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ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY
D
dà, two, Ir. dá, O. Ir. dá (m.), dí (f.), da n- (n.), W. dau (m.), dwy (f.), Cor. dou, diu, Br. daou, diou, (f.), *dvâ, *dvâu (m.), dvei (f.), dvabin (dat.); Skr. dvau, dvâ, dve (f., n.); Gr. δúω; Lat. duô: Got. tuai, Eng. two.
dabhach, a vat, a measure of land (either one or four ploughgates, according to locality and land), O. G. dabach (Bk.of Deer), Ir. dabhach, a vat, *dabâkâ; Gr. θάπτω, bury, τάφος, grave; root dhabh, dhôbh, deepen, dig out. Cf. Lit. dü*biú, hollow out. Bezzenberger suggests alliance with Eng. top, Ger. topf. Eng. tub, if allied to the Ger. zuber, is from the root of two, "a two-eared" vessel. Also dabhoch, and in place-names Doch-.
dàcha, more likely; see dócha.
dachaidh, home (adverb), a home, Ir. do thigh, M. Ir. dia tig, home, E. Ir. dia thaig; from do and tigh. In Ir. the phrase is a prepositional adverb; in Gaelc it ceases to be a phrase and becomes a welded noun.
dad, anything, aught, tittle, M. G. dad, mote (in sunbeam), Ir. dadadh, dadamh, aught, a jot, etc., *da-z-dho-, root da, divide, Lit. dalìs, part, Gr. δασμός, division? See †dàil. Hence dadmun, a mote, and dadum = dad.
dag, a pistol; from M. Eng. dag, a pistol, from Fr. dague, a dagger, whence Br. dag. The change of meaning from "dagger" to "pistol" is one which occurs in the history of "pistol" itself, for it originally meant "dagger". Eng. dagger is allied.
daibhir, poor, Ir. daidhbhir, M. Ir. daidber: *do-adberi-, from do- and adber, *ád-bherô, Lat. adfero. See saoibhir.
dàicheil, handsome, Ir. dóigheamhuil, well appointed, decent; see dácha, dócha, dòigh.
daidein, daddy, Ir. daidín, daid, M. Ir. datán, foster-father, datnait, foster-mother, W. tad, Cor. tat; Lat. tata; Gr. τέττα; Lit. tetýtis, Ch. Sl. teta; Skr. tatás. Eng. dad is borrowed from the Welsh (Skeat).
daigeil, firm or well-built (of a man) - Arg. Cf. daingean.
dail, a wooden collar for cattle; cf. W. dal, a hold, catch, Br. dal, a holding; root dhê, dhô, set? Cf. Gr. θήκη, repository, τίθημι, place, Lat. facîo, etc. But see dáil, delay.
dail, a dale, meadow, from Norse dalr, Eng. dale.
dàil, delay, credit, Ir. dáil, M. Ir. dál, gen. dála, respite, *dâli-; from dvôl, dvel, whence Eng. dwell, Norse dvöl, delay.
