SSvSMtaMMAvivMB

mu

;

nts.

3

Cornell IniueraitH SIthrargStifuta,

SJmb fork

BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE

SAGE ENDOWMENT FUNDTHE GIFT OF

HENRY W. SAGE1891

Cornell University Library

QK

13.C18 1900Ir

The Gaelic names of plants (Scottish

3 1924 001 376 171

B

H

Cornell University Library

The

original of this

book

is in

the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright

restrictions intext.

the United States on the use of the

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924001376171

THE GAELIC NAMES OF PLANTS.

JOHN

CAMERON

THE GAELIC NAMES OF PLANTS(SCOTTISH, IRISH,

AND MANX),

COLLECTED AND ARRANGED IN SCIENTIFIC ORDER, WITH NOTES ON THEIR ETYMOLOGY, USES, PLANT SUPERSTITIONS, ETC., AMONG THE CELTS, WITH COPIOUS GAELIC, ENGLISH,

AND

SCIENTIFIC INDICES,

JOHN ^CAMERON,SUNDERLAND."What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet."

Shakespeare.

NEW AND

REVISED

EDITION.

GLASGOWJOHNMACKAY,I

:

"CELTIC

MONTHLY"DRIVE.

OFFICE,

BLYTHSWOOD1900.

[All Sights Reserved.]Fo-

"

I

study to bring forth somerare

acceptable

work

:

not striving toto

shew any

invention that passeth * man's capacity, but

utter

and receive matter of some moment known and talked of long ago,yet over long hath been buried, and, asfruit itit

seemed, lain dead, for anyChurch-ward, 1588.

hath shewed in the

memory

of man."

TO

THE MEMORYOF

MY DEAR WIFEI

DEDICATE

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

The

Gaelic'

Names

of Plants, reprinted from a series of articles

in the

Scottish Naturalist,' which have appeared during the last

four years, are published at the request of

many who wish

to

have

them

There might, perhaps, be grounds for hesitation in obtruding on the public a work of this description, which can only be of use to comparatively few ; butin

a more convenient form.

the fact that no book exists containing a complete catalogue ofGaelic names of plantsin this separate form.that,is

at least

Moreover,

some excuse for their publication it seemed to many able botanistsit

both for

scientific

and

philological reasons,

would be very

desirable that an attempt should be

made

to collect such

names

as

areit

still

used in the spoken Gaelic of Scotland and Ireland, beforelate

became too

by the gradual disappearance of the language.this task at the request of the

Accordingly the author undertookIf the difficulties of

Editor of the 'Scottish Naturalist,'its

Dr Buchanan Whyte,itis,

F.L.S.

accomplishment had been foreseen, he

would have hesitatedlaries,

to

make

the attempt; as

nearly ten

years of his life have been occupied in searching through vocabu-

reading Irish and Scottish Gaelic, and generally trying tointo

bring

order the

confusion

to

which these names have

been reduced, partly by the carelessness of the compilers of To Dictionaries, and frequently by their botanical ignorance. accomplish this, numerous journeys had to be undertaken amongthe Gaelic-speaking populations, in order, if possible, to settle disputed names, to fix the plant to which the name was applied, andto collect others previously unrecorded.

In studying the Gaelic nomenclature of plants, it soon became evident that no collection would be of any value unless the Irish-

Indeed when the lists supplied Gaelic names were incorporated. (Mac-Mhaighster-Alastair), published in by Alexander Macdonald

Vlll

PREFACE.

his vocabulary in 1741, are examined, they are

found

to correspond

with those in

much

older vocabularies published in Ireland.

The

same remarkLightfoot's'

applies, with a

few exceptions,

to the

names of plants

in Gaelic supplied

by the Rev.

Mr

Stewart of Killin, given in

Flora Scotica.'in the

Undoubtedly, the older names haveCeltic literature of Ireland;it

been preservedis

more copious

certainly true that

"In vetustd Hibernicd, fundamentum habet"

the investigations of Professor O'Curry, O'Donovan, and others,

have thrown muchtopics.

upon many other Celtic included, and spelt according to the various methods adopted by the different this gives the appearance of a want of uniformity to authoritieslight

on

this as well as

The;

Irish

names

are

therefore

the spelling not altogether agreeable to Gaelic scholars, but which,

under the circumstances, was unavoidable.It

was absolutely

essential that the existing Gaelic

names should

be assigned correctly. The difficulty of the ordinary botanical student was here reversed he has the plant but cannot tell the:

name

here the namename

existed, but the plant required to

be found

to which thetheir original

applied.

Again, names had been altered from;

form by transcription and pronunciation

it

became

a matter of difficulty to determine the root word.

However, the recent progress of philology, the knowledge of the laws that govern the modifications of words in the brotherhood of Europeanlanguages,

when applied

to these

names, rendered the explanationCelts

given not altogether improbable.(1), their uses; (2), their

named

plants often from

appearance;

(3), their habitats; (4), their

superstitious associations, &c.

naming was the keyselected

that

The knowledge of opened many a difficulty.

this habit

of

For the sake of comparison a number of Welsh names is given, from the oldest list of names obtainable those appended

to Gerard's 'Herbalist,' 1597.

The author cannot

sufficiently express his obligation to

numerous

correspondents in the Highlands and in Ireland for assistance in gathering local names ; without such help it would have beenimpossible to

Notably the Rev. A. whose knowledge of natural history is unsurpassed in his own sphere the Very Rev. Canon Bourke, Claremorris, who gave most valuable assistance in the Irish names,Stewart, Nether Lochaber,;

make

a complete collection.

particularly in the

etymology of many abstruse terms, his accurate

PREFACE.scholarship, Celtic

IX

and

classical,

helping him over

many a

difficulty.

Mr W.

Brockie, an excellent botanist

years ago

made

a collection

and philologist, who some of Gaelic names of plants which wasthis

unfortunately destroyed, placed at the author's disposal valuablenotes'

and information

relative to'

subject;

and

lastly,

theits

accomplished Editor of the

Scottish Naturalist,' who,

from

commencement, edited theorder of the whole.

sheets

and secured the correct

scientific

this work as free from some have escaped attention any names omitted, any mistake in the naming of the

With every desire to make

errors as

possible, yet, doubtless,

;

therefore,plants, orthis sub-

any other fact tending towards the further elucidation ofject will

be thankfully received for future addition, correction, or

amendment.

JOHN CAMERON.Sunderland, January,i88j.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

This

edition

is

largely

extended by additional Gaelic,

Irish,

and

Manx namesscientific

of plants, the greatest care being taken to fix the exact

the popular plant and flower names. names are added, mainly from Threlkeld's 'Synopsis Stirpium Hibernicarum* (1728); also Manx names from list published in 'Yn Lioar Manninagh,' by Messrs. Moore, Quayle, other names are to be found in the Manx Ralfe, Roeder, etc.equivalents ofIrish

Many more

;

dictionaries, but they are not to

be relied on.

With respectinfallibility of

to the etymologies of

many

of the Gaelic

names

the author rather suggests than maintains withthe etymologies given.

much

tenacity the

A

book

that purposes to

deal with the legends and superstitions of plants could not ignorealtogether the popular idea of the

meaning of the names.

Not-

withstanding the great results of recent Celtic scholarship,

many

terms are obscure and impossible of explanation.very

dictionary fame, in a recent speech said that the fact was,little

about etymology and the way init

Dr Murray, of we knew which words had arisen.but

After the discovery of Sanskrit,roots existedthis(if

was fondly supposed that Aryan;

they could be found) for most of our wordsall

does not apply to

English or Gaelic words.

This book aims

at giving in

a condensed form as

much

informa-

tion as possible (regarding the subject

of the legends, superstitions,diffusion of the

from a Celtic point of view) plant lore, uses, medicinal value, and

knowledge of simples among the Celtic peasantry.poetic quotations have been revised

Clan badges have been re-examined and determined with moreaccuracy.

The

and

errors

corrected, thanks toCelticliterature),

Mr Henry Whyte (the well-known Fionn of to whom the author, as well as all Gaelic

scholars, is

under a deep obligation.

PREFACE.

XI

WithPlants"years.

this the

author finishes his study of the

'

Gaelic

a

subject that has occupied his spare time for

Names of many

JOHN CAMERON.Sunderland, March,igoo.

At the request ofinserted

several of the subscribers, the publisher has

a

portrait

of the

author,

by Mr. R. E. Ruddock,

Newcastle-on-Tyne.

LIST OP SUBSCRIBERS,

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Burgess, Captain A., Gairloch, Ross-shire

Burns, Robert

J.,

M.R.C.S

,

Sunderland

Burns, William,

J. P.,

Sunderland

Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron, Cameron,

Angus, Blair-Atholl (2 copies) Archibald, Sunderland A. E., Sunderland C, New York, U.S.A. C. J., Sunderland D., Jersey City, U.S.A. Donald A., Southland, New Zealand E. G., Philadelphia, U.S.A. H. R., Sunderland Captain John, Fort William J. W., New York, U.S.A.Mrs.,

Hyde

Park,

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Paul, Pitlochrie

Robert, M.P., LondonT.,

New York, U.S.A. Campbell, Sir Duncan, of Barcaldine, Bart. Campbell, James A., of Barbreck Campbell, Miss S., Oude, India Chisholm, Mrs. Maria F., of GlassburnChristie, A., J.P., Falkirk

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Zealand

XIV

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Davies, L. R., Sunderland

Dempsey, Cormac, New York, U.S.A. Dewar, Rev. James, The Manse, ArroquharDuffy, James,

&

Co., Booksellers,

DublinJ.

Dundee Free

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Alderman, J. P., Sunderland Farquharson, Mrs., M. R. M. S., of Houghton Fenwick, J. C, L.R.C.P., Sunderland Fowler, Dr., SunderlandGateshead Public Library (per H. E. Johnston) Gilhome, William, Sunderland Gordon, H. Panmure, London Gourley, Sir Edward, M.P., Sunderland

Gowland, C.

J.,

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LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.

XV

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Macrae, Murdoch, Gairloch, Ross-shireMacrae-Gilstrap, Major John, Argyllshire Morrison, Hew, for Edinburgh Public Library

Morison, Dr.

