liom an ḟaid do ḃeinn ag innsint an sgéil duit, ⁊ in’ ionad soin is aṁla do ċuiris do ḃean ins an luaċair ċum naċ feicfinnse í,” ⁊ do riṫ sé i ndiaiḋ Ḃearċáin. Do iarr Bearċán air a leaṫsgeul do ġaḃáil, ⁊ do ḋeiṁniġ sé ḋo naċ raiḃ ḟios aige féin a ḃean ḃeiṫ ’sa luaċair, ⁊ níor innis Fionn Mac Cuṁaill níos mó d’á sgeul dó ṫar a éis sin.
NOTES.
This idiom is frequently used in Munster. The corresponding phrases in Connanght and Ulster are ag éirġe aosta, ag éirġe lag, ag fás lga.
In Leaṫ-Cuinn, moṫuiġ is more usual.
This phrase has become in Munster equivalent to a simple preposition in meaning = to, e.g. Thainig sé ag triall orm, he came to me, ċuireas ag triall air, I sent it to him.
Synonymous with d’ḟiaċaiḃ.
Munster form of raċad.
Ionntaoiḃ, confidence or trust. Muiniġin is rather confidence in the sense of hope.
I will now stretch (myself) by, cf. tá mé fliuċ ṫríom, lean díot, &c.
Iompáil = iompoḋ, turning.
Féin = even, here, and must be taken with what follows, and not with m’ordóg. Therefore the translation is “but my thumb was burnt even to the marrow,” cf. D’íosaḋ cat sleaṁain féin fadóg, a sleek cat would eat even a taper (Proverbs in next No.), and níor ḟágadar féin fiú an ġarraiḋe, they did not leave even (féin) the potato patch (Gaelic Journal, vol. iii., No. 30, p. 83, and note on p. 84).
Tarna = dara. Darna is the form used in Connaught, Ulster and Scotland.
Cos liom my foot. So infra ar ġlún leis = ar a ġlún.
Who was twice as big as myself.
For do ġluaiseas. So also do ġlaoḋaiġ (near the beginning) for do ġlaoḋ, do éistiġ (near the end) for d’éist.
I gcoinniḃ = i gcoinne. fala=balla.
Go ndeaġais = go ndeaċais. Foiġneaċ = foiġideaċ. Móir-ṫimċioll, all round about, round and round. In some parts of Munster this is pronounced móir-timċioll, and in others, móir-dtimċioll. The preposition i, in, appears to be omitted. If this be so, the phrase would literally signify “in a great circuit.”
I bplaic a ṁuinéil, in the soft part of his neck. I mbaic a ṁuinéil occurs in Siamsa an ġeiṁriḋ.
Peculiar verbal forms:—codólfad for coideolad, ċogónfainn for ċoigeonainn (codaileoġad, ċogaineoġainn are more often heard).
Do ċonnac, d’a ḃfeaca, ní ḟeaca, duḃart, go dtánag, ’nuair a ṫánag, ’nuair a ċuala-sa. In these instances we see the use of the old forms of the past tenses (1st sing. ) of irreg. verbs. These survive only in Munster, the later forms ċonnacas, dá ḃfacas, &c., being used elsewhere. Naċ throughout should rather have been spelt ná, as pronounced in Munster.
An Laoideaċ.
PROVERBS.
From Co. Kerry.—Tionnlacaḋ na n-óinseaċ, two or more fools in company, or doing any act together. Fear na m-bróg bí amuiġ, the application is—all the rough, laborious work must be done by the hack or drudge. Biḋeann an raṫ a n-diaiḋ an ċeirniṁ, there is luck in complaining. Níor ċuaiḋ an duaṫal i muḋa air aoinne riaṁ, a person who does not know how to do a thing is sure to do it wrong. (Duaṫal for the more usual word tuaṫal=awkwardness). Ní ṫéiḋeann stoirm ṫar Doṁnaċ ná raḃarta ṫar Diaceadaoine, a storm does not go beyond Sunday, nor a spring-tide beyond Wednesday. Is feárr súil le glas ná súil le h-uaiġ, a person may be expected to return some time from a prison, or from a foreign country; but there are no expectations from the grave. ’Sé an ċóir a ḋeineann é, it is a sign of good feeding and care to see a cow or heifer jumping and running in a field, a horse prancing, &c. Taḃair rud do’n ġárlaċ agus tiocfaiḋ sé a m-báraċ, give to the child, and it will visit you again. Is mairg a ḃiḋeann síos an ċeud lá, woe to him who is down the first day (in a fight). Ní ceart an t-uisge salaċ a ċur amaċ, nó go d-taḃairfear an tuisge glan aisteaċ, throw not away even that which is bad, until you get something better. Caiṫfiḋ duine géilleaḋ dá ḃacaiġeaċt, one must yield to one's lameness. Smaċtfaḋ gaċ aoinne an ḃean ṁíonáireaċ aċt an té go m-biḋeann sí aige, everyone save he who has her would chastise the
