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ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY
maoile, brow of a hill; see maol.
maoim, terror, onset, eruption, surprise, Ir. maidhm, a sally, eruption, defeat, E. Ir. maidm, a breach or breaking, defeat: *matesmen- (Stokes), *matô, break; Ch. Sl., Pol. motyka, a hoe. Some give the root as allied to Skr. math, stir, twirl, Lit. mentùris, whorl.
maoin, wealth, Ir. maoin, O. Ir. máin: *moini-; Lat. mūnus, service, duty, gift (Eng. munificence), communis, common; Got. ga-mains, common, Eng. mean; Lit. maínas, exchange.
maoineas, slowness; see màidhean.
maoirne, a bait for a fishing hook (N. H.), maoirnean, the least quantity of anything; cf. maghar, root mag, grow.
maois, a large basket, hamper, maois-eisg, five hundred fish, Ir. maois, W. mwys, hamper, five score herring, Cor. muis, moys; Sc. mese, five hundred herring, Norse meiss, box, wicker basket, meiss síld, barrel-herrings, O. H. G. meisa, a basket for the back; Lit. maiszas, sack, Ch. Sl. mėchŭ. The relationship, whether of affinity or borrowing, between Celtic and Teutonic, is doubtful. The Brittonic might come from Lat. mensa, a table, and the Gadelic from the Norse.
maoiseach, maoisleach, a doe, heifer: maol-sech (maol, hornless); see mís.
maol, bald, Ir. maol, O. Ir. máel, máil, W. moel, Br. maol: *mailo-s; Lit. mailus, something small, smallness, Ch. Sl. mėlŭkŭ, small; further root mei, lessen (see maoth). The Ir. mug, servant, has been suggested as the basis: *mag(u)lo-, servile, "short-haired, bald"; but this, though suitable to the W., would give in G. mál. Cf. Ir. mál, prince, from *maglo-. Hence maol, brow of a hill or rock, W. mael, a conical hill?
maolchair, the space between the eyebrows; from maol.
maol-snèimheil, lazy, careless, indifferent (H.S.D.), maol-snè(imh), maol-snìomh (Rob.), a lazy one:
maor, an officer of justice or of estates, Ir. maor, an officer, O. G. mœr, máir (B. of Deer), W. maer, steward; from Lat. major, whence Eng. mayor.
maorach, shell-fish, Ir. maorach; cf. Gr. μúραινα (u long), lamprey, σμῦρος, eel.
maoth, soft, Ir. maoth, E. Ir. móeth, O. Ir. móith: *moiti-s; Lat. mîtis, mild; further root mei, lessen (see mìn).
mar, as, Ir., M. Ir. mar, E. Ir., O. Ir. immar, quasi: *ambi-are, the prepositions imm (now mu) and air? W. mor, as, Corn., Br. mar, is explained by Ernault as unaccented Br. meur, G. mór, big.
mar ri, M. G. far ri (D. of L.): from mar and ri.