W.

M., Annfield Plains

Newcastle-on-Tyne Public Library Newcastle-on-Tyne Literary and Philosophical Society (per HenryRichardson)

Newton, G, Bournemouth Nicholson, John S., South ShieldsPotts,

Edward, Sunderlandfor Public Library,

Pierce, Ellis, Bookseller, Dolyddelen,

Pyke,

J.,

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Robson,

S.,

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C, Mus. Doc,

New

College, Oxford

Vincent, G., Sunderland Vincent, William, Sunderland

THE GAELIC NAMES OF PLANTS.

EXO GEN S.RANUNCULACEjE.Thalictrum.GaelicIrish::

(0a\\., tO'

same

most of the ancient languages ; said to be fromruith, flow, rush; their roots, especially T.

flow; Gaelic

flavum,

possessing powerful cathartic qualities like rhubarb.also ru, run, a secret, mystery, love, desire, grace.

Compare

Welsh: runa,is

hieroglyphics (Runic).

The Thalictrum

of Pliny

supposed touile

be the meadow-rue." Oir a ta1

luibhean.'

(See Freund's Lexicon.) sibh a toirt deachaimh a moinnt, agus a rii, agus gach For ye tithes mint and rue, and all manner of herbs,lossery

ghn&

Manx: yn"

dy gkrayse.of rue, sour

The herb

of grace, used for

sprinkling holy water.I'll set

a

bank

herb of grace."

Shakespeare.

graveolens

The Rue of Shakespeare is generally supposed to be Ruta (Ru garaidh), a plant belonging to another order, and

not indigenous.Hepatica.

Dike Aubrinnfor "

(Threl), dike

is

written for " Dtthean"It

and Aubrinn

Abraoin

"

April, the April flower.

blooms'

early in the Spring.

Anemone nemorosa.

Wind-flower,

wind-flower (Armstrong).

Gaelic: pliir na gaoithe, Welsh: Uysiaur gwynt, wind-flower:

Irish nead because some of the species prefer windy habitats. woman's nest. Nead is an alteration of the old caillich, oldIrish neidh, the

wind; and Cailleach, theto

first

then the wind flower begins

bloom.

week in Spring Manx: /us ny geayee,

wind

wort.

Ranunculus,

From

Latin, rana, a frog, because

some of the A

:

species inhabit

humid

places

frequented

by that creature, or

because some of the plants have leaves resembling in shape afrog'sfoot.

Ranunculusfamily.

is

also

sometimes called crowfoot.

The Buttercupleaves.

Gaelic: cearban, raggy,

Gair-cean, Gairghin

fromuisge,

gair, a crow.

from its divided Welsh era/range:

yfran, crows' claws.R. aquatilis

Manx: spag sfeeach,crowfoot.

raven's claw.:

Waterspear,chis,

Gaelic fleann uisge, probablywater,

from leanna, aKaibhne, the

and

Waterspear.

Ms,

river-flax.

Irish: neul uisge,

tuir,

a lord;

purse (fromstill

plant generally grows in

Tuir numerous achenes). This water or ponds the flowers formingneul,

Lion na

a

star.

its

a beautiful sheet of white on the surface.

R

ficaria

Lesser celandine.Irish:

Gaelic

:

grain-aigein, that

whicha pig.

produces loathing.toddedig wen,

gran arcain

;

gran, grain

;

arc,

Searraiche (Armstrong), according to O'Reilly, Searraigh.fire

Welshlittle

dissolvent; toddi,

melt,

dissolve.is

This&c.;

buttercup, oftener called the "pilewort,"flowers.Its roots are still

one of ourpiles, corns,

earliest

used as a cure forGaelic:

R. flammula

Spearwort.Lus

a swamp. swamp, alus

Lasair-hanaspear.

lasair, ayIt

glas-leunflame,

glas,

green

leun,

and leana or

leun,

a

Welsh: blaershleig.

guaew, lance-point.

Manx

y

binjey, rennet wort.

was one of the plants formerly used(In Scotch Gaelic, sleagh, a spear.)

for curdling milk.

R. Auricomusfollais,

Goldilocks.:

Gaelic follasgain ; probably from:

conspicuous.

Irish foloscain,

a tadpole.

The

Gaelic

may be

a corruption from the Irish, or vice versd; also gruag

Mhuire, Mary's locks.R. repensone.Irish:

Creepingbairgin,

crowfoot.

Gaelic: buigheag, the yellowbairghin, a pilgrim's habit.

Fearban

fearba,

more frequently

killing, destroying.

The whole

of this family

are full of acrid, poisonous juices.

R. acris

UprightIrish:

meadow

crowfoot.

Gaelic

:

cearban febir,

the grass rag.

the same name.

This plant and R. flam-

mula were usedraising blisters,

in the Highlands, applied in rags (cearban), for

R.tuile)

Bulbosus

Bulbous

crowfoot.

Gaelic(it

:

fuile

(sometimessoil).

thalmhuinn, blood of the earth

exhausts the

B..

Sceleratus

Celery-leaved

crowfoot.

Gaelic

and

Irish:

iorachas biadhain ; probably means food of which one would be.afraid.

Caltha palustris

Marsh

marigold.

Gaelic: a chorrach shod,

the clumsy one of the marsh.

Threlkeld has "corr a h'ot" applied

to the bog bean (Menyanthes).yellow plant of Beltane orteine, fire.

Mayfire

The name" Beith

survives in

Lus bhuidhe Bealltuinn, the Bel or Baal, the sun-god, and many Gaelic names e.g., Tulliof Baal.

Jjeltane,

the high place of the

a's calltuinn ]3.tha.-Bealltuinn."first

Mackay.Irish:

Birch and hazel

day of May.

Bearnan Bealltuinn.j>lubairsin

The

orbicular leaves are notched.

from plubrach, plunging.

Lus Main,

Marywort,

Marygold.

charm

against fairiesviridis.

Manx: Blughtyn. Lus and witches.

airh, gold weed,

used as a

Helleborus

Green hellebore.

Gaelic: elebor, a corruphelein, to

tion of helleborus (from the

Greek eXXe,

cause death;

and

/3o/>os,

boros,

food

poisonous food).

Dathabha, O'Reilly,

Dahough

(Threlkeld),

and Dahou ban (Threl)

dropwort.

These

three names, though differently spelt, evidently refer to something

common

to the plants so

that they are all violently poisonous.

by the ancientavengetheir

Celts to

named, the predominant quality being The "hellebore" was used poison the arrows, and the "dropwort" to

enemies by poison.

do with the names.

Dath colour has not anything to More probably dath or dbth to burn, to seize,

and, in Irish Gaelic, daitheoir, an avenger.

Many

plants of the

hellebore family are noted for producing blisters, and were formerly

used for that purpose.H. fcetidus

Manx

:

blaa Nolic, Christmas flower.

Stinking hellebore.

Meacan

sleibhe,1

the hill-plant.

Aquilegia vulgarisdove's plant.Irish:

cruba-leisin

Columbine. Gaelic: lus a cholamain, the from cruba, crouching, andleise,

thigh or haunch; suggested by the form of the flower.

xholam (O'Reilly), pigeon's flower. woman's foot. Manx lus yn ushtey:

Lusan Welsh: troed y glomen, nakedvio,

plant of the living water.

Aconitum napellus{Shaw),thewolf's

monkshood.choke.

mhadhaidh Currachd manaich (Armstrong), Welsh: bleiddag from bleidd, a wolf, and tag,Gaelic: fuathaversion.

Monkshood.

Nigella damascena

Chase-the

devil.

Gaelic: /us an fhbgraidhT

the pursued plant.

Irish: /us tnhic Raonai/,in gardens.

MacRonald's

wort..

Not indigenous, but commonPseonia officinalis

Peony.who

Gaelicfirst

:

/us a phione.it

A corruption*

and cured' Welsh b/adeu'r brenin, Irish: /us phoine. the king's flower. Meacan easa beanine, female peony and meacan easa firine, male peony. Oldof Pceon, the physicianPlato of a

used

in medicine,:

wound;

inflicted

by Hercules.

herbalists used to distinguish between

two

varieties of the

peony,

and named them male and female. This was a mere fanciful distinction, and had no reference to the real functions of the stamens and pistils of plants but yet there existed a vague idea from time immemorial that fecundation was in some degree;

analogous to sexual relationship,allusions as

as

in

animals

hence("Wood

suchbull,"

"Tarbk

coi//e"

"

Dair na

coil/e,'' etc.

"Fecundation of the wood.")BERBERIDACE^E.Berberis vulgaris

Barberry.

Gaelic: barbrag (a corruption'

from Arabic barbdris, the barberrythe sour berry- bush.barbrog.

tree. Preas nan geur dhearc, Preas dei/gneach, the prickly bush. Irish:

NYMPH^EACE^E.

(From

vv/ufrfj,

nymphe, a water-nymph, referring to their habitats.)alba

Nymphsea

Whiteleaf.

water- lily

Gaelic

:

dui/kag bhaite bhan,

the drowned white

Cuirinin (O'Reilly).is

"Feur

lochain

tachair,

An

cinn an duilleag bhhite."algae,

Macintyre.

Water, grass, and

Where

the water-lily grows.righ

"0

lili, lily,

namrose.

fliiran."

Macdonald.

OBiorrbs,

king of flowers.

meaning waterIrish

Rabhagach, giving caution orlily.

warning; a beacon.water-lily.:

Li/i bhan, white

Welsh: Li/ir-dwfr,

buU/ite (Shaw).water-lily.leaf.

Nuphar luteum.Yellowbhuidhe, the yellowwater-lily.

drowned

Gaelic: dui/kag bhaite Li/i bhuidhe ' uisge, yellow

Irish: liach /oghar, the bright flag.

Cabhan abhainn

cabhan, a hollow plain; and abhainn, of the river.

:

PAPAVERACEjE.

Papaver rhoeas

Poppy.le

a

little

pestle (to

Gaelic meilbheag, sometimes beilbheag, which the capsule has some resemblance).:

"Le

meilbheag,

neoinean,

's

le slan-lus."

