ANECDOTA FROM IRISH MSS.
XIII.
1.—SOME SCHOLASTIC RIDDLES.
MS. British Museum, Additional 4783, fo. 7.
Caiḋe salann in ċuirp ocus étaċ na hanma?—In t-anam salann in ċuirp ocus in corp étaċ na hanma.
What is the salt of the body and the garb of the soul? The soul is the salt of the body, and the body is the garb of the soul.
Ca corp aiginta ocus neamaicinta ceaṫardúileaċ ná sgarann ó bás co beaṫa re duine?—In sgaṫ. Uair ní sgarann re duine caċ conair téit.
What natural and unnatural four-elemental body does not part from man from death to life?[1]—The shadow. For it does not part from man whichever way he goes.
Ca dealḃ i ḃfuil Luicifer a n-ifearn ar tuitim tréna diumus?—A riċt naṫraċ neiṁniġe neiṁe.
In what shape was Lucifer in hell after having fallen through pride? In the shape of a poisonous venomous snake.
Ca hainṁiḋe ṫáinic asan airc agus nar’ cuireḋ inti?—Na loċaiḋ do cuir Luitsifer tré gaoiṫ anála inti do dibail aroiḃe ’san airc do ḃiuḋ. Créd inní ro teasairg iad? Miċel aingeal do léig a anál fuṫa gu n-derna in Duileam cat di gur ṁarḃ na loċaiḋ, uair do saoraḋ ar gorta aroiḃe ’san airc.
What animals came into the ark and were not put into it?—The mice, which Lucifer through a wind of breath put into it to destroy whatever food there was in the ark. What was it that saved them? The angel, Michael, who sent his breath among them, so that the Creator made a cat of it which killed the mice, whence all that were in the ark were saved from famine.
Ca mac caiṫeas corp a aṫar a m-broind a máṫar?—Corp in Coimḋeḋ caiṫes in sagart annsan eclais naoim.
What son eats the body of his father in the womb of his mother?—The body of the Lord which the priest eats in the Holy Church.
Ca mac naċ rugaḋ agus naċ béarṫar agus mac a ainm?—In mac-alla. Uair do cluinter hé agus ní faicṫer hé, aċt giḋ mac a ainm.
What son is not born nor shall be born, and “son” is his name? The echo (Ir. “son of rock”). For it is heard and it is not seen, though “son” is its name.
2.—AN EARLY ATTEMPT AT PHONETIC SPELLING.
In the British Museum MS. Harleian 2354, there is a short treatise on Irish grammar, written at Louvain in the beginning of the last century. It is curious as containing an attempt at phonetic spelling of Irish. Two passages are first given in such spelling, and then in the regular Irish orthography. It will be noticed that ff, f, w, y, are taken from the Welsh alphabet, and have the same phonetic value as in that language, i.e., ff = f, f = ḃ slender, w = ḃ broad, and y = ŭ, while the accentuation is borrowed from French orthography, the accent grave denoting short unaccented, the accent aigu short accented, and the circonflexe long syllables.
These are the two passages:
àg seò sîs gramêr nà géilge dòh rêr màr dòh cwy′riag an égar ágys an ordwa è agoláiste nà mráhar miónor neirienàch. A lobàn. Gàch dwy′ne leâr mían geílge dòh liêf tw′gwh airìh gòh dihy′llach dóna riálachaif biága áshio sîs ôr nî fféidar dòh géilge dòh liêf gàn afy′s dòh vèh aigiè.
Ag seo sios gramear na Gaoiḋelge do reir mar do cuireaḋ a n-eagar agus a n-orduḃa (leg. orduġuḋ) e accolaiste na m-braṫar mionor n-eireanaċ. A loban. Gaċ duine lear mian Gaoiḋeilge do leaġaḋ tugaḋ aire diṫċiollaċ dona riaġlaċaiḃ beaga aso sios oir ní feidir ḋo Gaoiḋeilge do leaġaḋ gan a ḃfios do ḃeiṫ aige.
Târ gàch nî às cóer dòh àn fówar dílish fîs àg nà gwhîf greámwis dàh hchièle dòh fèh aíge dòh fafwir énnas gòh dw′gwh amrî ágys afy′fwir ffên dôf àn gàch âit a danagyfwîd eìr iàd.
Tar gaċ ní as coir do an foġar dilios
- ↑ i.e., from birth to death.
