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OF THE GAELIC LANGUAGE.
261
natar, nitre; from Eng. natron, nitre,
nathair, a serpent, so Ir., O. Ir. nathir, W. neidr, Corn. nader, M. Br. azr: *natrîx; Lat. natrix, water snake; Got. nadrs, Norse naðr, Eng. adder. The Teutonic words are regarded by Kluge as scarcely connected with Lat. natrix, whose root is nat, swim.
-ne, emphatic participle added to the pl. of 1st pers. pron. sin-ne, ar n-athair-ne, "our father"; O. Ir. ni, -ni, used independently (= nos) and as a suffix. See further under sinne.
neach, anyone, Ir. neach, O. Ir. nech, aliquis, W., Cor., Br. nep, neb, quisquam: *neqo-, ne-qo-; Lit. nekàs, something, nekúrs, quidam, Let.. ká ne ká, anyhow. Stokes takes the ne from the negative root ne (se na); the qo is the pronominal stem of the interrogative (cf. Lat. -que, neque).
nead, a nest, Ir. nead, E. Ir. net, W. nyth, Corn. neid, Br. nez, neiz: *nizdo-s; Lat. nîdus; Eng. nest; Skr. nîdas. Supposed to be from *ni-sed-, "sit down".
nèamh, heaven, Ir. neamh, O. Ir. nem, W., Corn. nef, M. Br. neff, now env: *nemos; Skr. námas, bowing, reverence; Lat. nemus, grove; Gr. νέμος, pasture: root nem, distribute, Gr. νέμω (do.), Ger. nehmen, take. Gaulish has νεμητον or νεμετον, O. Ir. nemed, sacellum. Often, and lately (1895) by Prof. Rhys, referred to the root nebh, be cloudy, Gr. νέφος, cloud, Lat. nebula (see neul); but the Gaelic nasalized èa is distinctly against this, as also is the Br. env (Stokes).
neamhnuid, a pearl, Ir. meamhunn, M. Ir. niamnuid, pearl, E. Ir. nemanda, pearly, O. Ir. ném, onyx (for nem?); root nem of nèamh.
neanntag, nettle, Ir. neantóg, E. Ir. nenntai, nettles, nenaid. See deanntag.
neapaicin, a napkin, Ir. naipicín; from Eng.
nèarachd, happiness, usually mo nèarachd, lucky to, Ir. moigheanéar, happy is he (O'B.), is meanar duit-se, happy it is for you (O'Growney), M. Ir. mo ghenar duit, good luck to you (F.M.), mongenar (L.B.), E. Ir. mogenar. The root seems to be mag (I. E. magh), increase (see mac); cf. Lat. macte, root, mak, great.
nearag, a daughter (Oss. Ballads); if a word properly handed down, it is interesting to compare it with the root of the following.
neart, strength, Ir. neart, O. Ir. nert, W., Corn. nerth, Br. nerz, Gaul. nerto-, root ner; Skr. nár, man; Gr. ἀνήρ (root ner); Lat. Umbr. nerus, viros, Sab. Nero, fortis; Teut. Nerthus, Norse Njörðr; Lit. norėti, to will.