Macleod.Cromlus,

With a poppy,Jothros, corn-rose

daisy,

and

rib-grass.

fromnam

ioth (Irish), corn; rbs, rose.

bent weed.of

Paipean ruadh

ruadh, red; and paipean a corruptionThejuicesleep.

papaver, from papa, pap, or pappo, to eat of pap.Irish: blath

was formerly put into children's food to make thempabi.

Welsh

bodaigh, old men's flower.

Cathleach-

.dearg (O'Reilly).

Cochcifoidedevil's

(Shaw).eye.

Corn poppy.red,

Welsh

Jlygad

y

cythraul, the

Cathleach

connected with cathlunn corn and dearg.altogether dubious

may perhaps be but Shaw's name isGaelic:codalian,

and meaningless.

P. somniferuiri

Common

opium poppy.

from codal orP.

cadal, sleep.

Collaidin ban, white poppy.

nigram sativummajusis

Paipean

dubh,

black

poppy.

Manx:of

Jus

y

chadlee, the plant for sleep.

Chelidoniumhead.

CommonWelsh:

celandine

(a

corruption

XeAiSwu, chelidon, a swallow).

Gaelic: an ceann ruadh, the redIrish: lacha

Theis

flower

yellow, not red.

cheann ruadh,swallow-wort.

the red-headed duck.Aonsgochswallow-floweraon,

llysie

y

wennol,

another Gaelica

name

for

swallow-wort,

meaningScotch

swallow; and sgoth,

a flower.

Gaelic name for a swallow, ainlag.

Manx

:

/us

y

ghollan gheayee,

swallow herb, formerly used by herbalists as a cure for cancer.

Glaucium luteum Yellow horned poppy. Gaelic: barrag The flower is yellow, not ruadh (?), the valiant or strong head.red.

FUMARIACEjE..(From fumus, smoke.

"The smoketoterre.

of these plants being saidevil

by the ancientspirits" (Jones)

exorcists

have the power of expelling

French: fume

Fumaria

officinalis

Fumitory.Welsh:

Gaelic

:

lus deathach

thalmhuinn thalmhuinn

(Armstrong), the earth-smoke plant.(O'Reilly), earth-smoke..allusion

Irish: deatach

mwg y ddaer,

earth-smoke.

The

being to the disagreeable smell of the plant when burning.Irish

Another

name is caman scarraigh (O'Reilly)

caman, crooked,

and scaradh, to

Fuaim an f Siorraigh, a humorous play Manx: booa-ghodayn. Main on the words "fumaria officinalis." tenagh (Threl) It is difficult to know the meaning implied in thisBy main is probably meant magh, field; and peculiar name. The field fire, instead of "earth by tenagh, our word teine, fire.scatter.

a.

smoke."

It

grows often in potato and cornfields, with small

emerald leaves and pink flowers.

A

variety of

it

grows frequentlyan:

on old thatchedflowers,

roofs,

having long fragile stems and small whitishin

and

is

known

some

places by the

names of Fliodh

tugha and Fliodh mbr

(Corydalis claviculata).CRUCIFERjE.

(From Latinof this order.

crvx, cruris, a cross;

and

fero,

to bear, the petals

being arranged crosswise).

Wallflowers and stocks are examples-

Crambe maritimapot-herb

from theyo.v\o;

Seakale.caulis;

Gaelic praiseag tragha, the shore:

Irish praiseach, Gaelic praiseag, a little pot (a

common nameGreek,

for pot-herbs).Latin,

English, cole or kale; Irish, cal;

Cal na mara, seakale (from German, kohl; Saxon, cawl,~ Welsh, cowl; Manx, caal hraie,ancient Celts used to stain theirIts pale

shore kale.Isatis tinctoria

Woad.

The

bodies with a preparation from this plant.Gaelic: guirmean, the blue one:

blue hue was

supposed to enhance their beauty, according to the fashion of thetime.lus,

pale-blue weed.

Irish and Gaelic: glas Welsh glas lys. Formerly called Glastum. "Is glas mo Iuaidh." Ossian.Pale-blueis

the subject ofits

my

praise.

On

account of the brightness ofcalledit

manufactured colours, the

Celts

gwed

(guede in French to this day (whence the

Saxon

wad andIrish

the English woad.

Thlaspi arvensepot-herb.:

Penny

cress.

Gaelic

:

praiseach feidh, deer's-

preaseach fiadh, a deer's pot-herb

Oapsella Bursa-pastorisfola,

Shepherd'sbugail,

purse.

Gaelic:

lus

naa

the blood-weed; an sporan, the purse.star.

Irish: sraidin,

spark or

Welsh pwrs y:

shepherd's purse (bugail,

from GreekCochlearia

/3iikoAos, a

shepherd).

officinalisbitter.

Scurvy

Latin

:

amarus,

grass. Gaelic: am maraich. Carran, the thing for scurvy, possessing;

;

:

antiscorbutic properties.(Stuart).

(Stuart in

"Plaigh na carra," the plague of leprosy "Duine aig am bheil carr," a man who has the scurvy Lev.) Manx: lus-y-vinniag, pinch herb. Kelly explainslividity called dead men's no more than the symptoms of scurvy.llysie'r

"minniag" or "minniag merrin" as thatnips or pinches, whichis

Welsh: mor Iwyau, sea-spoons;blwg, scurvy).

Irish: biolair traghaIt

blwg, scurvy-grass (from

bio/air, dainty;

and tragha,

shore or sea-shore.

grows also on mountain tops.

ar, land;

Armoracia rusticana ( Armoracia, a name of Celtic origin, "from mor or mar, the sea; ris, near to)." This derivation is doubtful. English horse-radish. Gaelic meacan each, the horse: :

plant.rotcoll

Irish:

racadal,

perhaps the same as

rotocal.

Scotch:

(Macbain).

Raphanus raphanistrumwild radish.

Radish.

Gaelic

:

meacan ruadh, theIrish:

reddish plant, from the colour of the root.

fiadh

roidis,

Raidis (Armstrong).

Curran dhearg

(O'Reilly), the

red root.R. maritimus

Raibhe

Sea radish.

Irish

:

meacan ragum

usee (O'Reilly).

radish,

from Latin raphanus.

Cardamine pratensissome,pretty.

Cuckoois

flower, ladies'

smock.

Gaelic:

plur na cubhaig, the cuckoo-flower.

Gleoran, from gleote, handwell.

The name

given to other cresses as

Biolair-

ghriagain, the bright sunny dainty.

Cakile

maritimum

Sea

gill y-flower

rocket.

Gaelic fearsaid:

eag; meaning uncertain, but probably from Irish saide, a seat(Latin, sedes), thesitting individual

from

its

procumbent

habit.

Gearr bochdan.Nasturtiumor thatofficinalis

Water-cress.to

Gaelic

:

biolair,

a dainty,

which causes the nose:

smart, hence agreeing withtortus,

nasturtium, (Latin

nasus, the nose,lus, plant.

dur, water, andberwyr dwfr,

and

Dobhar-lus

dobhar,

tormented.water.

Durlus Welsh

water-cress.

The

Gaelic and Irish bards used these

names

indefinitely for all cresses.

" 'S a bhiolair luidneach, shliom-chluasach. Glas, chruinn-cheannach, chaoin ghorm-neulachIsi

fas glan, uchd-ard, gilmeineach,

Fuidh barr geal iomlan,

sonraichte. "

Macintyre.

:

8Its drooping,

smooth, green, round-leaved water-cress growing so radiantly,;

treast-high, trimly

under

its

remarkably perfect white flower.

"Dobhrach bhallach mhln." Macintyre.

Biorardwr.garden

Bior-fheir,Berwr,cress.

Smooth-spotted water-cress."water-cress.;

Bior, water.

Welsh

:

cress

dwr, water.

Biolar Frang

French cress orin Scotland

Berwr y

A

curious old superstition respecting the power of this plant as

a charm to facilitate milk-stealing wasIreland.

common

and

"Not long

ago,

an old woman was found, on a

May

morning, at a springpersons

well, cutting the tops of water-cresses

with acertain

pair of scissors, muttering strange words,

who hadthinesprig,is

cows, also the wordsmine).

"

and the names of'.S

leamsa leth do chuid-

sa'' (half

She repeated these words as often as

she cut a

which personated the individual she intended to

rob of his milk and cream." "Some women make use of the root of groundsel as an amulet against such charms, by putting itcress*'

amongst the cream." Martin. formed a most importantIf they

Among

the poorer classes, watertheir ordinary food.

auxiliary to

found a plot of water-cresses or shamrock, there they flocked as to a feast for the time." Spencer.

Virgin Mary's fennel.jiargey,flux-herb,

Sisymbrium Sophia Flixweed. Gaelic: fineal Mhuire, the Welsh piblys, pipe-weed. Manx lus-y: :

used for curing

flux.

Flux was a terriblein the

scourge in Britain and the Isle ofeighteenth centuries.

Man

seventeenth and

Erysimumhedgegarlick.

alliaria

and officinalis Garlic mustard, saucerough,threatening.chleigee,

alone.

Gaelic: garbhraitheach,

Gairleach colluid,

Manx

:

mustard

hedge mustardGaelic:

Cheiranthus cheiri Wallflower,

gilly-flower.:

lus leth

an t-samhraidh, half the summer plant. Irish the same Welsh Moden gorphenaf, July flower or gilly-flower. Wedgewood saysgilly-floweris

from the FrenchSt.

giroflee.

Manx: blaa yn(O'Reilly).

eail Eoin,

the flower of

John's Feast.

Matthiola incanaStock"

Stock.

Pincin

The "QueenIrish,

of the gardens, well

known

to every one.

Brassica rapa

Common

turnip.

Gaelic,

neup;

neip;

Welsh, maipen; Scotch, neep (and navew, French, navet); corruptions from Latin napus.

9B.

campestris

Wildof

navew.

Gaelic:

neup fhiadhain,

wild

turnip.

B. oleraceabhaidhe, the

Sea-kale or cabbage.pot-herbthesea,its

Gaelic and Irish

:

praiseach

mor (Welsh), tolbhairt the kale withMorranplant,

the wave (baidhe, inhabitat

Irish,

a wave).

the

seaside.

