of the Gaelic language.
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ceannard, commander, chief, Ir. ceannárd, arrogant, commanding, “high-headed”, from ceann and àrd; M. kinnoort, Ir. ceannphort, commander, authority, head post or city: ceann+port.
ceannrach, ceannraig, (Cam.), a brindle or horse's head-gear, Ir. ceannrach; from ceann+rach. For rach (root rig), see cuibhreach, àrachas.
ceannsaich, subdue, tame, Ir. ceannsaighim; from ceannas, superiority, “head-ness”, from ceann and the abst. termination as. Similarly ceannsal, rule.
ceap, a block, shoemaker's last, so Ir., E. Ir. cepp, W. cyff, Br. kef; from Lat. cippus.
ceap, catch, stop. This word seems borrowed from the Sc. kep, of like meaning, a bye-form of Eng. keep. The Ir. ceap, bound, bind, stop (?), seems from ceap above.
†ceapach, a tillage plot, Ir. ceapach. This Stokes refers to a Celtic keppo‑, garden, root kep, kāp, Lat. campus, Gr. κῆπος, garden, Ger. hube, piece of land. Satisfactory though the meaning be, the derivation is doubtful as involving the preservation of p, even though flanked by a second p (or ‑nó‑, i.e. kep-nó‑, which is still more doubtful). Perhaps from ceap, a block, in the sense of a “holding.” Hence the common place name Keppoch.
ceapag, a verse, an impromptu verse, carelessly sung verse, E. Ir. cepóc, a chorus song: a rare word in Ir., and said to be Sc. Gaelic for Ir. aidbsi, great chorus. From ceap, catch? cf. Eng. catch, a chorus verse. Zimmer suggests that it stands Ce Póc, “kiss here”, (?) sung by the girls as a refrain at gatherings!
ceapaire, bread covered with butter, etc. Ir. ceapaire; from ceap, a block. Cf. ceapag, a wheel-barrow wheel.
cearb, piece, article of clothing, so Ir., E. Ir. cerp, cutting, cerbaim; *kṛbh, skṛbh; Gr. κάρφος, twig, Eng. shrub; *(s)ker, cut, divide. Cf. W. carp, rag, cerpyn. Bezzenberger cfs. M.H.G. herb, asper. St. now skerb, Eng. sharp.
cearc, a hen, so Ir., M. Ir. cerc, *cercâ; from I. E. qerqo, to sound, hence “a noise-making bird”; Gr. κέρκος, a cock, κρέξ, a fowl; Lat. querquedula, a teal, O.Prus. kerko, a diver; Skr. kṛka-vâkus, a cock.
cearcall, a hoop, so Ir.; from L. Lat. circulus, circullus, a hoop, from circulus, a circle.
ceàrd, a craftsman, Ir. céard, E. Ir. cerd, W. cerdd, art; Lat. cerdo, craftsman; Gr. κέρδος, gain.
ceàrdach, a smithy, Ir. céardcha, O. Ir. cerddchae; from cerd+cae, the latter word cae meaning a house in Ir., a Celtic kaio‑n, allied to Eng. home.
