably assume that the
Celtic form of speech that had been spoken in the
counties of Northampton and Leicester before the
Saxon invasion was still understood there until the time
of the Norman conquest. It was this great event that
happily crushed the Celts, Saxons, Angles, and Danes
into one mass, out of which eventually arose the
English people.
Here I must pause. There are many facts connected
with the social position of the Celtic race in the Anglo-
Saxon age, and with the forms of their language, to
which these words bear w^itness ; but from the length
of this paper I must content myself with my main
proposition, that the dialectic words in these counties
prove that there was a blending of the two races in
England by intermarriage, and that the Celtic race
has contributed largely to the formation of the English
people.
John Davies.
EREATA.
Page 16, line 42, for Ir. cios read W. cws
„ 21, „ 16, for eecle-hickol read eccle, hicJcol
„ 29, „ 6, for hare read hari
„ 87, ,, 14, for o/ read Off/
„ 94, „ 10, insert (N.)
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