Chi

stout fleshy stalks (from colbh, a stalk of

a

and

art, flesh), cal ox cadhal.

Welsh: caw/,

kale.

Gaelic:

cal-cearslack

(cearslack,

globular),

cabbage; cal gruidhean (withlittle

grain like flowers), cauliflower; colag (a

cabbage), cauliflower;

garadh

cail,

a kitchen garden.

Rotheach tragha (O'Reilly).

" 'Dh 'itheadh biolair an fhuarain Macdonald. 'S air bu shuarach an chl." That would eat the cress of the wells,

AndSinapis

consider kale contemptible.

arvensis

Charlock,shlol

wild

mustard.

Gaelic:

bhuidhe or amharag, from amh, raw or pungent.

Sceallan

maragsceall,

a

shield.

Sgealag (Shaw)

sgealpach, biting.

Mustard-from

the

English.

" Mar ghrkinne de

mustaird."

Stuart.

Like a grain of mustard-seed.

The mustardnaconachta

of Scripture, " Salvadora persica," was a tree twentyit

feet high, therefore

could not be our mustard.

Cas or GasGaelic:

(O'Reilly).

Cas an thunnagta (Threl).

praiseach garbh, the rough pot-herb.

Subularia aquaticabogawl,

RuideogMay

is

given

by O' Donovanin

"as

a

kind

of

butterweed growingwort.It is a

bogs (County of

Monaghan)."

Awl

possibly be from the old Irish4

name

ruit,

a dart or short spear.

small plant found inIt rarely

shallow edges of alpine ponds and lakes.

exceeds two

or three inches in height, leaves cylindrical, slender, and pointedlike little awls,

hence the name awl wort.

RESEDACE^.

Beseda luteolaWeld, yellow weed.the large

Gaelic

:

lus buidhe mbr,

yellow

weed.dye-wort.

Irish:

buidhe mbr, the

large

yellow.

Welsh

:

llysie lliu,

Reseda, from Latin resedo.CISTACEjE.

(From Greek-capsules.

/a'cn-17,

kiste,

a box or capsule, fromciste.

.their peculiar

Latin: cista

Gaelic:

Danish:

kiste.)

Helianthemum vulgarerose; pliir

Rock-rose.

Gaelic: grian rbs, sun-

na

grkine, flower of the

sun (also heliotrope).

Welsh:

blodawfr haul, sun-flower,

Badge of the Clan Fergusson.violace^e.

(From Greek

lov,

ion,

a violet

the

food given to the cow, Io r

one of Jupiter's mistresses.)Viola odorata

Sweet

violet.

Gaelic: fdil-chuach,

scented

bowl; jaile, scent, and cuach, a bowl hollow as a nest; also cuckoo.Scotch: quaich, cogie (dim.), a drinking-cup.

Manx:

blaa

villish,

sweet bloom. " Faile chuachaig

ar uachdar an fheoir."

Macfarlane.

Scented violet on the lop of the grass.

V. canina afield).

Dog-violet.:

Gaelic: dail chuach, field-bowl (dail,.

Danish

dal, a valley.

" Gun sobhrach gun dail chuach.

Gun

lus uasal air earn."

Macintyre.

Without primrose or violet, Or a gay flower on the heap.

Sail chuach

sail,

a.

heel (fromis

its

spur), cuckoo's heel.

" Coille

guirme sail chuach."

Old Song.;

AIrish:

wood where

violets are bluest.

biodh a leithid, the world's paragonfaint,

also fanaisge, probably

from fann, weak,crinllys,

agreeing in meaning with the

Welsh name

a fragile weed.

V.

tricolor

Heart'Gaelic:

s-ease

pansy.

Irish:

goirmin searradh,

spring blue.shoe.

spbg,

no brbg na cubhaig, cuckoo's claw orchree, heart's ease.

Manx: kiunid fea ash

DROSERACEiE.

(From Greekasif

8/ooo-epos, droseros,

dewy, because the plants appear

covered with dew).

Drosero rotundifolia

Round-leaved

sundew.

Gaelic

:

rbs

anred

fsolais, sun-rose or flower; geald-ruidhe or dealt ruaidhe, very

dew;

lus

an Earnaich.

"Earnach" was the name givencaused by eating a poisonous herb

to

a

distemper

among

cattle,

some

say the sun-dew.

Others, again, aver the sun -dew was an effectual

remedy.dyeing the

This plant washair.

much employed among(eil,

Celtic tribes for

Irish: eil drtlichd

to rob,

and druichd, dew)

:

the one that robs the dew); drilkhdin mona, the

dew

of. the tolltwisted'

Manx:thread,

lus-y-driiight.

Welsh:

doddedig

rudddodd,

and rudd red, the plant being covered with red hairs. Drilchd na muine, the dew of the hill. Gil driugh (Threl) Our word, gille, a lad, a servant; and driichd, dew. This interestinglittle

plant

is

very

common

in

the Highlands, growingIt

among

the

white bog moss (sphagnum).

has

little

red spoon-like leaves,It

with red hairs, and always covered with dew drops.lives

grows and:

on small black

insects,

which are grasped and absorbed by

the leaves.

POLYGALACB^E,

(From Greekwort.

ttoXv, poly,

much; and yaAa,

gala, milk).

Polygala vulgarisIrish: lusan

Milk-wort.bainne,

Gaelic: lus a' bhainne, milk-

the

same meaning, alludingit.

to

the

reputed effects of the plants on cows that feed upon

CARYOPHYLLACE.E.Saponariaofficinalis

Soapwort, bruisewort.bitter,

Lus an fsiabuinn.usedto

The whole

plant

is

and was

formerly

cure

same meaning (sebon, soap). Manx: brellish heabinagh (brdlish wort). Soap wort. Latin sapo, so called probably because the bruised leaves produce lather like soap. Soap was a Celtic invention.cutaneous diseases.

Welsh:

sebonllys, the

"" Soap is good grease and ash."

Prorlest et sapo.

Gallorum hoc inventum.

Rutilandis capillis, ex sevo et cinere."

Pliny.

that invention

of the Gauls

for

reddening the hair out of

Lychnis flos-cuculileana, the

Ragged Robin.

Gaelic: pliir

the cuckoo flower; currachd na cubhaig, the cuckoo's

na cubhaig, hood caorag;

marsh spark.

L. diurnain

Red

campion.coille,

Gaelic: cirean

coilich,

cockscomb;

some

places corcan

red woodland flower.Gaelic: brbg na cubhaig, the cuckoo'sIothros, corncockle.

L. githagoshoe.cogall,1

Corn-cockle.cockle orits

Lus

loibheach, stinking weed.

rose.

Irishcoquille.

fromgith,

coch (Welsh), red;

hence

French:

Welsh:

seed,

a corruption from githago, or

vice versa.

1

Spergnla arvensiscluain,

Spurrey.lin,

Gaelici.e.,

:

cluain tin (also corran lin)flax.

fraud,is:

and

flax

fraudulous

Carran,

This plantLatin

sometimes called currachd na cubhaig, and cochalcucullus.

(hood or

cowl).

;

;

twisted or knotted, from kars, rough (Macbain).Irish:

Scotch: yarr.:

cabrois

cab, a

head

;

rois,

polished.

Manx

carran.

" Gun deanntag, gun charran " Without nettle or spurrey.

Macdonald.flige,

Arenaria alsine

Sandwort.

Gaelic

:

perhaps from

flige,

water, growing in watery or sandy places.

Stellaria

media

Chickweed.also flock,

Gaelic: fliodh, an excrescenceIrish:

(Armstrong), sometimes written fluth.fluich,

lia,:

wetting (Gaelic:

wet);

compare

soft

(Latinflig.

flaaus).

Welsh:

_gw/ydd, the soft or tender plant.S.

Manx:

holostea

Thesoft

greater stitchwort.

Gaelic: tiiirseach, sad.

dejected.

Irish:

titrsarrain,

the same meaning; and Stellaria

graminea,w/ydd, the

fiirsarranin, the lesser stitchwort.fair

Welsh:

y wenn-

stemmed

plant,

from gwenn and gw'ydd, soft

tender stem.Cherleria

sedoides

Mossy

cyphel,

found

plentifully

on Ben

Lawers.

No

Gaelic name, but sebrsa cbinich, a kind of moss.

Cerastium alpinum.an luch, mouse-ear.

Mouse-earedLINACEjE.

chickweed.

Gaelic:

cluas

Lirmrn usitatissimum

Flax.

Gaelic: lion, gen. singular,

lin.

Welsh:

"Greek Xivov and Latin linum, a thread, are derived from the Celtic." Loudon.//in,

" Iarraidh

i

olann agus lion,"

Stuartclos

(Job).

She

will desire

wool and's

flax.frois,

" Meirle

salainn

meirle

Meirl' o nach fhaigh

anam

Gus an teid an t-iasg air tir, Cha 'n fhaigh meirleach an lin

clos."

"This-especially-salt

illustrates

the

great

value

attached to

salt

and

lint,

among

a fishing population, at a timelint

when

the duty on

was excessive, and

was cultivated

in the Hebrides."

Sheriff

Nicolson.flax.

L.

catharticum Fairyflax;

Gaelic: /Ion

na mna

sith, fairyit

woman's supposed

miosach, monthly, from a medicinal virtue;

was

to possess

mionach, bowels

;

/us cao/ach, slender

weed

compare also cao/an, intestine (Latin: colon, the large Both names probably allude to its cathartic effects.Lightfoot's "Flora," gives these

intestine).

Stuart, in

names

in a

combined form

an

.

'3 caol mtosachan, the slender monthly one.Irish: ceolagh ; ceolr

music.

"

It's little bells

made

fairy music."

MALVACEAE.Latinmalache,plants.:

malvce, mallows.soft, in allusion to

Gaelic

:

maloimh, from Greek fia\dxr},

the soft mucilaginous properties of the

"A gearradhbhiadh."

sios

maloimh laimh(Job. xxx. 4).

ris

na preasaibh,agus freumhanfor their

aiteil

mar

Stuartcut

"Who

up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots

meat."

Welsh: meddalai, what softens.

