preters”, aiebas enim te magis interpretum varietate turbari. But, in order to make this clearer, I add a few more instances of its use: LL. 125 α 14, no-shíned a shuanemain etar da chualli, ⁊ no-bid oc díburgud eturro, ⁊ ni anad co n‑ermaised in ubull no-bíd for cind in chualli, “he stretched his rope between two poles, and used to shoot (sling stones) between them; and he did not stop till he hit the apple that was on the top of the pole”. From this meaning comes the further application, ‘to attain’, ‘consequi’, ‘to have time for’: cf. the following passage [LB. 49 α 28]:—
| bés imorro ⁊ crábud in aráin némdescda, is as tóisech ro-tindscanad: ó’n chet-chaisc ro-chelebairset meic Israel in Ráméssi i tír Gessen is-ind Égipt, dia tardsat forru na h‑Égeptacdha co forecnech fácbail in tíre, co na ro-ermaisetar fris-in tindenus descaid do cumasc ar in mein amal ba gnáth dóib remi do dénam. | the custom and religious practice of unleavened bread originated from the first passover that the children of Israel kept in R. in the land of Goshen, in Egypt, when the Egyptians compelled them to quit the land, so that they had not even time, from the precipitancy (of their start) to mix the leaven in the flour, as was their wont before to do. |
This word seems to have been a constant stumbling-block to O’Donovan in his translation of Magh Rath, e. gr. p. 268:—
ni bi duine ar doman gan a ḟod urdalta airċennta oiḋeḋa d’urmaisi, gin go raibe taċa tapaid ná esbaide engnama air, “there is not a man in the world for whom his certain and fixed place of death is not preordained, even though he should have no want of vigour, or lack of valour” (O’Don.). Here even the logical connexion shows that the sense is “who does not [hit, attain] meet with his appointed doom, in spite of his prowess”, &c. Again, ibid. p. 192:—ro pad feidm ocus ro pad urmaisi airig no ḟír-laiċ fuireċ re fégad a féinned ocus re taidbred a tuaruscbala, “it would be the business and improvement of a chief or true hero to remain to view these heroes and conceive their description” (O’Don.). In these vague, alliterative phrases, a certain liberty must be allowed; but I do not think that the translator has hit the point; and the true rendering seems to me something like this: “it would be a great effort on the part of, and would only be attained by, a great chief to stay cool, inspecting his troops and reviewing their qualities”; because, as the narrator goes on, with considerable insight into the native character, “these heroes are not
