32
ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY
bealach, a pass, Ir. bealach, pass, road, E. Ir. belach, cf. Skr. bíla, gap, mouth; bilako-n (C.RR. 174). Cf. W. bwlch, pass, etc? See bile.
bealaidh, broom, Ir. beallýi (Lh. Comp. Voc.); cf. Br. balan, M. Br. balazn, O. Fr. balain; also Fr. balai, older balain, a broom. This might be referred to the common root bhel, bloom (prolific as a root, like the corresponding root of broom, as in W. balannu, to bud), but the W. for "broom" is banadl, Cor. banathel, which M. Ernault has compared with Lat. genista, broom (root gen, beget?). Jub. gives Br. as banadlon (R.C.18 106). The Br. might be a metathesis of W. banadl (cf. Br. alan v. anail). It is possible that Gaelic is borrowed from the Pictish; the word does not appear in the Ir. Dictionaries, save in Lh.'s Celt. part, which perhaps proves nothing.
bealbhan-ruadh, a species of hawk (Sh., O'R.); for bealbhan, cf. †bealbhach, a bit, from beul, mouth?
bealltuinn, May-day, Ir. béalteine, E. Ir. beltene, belltaine, *belo-te(p)niâ (Stokes), "bright-fire", where belo- is allied to Eng. bale ("bale-fire"), Ag. S. bael, Lit. baltas, white. The Gaul. god-names Belenos and Belisama are also hence, and Shakespeare's Cym-beline. Two needfires were lighted on Beltane among the Gael, between which they drove their cattle for purification and luck; hence the proverb: "Eadar dà theine Bhealltuinn"—Between two Beltane fires.
bean, wife, so Ir. ben, W. bun, benyw, Cor. benen, sponsa, Celtic benâ, g. bnâs, pl.n. bnâs; Gr. γυνή, Bœot. Gr. βανά; Got. ginô, Eng. queen, Sc. queyn; Skr. gnâ.
bean, touch, Ir. beanaim, beat, touch, appertain to, O. Ir. benim, pulso, ferio, Br. bena, to cut, M. Br. benaff, hit; *bina, root bin, bi (O. Ir. ro bi, percussit, bithe, perculsus), from I. E. bhi, bhei, hit; Ch. Sl. bija, biti, strike; O. H. G. bîhal, axe; Gr. φιτρός, log. Further is root bheid, split, Eng. bite. Usually bean has been referred to I. E. ꬶhen, ꬶhon, hit, slay; Gr. φεν-, slay, επεφνον, slew, φόνος, slaughter, θείνω, strike; Skr. han, hit; but ꬶh = G. b is doubtful.
beann, top, horn, peak, Ir. beann, O. Ir. benn, pinna, W. ban, height, peak, M. Br. ban, also benny, horn, pipe (music), Gaul. canto-bennicus mons, "white peak" mount; proto-Gaelic bennâ; root ꬶen-, ꬶn-, as in Eng. knoll, Sc. knowe. In Scotch Gaelic, the oblique form beinn has usurped the place of beann, save in the gen. pl.
beannachd, blessing, so Ir., O. Ir. bendacht, W. bendith; from Lat. bendictio, whence Eng. benediction.