Gaelic: mil mheacan,

honey-

from Gothic, grob, English, grub, to dig. The roots were dug, and boiled to obtain mucilageMalva rotundifolia Dwarf mallow. Gaelic and Irish: ucas Frangach ucas from Irish uc, need, whence uchd, a breast (Greek, o\0r] the mucilage being used as an emollient for breasts andplant; gropais or grobais (Macdonald)

Frangach, French

i.e.,

the French mallow.

M.

sylvestris

Common mallow.in

Gaelic

:

ucas fiadhain, wild

mallow.servant's

Manx: Lus na meala mor; /us ny maol Moirrey, Mary's plant. The common mallow was probably distinguished

by the word "beg''arborea, by "nibr,''

Manx

little,

and the

large one,

lavatera

big.

Althaea officinalis

Marsh-mallow.;

Gaelic and Irish: leamhadh,

perhaps from leamhach, insipid fochas,itch (ochas,itch).it

Welsh: morhocys

mor,Gaelic

itch,

a remedy for thethe sea,

and

hocys,

phlegm-producer,

being used for various pulmonary complaints.TILIACEjE.

Welsh: Rbs mall.Tilia europea

crann

teile

Lime-tree,perforatum:

linden.

:

craobh

theile.

Irish:

teile,

a corruption from

tilia.

Welsh: pis gwydden.St.

HYPERICACE^E.

HypericumGaelic andIrish

The's

perforated

John's

wort.

eala bhuidhe (sometimes written eala bhi), probhi,

bably from eal (for neul), aspect, appearance, and bhuidhe oryellow.

" Sibhrach

a's

eala bhi

barra neoinean."

MACINTYRE.

Primrose, St. John's wort, and daisies.

"An

eala bhuidhe 'san neoinean ban

'S an t'sobhrach an gleann fas,

nan luibh

Anns am faigheadh anFurtachIn the glen where thefiach,

leighe liathe

St.

grow, the grey doctor will

do chreuch a's leon." Collath. John's wort, the white daisy, and the primrose find a valuable remedy for every disease and wound

.

14

'The belief was

common amongmankindis

the Caledonians that forthere

all

the diseases to which

liable,

grows an herb

somewhere, and not far from thediseaseit.

prevails,

where the particular the proper application of which would curelocality

Mackenzie. Alias Mhuire (Mhuire, the Virgin Mary; alias, perhaps another form of the preceding names) Mary's image, which would agree According to Linnaeus, it is derived with the word hypericum. from Greek virkp, uper, over, and elicwv, eikon, an image that is"

to say, the superior part of the flower represents an image.

Caod aslachan CholumSt.

chille,

from Colum and

cill

(church,it

cell),

Columba'sit

flower,

the saint of Iona,

who reverenced

and

carried

in his

arms (caod)

(Irish),

caodam, to come, and aslachan,St. John. was carried about

arms,

it

being dedicated to his favourite evangelist,

Seud, a jewel.

Lus an fhbgraidh.

"Formerly

it

by the people of Scotland as a charm against witchcraft and Welsh: y fendigaid, the blessed plant. enchantment" (Don). French toute-salne. English tutsan. The St. John's wort is the "fuga damonum" which Martin describes in his "Western Isles.": :

"John Morrison, who lives in Bernera (Harris) wears the plant "Send" in the neck of his coat to prevent his seeing of visions, and says he never saw any since he first carried that plant Children have a saying when they meet this about with him."called

plant" Luibh Cholum Chille, gun sireadh gun iarraidh, 'Sa dheoin Dia, cha bhasaich mi 'nochd."St.

Columbus-wort, unsought, unasked, and, please God,

I

won't die to-night.

The Manx namespirits

" lus-y-chiolg" (Stomach herb) was used for low

and nervousness.freckles.

The

roots were scalded in butter milk to

removeSt.

O'Reilly has also Beachnuadk beinionn, female

John's wort.of Clan Mackinnon.

firionn (Threl), male

SquarestemmedSt.John'swort. Beachnuadk John's wort H. androsaemum Tutsan, meastork H. elodes The marsh measaturk the marshH. quadranguhimSt.

The badge

(see Pce.onia).

keeil (Threl).

alta (Threl),

St.

John's wort, meaning thefruit.

wood

hog's fruit,

and the stream hog'sSt.

TheIt

first is

one of the most beautiful of the

John's

grows in the Highlands from Ross southwards pretty frequent about Loch Salen and other places in Argyllshire. Ifworts.

:

fingers, they will immedicommunicate a deep crimson stain, hence the Greek name androscemum man's blood. The association of the Irish names accounted for by the fact that the bruised plant smells with hogs is strongly of swine. The Welsh name has the same meaning dail y twrch. Threlkeld gives both names to the Tutsan, the second name is more applicable to the water or bog St.

the yellow tops be bruised between theately

John's work.latter

The former

never grows in watery places, but theit is

always does, and besides,it is

very

common

in Ireland.

In

Ulster

called,

according to Threlkeld, bonan leane (Lean, a

swamp), and caochrain curraithnut without a kernel.

(currach, afromac,

marsh), and caoch, a

The

old herbalist spells his names variously.

ACERACE^E.

(" Acer,Theis).

in Latin

meaning

sharp,

a point, in Celtic."

Dulikely

Acer campestris

Common maple.

Gaelic and Irish

:

craobh

mhalip or malpais ; origin of name uncertain, but very

from mal, athink the

satchel or a husk,is

from the form of

its

samara.

Somem

name

only a corruption of maple

Anglo-Saxon, mapalfat),

Welsh: masarnen.

Gothic: masloenn (from mas,juice.

from

its

abundance of saccharineA. pseudo-platanus.a

Sycamore.

Gaelic and Irish

:

craobh

sice,

corruption from Greek sycaminos.it

The

old botanists erroneously

believedPalestine.

to be identical with the sycamine or mulberry-fig of

"If

Nam

bi air

biodh agaidh creidhimh, theireadh sibh ris a chraobh shicamin so, do spionadh as do fhreumhaibh." Stuart. ye had faith ye might say to this sycamore tree, Be thou plucked up by

the root.

St.

Luke,

xvii. 6.

Irish Croabh pleantrinn, corruption of platanus or plane-tree. xrann ban, white tree. Fir chrann (O'Reilly), same meaning. {Fir,fair, white).

The badge

of the Clan Oliphant.VINIFERjE.

Vitis (from the Celtic gwyd, a tree, a shrub.

Spanish

:

vid.

French:

vigne).

Vitis vinifera

Vine.Otvos.

Gaelic: crannfiona,fionan: Irish :fion,

wine.

Greek:

Latin: vinum.

Fion

dearc,

a

grape.

Muin,

the vine, also

M,

Gaelic alphabet.

i6 "Is mise an fhionain fhior, I am the true vine. John

xv.

I.

The

wild grapes are bitter,is

and frequently

putrid.

The

reference-

in Isaiah v. 2

to the wild grape.fiona,

" Agus dh' amhairc e dh' fheuchainn an tugadh e mach dearcanthug e mach dearcan fiadhain.''

agus

And hegrapes.

looked that

it

should bring forth grapes, and

it

brought forth wild

The

dried fruit raisins

is

mentioned

in

1

Samuel, xxv.

18

"'Agus ceud bagaide do fhion dhearcaibh tiormaichte." And a hundred clusters of raisins (dried berries).

GERANIACE.E.

(From Greekbill.

yepavos, geranos, a crane.bill

The

long beak that;

ter-

minates the carpel resembles theGaelic:crob

of a crane

English

:

crane-

priachain

(Armstrong), (Mackenzie).Robert.cuil, fly,

the

claw

of

any

rapacious bird). LUs-gna-ghorm.

Evergreen plant.Gaelic and Irish:

Geranium Eobertianumreprover.

Herband

righeal cuil (from right, reproof,

gnat, insect), the fly

Riaghal"

cuil,

also rial chuil, that

which rules insects;

earbull righ (earbull, a

tail).

Insects are said to avoid it."

Don.cancer weed.

Ruidel, the red-haired.righ.

Lus an

eallan, the

Righeal(righ, a lus

Irish: righean

righ, that

which reproves a kingfromits

king),

on account of

its

strong disagreeable smell).

Manx:

ny:

freeinaghyn-vooarey, the big pins' herb,

long carpels

a

cure for sore

mouth and

eyes.

Welsh

:

troedrydd, redf oot.

Llysie

Robert, herb Robert.G.

sanguineum

Bloody

cranesbill.

Gaelic: creachlach dearg,

Geranium Robertianum and geranium sanguineum have been and are held in great repute by the Highlanders, on account of their astringent and vulnerarythe red wound-healer (creach, a wound).properties.

OXILIDE^.

(From Greek

6vs, oxys, acid,

from the acidGaelic:

taste of the leaves).

Oxalis aceto&ella

Wood-sorrel.Also thethe

samh,

shelter.its

It

grows in sheltered spots.Also summer.It

may simply be

name given to summer flower.sorrel.

capsules.

" Ag itheadh saimh," eating

Seamrag.

Irish:

seamrog (shamrock), generally applied to the

i7trefoils.

Sealbhaig nafiodha (O'Reilly).sorrel."It is

The

Gaelic

name meansfrequently

"

wood

not a sorrel (sealbhaig), butits

it is

used as a substitute on account of

acidity,

caused by the abun-

dance of oxalic acid formed" Le seamragan'S's

in the leaves.neoineanan,

le

gach

lus a dh'fheudain

ainmeachadh

Cuir anbharra dhreach boidhchead air."

MACINTYRE.

With wood-sorrel and with

daisies,

And

plants that I could name,

Giving the place a most beautiful appearance.

The shamrockofSt.

is

said to be

worn by the:

Irish

upon the anniversary

Patrick for the following reason

When the Saint preached

the Gospel to the pagan Irish, he illustrated the doctrine of the

Trinity by showing them a

trefoil,

upon thebutter,

Saint's anniversary.

which was ever afterwards worn " Between May-day and harvest,

and curds and shamrock are the food of the all this season." Piers's "West Meath." Surag, the sour one; Scotch: sourock (from the Armoric sur, Welsh: suran y gdg, cuckoo's sorrel. Teutonic, suer, sour). Manx: bee cooag, cookoo's Gaelic: biadh ebinean, birds' food. meat. Irish billeog nan eun, the leaf of the birds.cheese,

new

meaner

sorts

during

:

" Timchioll thulmanan diamhair

Mu

'm bi'm biadh-ebineansheltered hillocks

a' fas."

