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ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY
sparsan, the dew-lap of a beast, Ir. sparsan (Lh., O'B); see spursan.
speach, a wasp, connspeach, for conas-beach, "wrangling or dog bee", from beach, bee? The Ir. for "wasp" is eircbheach. connspeach is referred by Stokes (Dict. 302) to *spekâ, Gr. σφήξ; for phonetics cf. padhadh, piuthar, also speir and speal.
speach, a blow, thrust, stitch in the side, Ir. speach, a kick:
speach, door step (Carm.).
spead, a very small foot or leg (M'A.), speadach, sheepshanked (M'A.), kicking (Badenoch, where spead means a cow's or sheep's kick); cf. M. Ir. spedudhud, a musical instrument (?), Kuno Meyer's "King and Hermit". Root sped-do-, spend-.
speal, a scythe, Ir. speal, scythe, reaping hook, M. Ir. spel: *spelâ, Gr. ψαλίς, shears, root spal, clip, pull, further Eng. psalm (so Stokes).
spealg, a splinter; from Sc. spelk, a splint attached to a fracture, M.E. spelke, a splinter, Norse spjalk, spelkur, splint, Du. spalk.
spealt, a splinter; from Teutonic - M. Eng. spélde, now a spill, M.H.G. spelte, a splinter, Ger. spalten.
spearrach, a cow-fetter, a fetter for wild goats; see speireach.
spéic, a spike, Ir. spéice; from Norse spík, a spike, Eng. spike, Ger. speiche. W. has ysbig.
speil, cattle, herd, Ir. speil, herd of cattle or swine; *speli-, allied to Lat. spolium (Stokes).
spéil, slide, skate; from Sc. speil, play, bonspel, curling game, Ger. spielen, play.
speir, hoof or ham of cattle, claw talon, ankle and thereabouts of the human leg, Ir. speirr, hough, ham: *s-peri-; compare W. ffer, ankle, ber, leg, shank: Cor. fer, crus, E. Ir. seir, heel, di pherid: *speret-, Gr. σφυρόν, ankle, heel; root sper, Eng. spur, spurn, Lat. sperno, etc.
speireach, spearrach, cow-fetter, foot fetter; from speir and *rich, tie, for which last see buarach.
spéiread, strength, force, courage; founded on Lat. spîritus.
speireag, sparrow-hawk; from M. Eng. sper-hauk, Ag. S. spear-hafoc, Norse sparrhaukr, from sparrow and hawk.
spéis, esteem, liking, Ir. spéis, M. Ir. sbéis; seemingly from M. Ir. sbesailte, special, from Lat. species, look (cf. Eng. re-spect).
speuc, spiac, diverge, divaricate, tear asunder, branch; from Sc. spaik, a spoke (in a wheel), Eng. spoke, Ag. S. spáca.
speuclair, spectacles, Ir. speucláir, a glass, spectacles; from the Latin.