MACDONALD.

Around

Where

the

wood

sorrel grows.

Feada

coille,

candle of the woods,

name

given to the flower ;feadk

a candle or rush."

Clobhar na maighiche, hare's clover.

Mar

sin

is

leasachan

soilleir,

Do

dh' fheada-coille nan cos."light

Macdonald.

Like the flaming

Of the

wood-sorrel of the caverns.

CELASTRACiE.

Eunoymusoir,

feoras,

europseusoir,

Common

spindle-tree. Gaelic

the east point, east.

"

A

tir

and Irish: an oir" from the

land of the East (Oirip,Ireland, but

Europe), being rare in Scoland and

common onlimit,

the Continent.it

Oir and feoir also meanin

a border, edge,

being

commonly plantedOir, the

hedges.it

Whether the name has any referencethirteenthletter,

to these significations,

is

very difficult to determine with certainty.

name

of theItis

O, of

the

Gaelic and Irish alphabet.

worthy of notice thatplants:

all

the letters were called after

trees

or

19

LEGUMINIFERJE.Gaelic:

luis

meihgeagach, pod-bearing plants.

Barr-guc, papil-

ionaceous flowers (Armstrong). Por-cochullach, leguminous. " Bhrr-guc air mheuraibh nosara." Macintyre.Blossoms on sappy branches.

Sarothamnus scoparius

Broom.

Gaelic

:

bealaidh or bealBaal,

uidh, said to be (by popular etymology)

"from Beal,it

and uidh,

favour, the plant that Belus favoured,

being yellow-flowered.

Yellow was the favourite colour of the Druids (who were worshippers of Belus),

and

also of the bards " (Brockie.)Irish:

Welsh banadl,:

etymologyobscurea brush(giolc,

brum; and Welsh; ysgub.Latin;:

Gaelic sguab,:

made from

the broom.

scoparius.

Giolcach sleibkehill).

a reed, a cane, a leafless twig

sleibhe,

of the

Manx

:

guilcagh.swelling.

A decoction

of

it

was used as a purgative, and to reduce

The badgenative of

of the Clan Forbes.

Acacia seyal

In the Bible the

shittah tree.

Gaelic

:

sitta.

A

Egypt and Arabia." Cuiridh mi anns an fhasach an seudar, ansitta,xli.,

Am miortal,Cytisus

agus an crann-oladh. "

Isaiah

19.

laburnum Laburnum.Frangachis

Gaelic: bealaidh Fhrangach (in

Breadalbane), in some parts Sasunnach, French or English(Ferguson).very often affixed to

foreign origin.

This tree

1596.IllexIT.

Craobh Abran

Abraon,

broom names of plants of was introduced from Switzerland inApril.ac,

europaeus

Name from the Furze, whin,Welsh:Teine.eithin,

Celtic ec orgorse.its

a prickle (Jones).

Gaelic and Irish

:

conasg,

from

Irish conas, war, because of

armed or

prickly appearance.:

Attin.prickles.

prickles.

Manx

jilg choyin,

dogs'

Also the

namein

of the letter

T

in Gaelic.

Some

authorities give teine for heath.

O'Reilly gives ur, the letter

U

for heath.

Not commonarvensis

the Highlands, but plentiful about

Fortingall, Perthshire.

Ononis

bogha, bowstring

ground prickles. Trian tarran (O'Reilly),called wild liquorice.

Gaelic and Irish sreang Rest harrow. Welsh tagaradr, stop the plough ; eithin yr eir, Scotch cammock, from Gaelic cam, crooked.: :

:

tri

a

terrain

(Threl).

Also oftenwith

A

troublesome, shrubby

little plant,

flowers like those of the

broom

or furze, not yellow but rosy, with

strong, string-like roots that arrest the harrow or plough, requiring

three times the strength to pull.

Does

that fact explain the Irish

names

tri

-three,draw?

but trian, the third, and in our Gaelic tar-

ruing, pull,

Trigonella ornithopodioides

Fenugreek,j:

Greek hay.

Gaelic

:

ionntag-Ghreugach (Armstrong)trubh-eMn,birds'

Fineal Ghreugach, Greek nettle

;

shoe.

Used

as an emolient for

Welsh y Groeg gwair, Greek hay. sores and wounds for horses and other

animals.

Trifolium repens

White or Dutchis

clover.

Gaelic

and

Irish:

seamar bhan, the

fair gentle

one (see Oxalis); written also sameir,Wood-sorrel and clover are often coninvariable for white clover,trefoil,

siomrag, seamrag, seamrog.

founded, but seamar thanTrifoliumclover.

and for

procumbens, hop:

seamhrag bhuidhe, yellow

Manx

Samark.

"Gach saimeir neonean' '

Macdonald. 's masag." Every clover, daisy, and berry. An t-seamrag uaine 's barr-gheal gruag, A's buidheann chuachach neoinean." Maclachlan.The green white-headedclover,daisies.

And

clusters of

cupped

The badgeT. pratenseclover.caballus,

of Clan Sinclair.

Red

clover.

Gaelic

:

seamar a'

chapuill, the mare's

Capull, from Greek Kay8aAA?;s, a work-horse.

Latin:

Welsh: tairdalen, the same meaning. Meillonem, honeywort, from mel, honey. Gaelic: sugag, Scotch sookie, the bloom of clover, so called because it contains honey, and children suck it. Seirg (O'Reilly). Being more sappy, therefore more difficult to dry and preserve, may have suggested the name seirg, decay.trefoil,

a horse.

Tri-bilean,

three-leaved.

Alpestre and T.small, slender.

minus Smallclover.

yellow clover.

Gaelic

:

seangan,

T.

arvense Hare's-foot

Gaelic: cas maighicke

(Arm-

strong), hare's foot.

Lotus corniculata Bird's-foot trefoil. Gaelic: barra mhisleanbarra, top or flower; mislean, anything that springs or Irish: cruibin, claws. grows. (See Cranberry). Manx: crouwkayt.

Scotch: cat-dukis, cat's claws.

Adharc an

diabhoil,

mean-

; :

ing "the Devil's horn.''

Thefeet.

flowers are yellow,

So called from the form of and often streaked with red.

its

pods.

Common2800

in pastures,

and ascending the mountains

to the height of

AnthyllisGaelic:

vulneraria

Kidney

vetch,;

or

Lady's

Fingers.foot.

mebir Mhuire, Mary's fingers

cas

an uain, lamb's:

Vicia 1 sativa

Vetch.

Gaelic and Irish fiatghal, nuitritious

(from Irish fiadh, now written biadh, food); peasair fhiadhain, wild peas ; peasair chapull, mare's peas. Welsh idbys, edible:

peas.

Irish: pis fhiadhain, wild peas ;pis dubh, black peas.

Siorr.

V.peasall;

cracca

Tufted

vetch.

Gaelic: peasair nan

luch,

mice

pesair (Latin, pisum; Welsh, pys; French, pots, peas), areroot, pis, a

from the CelticV. sepium

pea ; ajso peasair radan,:

rat pease.

Bush

vetch.

Gaelic

peasair

nam preas,Gaelic:

the bush

peas.

Lathyrus

pratensis

Yellow

vetchling.

peasair

bhuidhe, yellow peas.

Irish: pis bhuidhe, yellow peas.

Ervum hirsutumpysen

Hairy vetchoats.

or tare (from erv, Celtic

arv,

Latin, tilled land). Gaelic: peasair

y

ceirch

an arbhair, corn:

peas.

Welsh:for

ceirch,

Gaelic

gall pheasair, ato

name

lentils or vetch.

Gall,

sometimes prefixed

names of plants

having lowland habitats, or strangers." Lan do ghall pheasair."Full oflentils.

2 Sam., Stuart.Irish:

nish:

Faba vulgaris Bean. Gaelic pbnair. pbnar (from the German pdna,:

pbnaire.

Cor-

a

bean.

Gaelic:

pbnair Fhrangach, French beans ; pbnair airneach, kidney beans pbnair chapull, buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata). Seib (O'Donovan) (Faba)

Bean.

Manx

:

poanrey.pbnair, agus peasair,

" Gabh thugad

fos cruithneachd agus eorna, agus

agus meanbh-pheasair, agus peasair fhiadhain, agus cuir iad ann an aonsoitheach, agus dean duit fein aran duibh."

Stuart, Ezekiel

iv. 9.

" Take thoumillet,

also unto thee wheat,

and

fitches,

and put them

in

and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and one vessel, and make thee bread thereof."bitterftovs,

Orobus tuberosus

Tuberousand

vetch

(from Greek

opu>,

oro, to excite, to strengthen,1

an

ox).

Gaelic and Irish

Loudon.

Vicia (from Greek pmiov, Latin vicia, French vesce, English vetch).

22

tairmeal (Armstrong)moel, a knob, a tubermeille

cair,i.e.,

dig; meal, enjoy; also mall; Welsh,the tuberous root thatis

dug

;

corra-

(Macleod and Dewar).Buain corran cos

Cbrlan in Killarney.'

"Is clann bheag a trusa leolaicheann

nam

bruachagan.".

Macintyre.

Little children gathering

.

.

AndCorra, a

digging the bitter vetch from the holes in the banks.

and meillg, a pod, the crane's pod or peas. "The garanod, crane's peas; garan, a crane. y Highlanders have a great esteem for the tubercles of the roots they dry and chew them to give a better relish to their whisky.crane,

Welsh: pys

;

good against most diseases of the by the use of them they are enabled to repel thirst for a long time. In Breadalbane and Ross shire they sometimes bruise and steep them in water, and make an They have agreeable fermented liquor with them, called cairm.

They

also affirm that they are

thorax,

and hunger and

that

a sweet taste, something like the roots of liquorice, andboiled are well flavoured

when

and

nutritive,

and

in times of scarcity

have served as a substitute for breadBitter vetch to be the

" (Lightfoot).

and

sometimes called "wild liquorish"

seems;

same name

as the French " caramel" burnt sugar

and

according to Webster, Latin, " carina mellis," or sugar-cane.

The

fermented liquor that was formerly made fromatirm, seems to be the

it,

called cairm or

same

as the " courmi"

which Dioscoridesinfused,

says the old Britons drank.

The

root was

pounded anditself

and

yeast added.

It

was either drunk bysignifies

or mixed with

their ale

a

liquor held in

high estimation before the days ofa feast.

whisky; hence the word " cuirm"which might be expected,of spiritual communion.dating about the year 798,

That

their

drinking gatherings cannot have had the demoralising tendenciesis

evident, as they were taken as typical In the Litany of " Aengus Cdile De,"

we have a poem ascribed

to St. Brigid,

now preserved

in

the Burgundian library, Brussels.

" Ropadh maith lem corm-lind mor,

Do1

righ na righ,ul,

Leolaicheann, probably Trollius europceus (the globe flower), fromdrink,

blachan,

drinking.

Children frequently use

the globe flower as ait

drinking cup.

Scotch: luggie go-wan.

Luggie, a small wooden dish; or

may be

a corruption from trol or trollen, an old

German word

signifying

round, in allusion to the form of the flower, hence Trolhus.

"

23

Ropadh maith lem muinnter nimhe Acca hoi tre bithe shir.I

should like a great lake of ale;

For the King of KingsI

should like the family of heavendrinkingit

To be

through time eternal.ale,

To

prevent the inebriating effects of

" the natives of Mull

-are very careful to

chew a piece of " charmel " root, finding it to be aromatic especially when they intend to have a drinking bout for they say this in some measure prevents drunkenness/' Martin's "Western Isles."

;

ROSACEA.{From theCeltic.

Gaelic,

rbs

;

Welsh, rhos ; Armoric, rosen ;

Greek, poSov; Latin, rosa).

Prunus spinosaWelsh:eirinen.

Blackthorn,Irish:

sloe.

Gaelic: preas

nan

air-

neag, the sloe bush.

airne,

a sloe.

Manx

:

dri?ie

am.

Sanskrit: arani.

"Suilean

air

11

himeag.'"

Ross.publisheda.d.

Eyes the colour of

sloes.

Bugh

O'Clery,is

in:

his

vocabulary,

1643,

describes bugh thus " Bugh, i.e., luibh gorm no:glas."r grey.

glas ris a samhailtean suile bhiosis

gorm nobe blue

That

a blue or grey plant, to which the eye

compared

if it

"Dearca mar

dhlaoi don bhugha."ri

O Brien.means weary, butit

"Cosmall

bugha a

shuili."

His eyes were.Sgitheach

like slaes.

O'Curry.

dubh

the

wordit is

sgith ordinarily

means

also (in Irish) fear; dubh, black, the fearful black one, but

-probably in this case

a form of sgeach, a

haw

(the fruit of the

white thorn), the black haw.

Welsh: ysbyddad, draenenddu.Mackellar.

"Crun

sgithich an aite crun rlgh."

A crown of thorns instead of a royal crown.-penetrate, pierce, bore),

Droighionn dubh, the black penetrator (perhaps from druid, to account of spines in the Latin "Spinosa."Gothic, thruita:Sanskrit,

Compare

trut ; Latin, trit ;

German,

Jorn; English, thorn; Irish Manx, drine doo. Skeag dot?.''

(old form), draigen; Welsh, draen;

Croinn droighnich o'n

ear's o'n iar. "

Old Poem.

Thorn

trees

from east and west.

;

24

Afor

superstition

was

common among

the

Celtic

races

that

tants in that district

in any Many ancient forts, would die that year. which surrounded them, were preserved by the and the thorns veneration, or rather dread, with which the thorns were held hence, perhaps, the name sgitheach, sgith (anciently), fear ; hence

every tree

cut

down

district,

one of the inhabi-

also,

droighionn (druidh), enchantment, witchcraft.

damascena Damson. Gaelic and Manx: airney ghoo, black plum. plum.P.

Irish

:

dai?nsin,

Damascus

P. insititia

Bullace.

Gaelic and Irish

:

bulastair.

Compare

Breton, bolos ; Welsh, eirinen bulas.P.

domestica

Wild

plum,

Gaelic

:

plumbais fiadhain, wild

plum; plumbaisP.

seargta, prunes.

Airidh.

Welsh:

eirinen.bricyllen.

armeniaca Apricot.and the English

Gaelic:

apricoc.

Welsh:

Regnier supposes from the Arabic berkoch,albicocco,

whence the

Italian

apricot;

or,

as

Professor Martyn

observes, a tree

when

"praecox," or earlyfor thefirst

syllable

introduced might have been called a and gardeners taking the article "a" of the words, might easily have corrupted itfirst

fruit,

to "apricots." P. cerasus

Cherry-tree."

Gaelic

:

craobh shiris, a corruption

of Cerasus, a town in Pontus in Asia, fromfirst

whence the

tree

was

brought.

Si/in (O'Reilly).

Do

bheul mar an t-siris."like the cherry.

Thy mouth

Welsh:P.

ceiriosen.

padus

Bird-cherry.

Gaelic

:

craobh fhiodhag, from fiodh,Glocan.riisg,

wood, timber ; Jiodhach, a shrubbery.

Dunbrown

reisk (Threl),

probably he means in our Gaelic donn

bark.

The

plum and cherrybarks.

trees are

characterised by their dun-coloured

P.

avium

guigne,

Wild cherry. Gaelic geanais, the gean. French ^ from a German root. Welsh ceiriosen ddu, black cherry.: :

Amydalus communis" 'Nuair a bhios A. persicadair.a'

Almond.:

Gaelic

:

almon.Eccl.xii.

chraobh almoin fuidh bhlath. "

5.

Peach.of the

Gaelic peitseag, from the English.family.

NeochThe-

One

numerous peach

"The

fruit is called

nectarine,

from

nectar,

the poetical drink of the gods."

;

:

25

product of the seeds of Amygdalus communis is familiar to us under the name of almonds, and its oil oil of almonds.

Spiraea ulmaria

Meadow-sweet, queen of the meadow.flower mentioned by

Gaelicbelt"

trios (or cneas) Chu-chitlainn*

The plant called "My lady'sMacdonaldin his

(Mackenzie).

"A

poem

'Allt an t-sithair,' v/ith the English of which I

am

not acquainted""

(Armstrong).It is

not mentioned in the

poem

referred to, but in "

t-Sam/iraid/i''

The Summer Song.!

Oran an

"'S cubhraidh faileadh do mhuineil A chrios-Chu-Chulainn nan cam

NaNa

d'

chruinn bhabaidean riabhach,

Loineach, fhad luirgneach, sgiamhach.d'

thuim ghiobagach, dreach mhin,

Bharr-bhuidhe, chasurlaich, aird

Timcheall thulmanan dlambair

Ma'm

bi

'm biadh-eoinean

a' fas."

Macdonald.

Sweetly scented thy wreath,

Meadow-sweet

of the cairns

!

In round brindled clusters,

And

softly fringed tresses,tall,

Beautiful,

and graceful,;

Creamy flowered, ringleted, high Around sheltered hillocks Where the wood-sorrel grows.

Airgiod luachra,flower.plant. S. filipendula

silver rush.

Welsh

:

llysiu'r forwyn, the

maiden'smen's-

In Argyleshire lus nan gillean bga.

The young

Dropwort.

Irish:

greaban.

Meddlys, sweet

wort (O'Reilly).Linnaeus informs us that, "in a scarcity of corn, the tubers have-

been eaten bysuspend.the

men instead of food." Welsh crogedyfcrogi, toThe tuberous roots are suspended on filaments, hence:

names filipendula and dropwort.rivale

Geum1

Water avens.all, alli.e.,

Gaelic

:

machall uisge; in Irish r

macha, a head, and

allhead

the

flower being large-

Cu

chullin's belt.

Ciichullin

was the most famous champion of the Ulster

Militia in the old Milesian times.

He

lived at the

dawn

of the Christian era.

He wasMany

so called from Cu, a hound,still

and Vllin, the name of the province-

stories are

extant regarding him.

:

26"in

proportion to the plant.

Uisge,

water.

It

grows in moist

places only. G.

urbanum

Commongenerally

avens.

Gaelic: machall

coille

coille,

wood, where

it

grows.

Benedin

O'Reilly gives this

name to the tormentil; he also gives "Septfoil" (Comarum). The geum is very like those plants both in flower and properties. To a non-botanist they seem pretty much the same. The old English name was Herb-Bennet. The rootstock of all these ispowerfully astringent, and yields a yellow dye.geidlys, llys

Welsh: Bendi-

Bened.

Dryas octopetala

White dryas.

Gaelic

:

machall monaidk, the

(The name was given by an old man in Killin from a specimen from Ben Lawers in 1870). Luidh Jjheann (Logan) Growing on high stony The hill or ben plant.large-flowered mountain plant.

hills

to

the height of nearly 3000 feet in the Highlands;

little

shrub-like plants,

with leaves somewhat like the oak leaf, and

about eight large white petals on the flower.

The badge

of Macneil and Lamont.

Potentilla anserina(written also

Silverweed, whitebrislean),

tansy.

Gaelic

:

brisgeanbrittle.is

briosglan,

from briosg or

brisg,

Brisgeansucculent

mills,

sweet bread.

"

The

brisgean, or wild skirret,

ain

root

not unfrequently used by the poorer people

some

parts of theskirret (see

Highlands for bread

"

(Armstrong).

The

Slum slsarum)fo

is

not native.

Curran

earraich.

" Mil

thalamh, curran earraich.'carrots.

Under ground honey spring" ExceptionalSheriffluxuries.

The

spring carrot

is

the root of the silver weed."

Nicolson.is

TheP.

plant here alluded to

Potentilla anserina.

Ban-

bhrisgean,

the flower.

Welsh

:

tinllwydd.

reptans

Cinquefoil.a branch,

Gaelic

:

nieangach,

branchedits

or

twiggedleaf,

meang,

becausebhileach,

of

its

runners,

long

and

flower-stalks.

Cuig

five-leaved.

Irish: cilig

mlieur Mulre, Mary's

five fingers.

Welsh: llysieuyn pump, same

meaning.P.

tormentilla

Common

potentil,

or

tormentil.

Gaelic

leanarlach (Shaw).

Leamhnach, tormenting.

Barr braonan-nan-

27ton,

the dogs'

briar

bud.

Braonan, the bud of a-earth

briar (Armstrong).

Braonan fraoich (fraoch, heather). Braonan bachlaig, the

nut

Cairt lairIsles,

(Bunhtm flexuosum) (Macdonald), from braon, a drop. This is the name" among fishermen in the Western

meaning the "ground bark."" Mln-fheur chaorachSoft sheep grass

It

is

generally used for

tanning the nets when they cannot get the oak bark.is barra-bhraonan." Macintyre. and the flower of the tormentil.

Irish

:

neamhnaid, neamhain.palustre

Welsh

:

tresgl

y

moch.:

Comarumuisge, the

Marsh

cinquef oil.

Gaelic

citig

bhileach

water five-leaved plant.

swampxMg,

nut.

meaning the bog or Threlkeld gives another name, " Ciligsheag," fromleana,

Cnb

five.

The

leaves are generally arranged in fives,

hence the

English and French names.

Fragaria vesca Wood strawberry. Gaelic subh (or thalmhuinn, the earth's sap, the earth's delight (from subh or:

sicth)siigh,

sap, juice; also delight, pleasure, joy, mirth); thalmhuinn, of the

earth.

" Theirig subh-thalmhuinn nam bruach."

Macdonald.

TheSttbhanlaire,

wild strawberries of the bank are done.

the ground sap; tlachd shiibh, pleasant

fruit.

Thlachd

sheist (O'Reilly).

" Subhan laire 's faile ghroiseidean." Macintyre. Wild strawberries and the odour of gooseberries..Silthag, a

strawberry or raspberry." Gur deirge na'n t-siithag an ruthadh thad'

ghruaidh."

Thy cheeks

are ruddier than the strawberry.

Irish: catog, the strawberry bush.

Cath, seeds (the seedy

fruit).

Welsh: mefussen.

the fruit in

Rubus (from rub, red some species.

in

Celtic), in reference to the colour of

Rubus chamsemoruswrittenbeauty).oighreag,

Cloudberry.feireag.is

Gaelic:Irish:

oireag,

variously(eireachd,

foighreag,

eireag

Scotch"Breacle

:

Averin.crnin dearg ceann."

feireagan

Macintyre.

Checkered with cloudberries with round red heads.

Moon a man

meene (Threl).vine.

woman's bush or

Muin na mna-mhln, the gentle Muin was the ancient Gaelic name for

28the vine.

"The cloudberry

is

the

most grateful

fruit

gathered

by the Scotch Highlanders"

(Neill).

The badge

of Clan Macfarlane.(O'Reilly,

Criiban na saona, "the dwarf mountain bramble."

Armstrong, and others).cloudberry, butcertain clue toits

Probably

this is

another

peculiarit

what plant

and untranslatable was formerly applied.

name for the name furnishes nothe

R. saxatilis

Stone

bramble.

Gaelic: caora bad miann,

berry of the desirable cluster.ofred.

Ruiteaga, redness, a slight tinge(Threl).berry.

Soo

(O'Reilly).

na man meen The gentlewomen'sHighlands and

Subh na mban-mtnThis brambleis

pretty

commonis

in the

in Ireland,

ascending the Gram-

pians aud other mountains to the height of 2700 feet.

The

fruit

more

scarlet

(fruticosus),

and rounder than that of the common blackberry and it grows generally in stony places.Gaelic:

R. idaeustree,

Raspberry.

preas subk chraobh (craobh, aMacintyre.

a sprout, a bud), the bush with sappy sprouts." Faile nan siibh-craobhis

nan rosan."

The odour

of rasps and roses.

Welsh: mafon

maf, what

is

clustering.

Gaelic: preas shuidheag,

the sappy bush.R. fruticosusplural, dris.

Siighag, the fruit (from siigh, juice, sap).

Common

bramble.

Irish

and Gaelic:

dreas,

Welsh: dyrys

the

root rys, entangle, with prefix

dy, force, irritation.

In Gaelic and Welsh the words dris and

drysien are applied to the bramble"

and

briar indiscriminately.

An

dreas

a' fas

gu h-urar."

Ossian.growing.

The bramble

(or briar) freshly

"AmIf

fear theid san

droighionn domh

Theid mi 'san dris da."

Proverb.

one pass through thorns for me, I'll pass through brambles (or briars)

for him.

Grian mhuine, the thorn (bush)muine

muine,

that basks in the sun.sting.

Dris(Irish:

a

thorn,

prickle,

Smear phreas:

smeur), the bush that smears; smearag, that which smears (the fruit). Welsh miar, the bramble. Manx drine smeyr. (Miar:

or

meur

in Gaelic

smearing.

means a finger.) Smearachd, fingering, greasing, (Compare Dutch smeeren ; German, schmieren, to

29

smear or daub.

Sanskrit: smar, to smear.

Dris-smear, another

combination of the preceding names.

where brambles grow.stumbling-block,It

Eachrann (O'Reilly), The word means an impediment, abelief in

whena

walking.

was and

is

commonto

the

Highlands that each

blackberry contains a poisonous worm.

Another populareating

belief

kept up probably unripe that thelowe'en.

prevent children

fairies defiled

them

at

them when Michaelmas and Hal-

This plantB..

is

the badge of a branch of the Clan Maclean.;

csesius

Blue bramble

dewberry bush.

Gaelic preas nan:

gorm

dhearc, the blueberry bush.

" Barr gach

tolmain to bhrat

gorm

dhearc."

Macdonald.

Every knoll under a mantle of blueberries (dewberries).

TheRosaGreek:

blue bramble

is

the badge of the Clan Macnab. Gaelic:

caninayy-v>v.

Dog-rose.:

rbs:

nan

con,

dogcil.

rose.

Latin

cam's.

Sanskrit

ciinas.

Irish:

Welsh:

ciros (ci,

a dog), dog:

rose.

Gaelic

coin droigkionn, dogs'

thorn.its

Earradhreas or fearra-

dhris, earrad, armour; suggested by"

being armed with prickles.

Mar mhucaigna.Like hips on the

fearra-dhris,"briar.

Mackbllar.:

Preas nam-mucag, the hip-bush from muc (Welsh mock), a pig, from the fancied resemblance of the seeds to pigs, being bristly. Welsh merddrain. sgeach mhadra, the dogs' haw or bush. Irish::

Manx

:

drine booag

(booag, the"

fruit),

Gaelic

:

rbs,

rose ; culti-

vated rose, rbs garaidh.B'e sid an sealladh eibhinn!

Do

bhruachan gle-dkearg rbs."!

That was a joyful sight Thy banks so rosy red.It.

rubiginosa:

Sweet-briarhaw

(briar, Gaelic: a

bodkin orIrish:

pin).

Gaelic

dris

chubhraidh,

the fragrantor bush.

bramble.

sgeach-

chiimhra, the fragrant

Cuirdris, the twisting briar.

cuir, gen. sing, of car, to twist or

wind.

Welsh rhoslwyn per.:

O'Reilly gives forrdris as sweet briar and jessamine.briaris

The

sweet

the "Eglantine" of the poets.

Agrimonia eupatoria

Agrimony.

Gaelic

:

mur-draidhean

:

3 mur, sorrow,ionn (seegrief, affliction;

Prunus

spinosa).

draidhean, another form of droighDraidh, or druidh, also means aits

magacian, whichcure

may

refer to

supposed magicalin

effects

on

troubles as well as diseases.

A

noted plantIrish:

olden times for

marbh droighionn Geur bhileach marbh dhruidh, a necromancer, or magician. on account of its bhileach, leaved geur, sharp, sour, rigidtheof

various

complaints.

;

;

leaves

being sharply

serrated,

or

because of

its

bitter

taste.field.

Mirean, or Meirean nam magh, the merry one of the

Welsh

:

y

dorllwyd.

Trydon, what pervades.

Sanguisorbafor burnsaile,

Burnet. A' bhileach losgainn. The leaves good Manx: lus yn and inflammations (losgadh, burning).

the

fire

weed.

Alchemilla vulgaris

Common;

lady's

mantle.

Gaelic

:

copanIrish

an

driilchd, the

dew cup falluing Mhuire, Mary's mantle.Gaelic:

dearna Mhuire, Mary's palm.

cruba,

leotnhainn, lion's

paw

;

cbta

preasach nighean an righ, the princesses' plaited gar:

ment.

Irish

leathach bhuidhe, also leagadh bhuidhe (O'Reilly).this

A

decoctionit

from

plant

was supposed to restore beautyits

after

faded.

The dew gathered fromLady's Mantle.

cup-like leaves

had the

same

effect.

A. alpina

Alpine

Gaelic

:

trusgan, mantle.

The form and

the satiny under-side of

the leaves of this

and the

other species gave rise to the names trusgan, falluing, cbta, and the

English name, lady's mantle. " Tha trusgan faoilidh air

cruit

an aonaich."

Macintyre.district

The mantle-grass on

the ridge of the mountain.

The

hills

about Coire-cheathaich and Ben Doran (the

described

by the poet) are covered withtrusgan, mantle,

this beautiful

plant.

The word

may be used in this instance in its poetic sense. Minan Mhuire (Threl) (Meangan Mhuire), Mary's twig, or Miann Mhuire, Mary's desire. Mespilus germanica Medlar. Gaelic: crann meidil (Macdonald) said to be a corruption of Mespilus, formerly called the medictree.

Medle stands

for the old

French

mesle, a meddlar.

Crataegus oxyacanthaWhitethorn, hawthorn. Gaelic: sgitheach geal, drioghionn geal (see Prunus spinosa), geal, white preas nan sgeachag; sgeach, a haw. Welsh draenen wen, white thorn.;:

Manx

:

dritie skaig.

Irish

:

sciog.

"

:

" Mlos bog nan

iibhlan brenc-mheallach,

Gu

peurach plumbach sgeachagach,sios le

A' luisreadh

dearcagaibh,

Cir-m