Celtic word for horse

[X99Lynx at aol.com]

I wrote:

>> With regard to *equus reflexes in Celtic, of course each of the languages
>> above also has a <marko-> word for horse.  But it make me wonder how
>> forgiving this analysis should be - since I see a complete absence of
>> *ekwos in Breton, NIr and Manx.

In a message dated 3/7/2000 2:32:19 AM, BMScott at stratos.net replied:

> Breton <ebeul> 'colt', NIr <each> 'a horse, a steed', and
> I assume Manx <eagh> 'riding horse, steed, racehorse'.

Buck does list <ebeul> for colt, but not <each> for NIr - in NIr, it doesn't
seem any *ekwos looking words appear in any of the different categories Buck
lists for different kinds of horses (horse, stallion, gelding, mare, foal,
colt).  The word is <eagh> OR <agh> in Kelly's Manx dictionary - Buck does
not have either.

I also wrote:

>> Also I note that Buck has somehow failed to include in his book a rather
>> important OIr word for 'deer' - <ach>  (Gaelic - <each>).  Perhaps more on
>> that later.

In a message dated 3/7/2000 2:32:19 AM, BMScott at stratos.net replied:

> Can you give a reference to this word?  There is no entry
> for <ach> 'deer' in the Dict. of the Irish Lang.

Quite right.  Sorry about that.

The word is <agh>.  McBain's Etymon. Dict. defines it in Gaelic and Ir as
"hind", and as "deer" in <agh allaidh> (allaidh being 'wild'), citing
O'Clery's Glossary (1643).  OIr is given as <ag>.   (Also interesting in
McBain's is Welsh <uch> = elk or deer.) Buck mentions none of these.

In Manx, <agh> = steed, horse, <agh markiaght> = riding horse; (Kelly's
Fockleyr Gaelg - Baarle (Manx Gaelic).

BMScott at stratos.net also wrote:

> there *is* <ech>
> 'a horse, a steed', giving NIr <each> 'a horse, a steed'
> and Sc. Gael. <each> 'a horse, a brute'. OIr <ech> can
> of course be found in Buck's 3.41 (generic term for a horse)

Yes, well, in any case, marko-  is the only word Buck gives for "generic"
horse in ALL four of the Celtic languages (<marc>/<march>/<marc'h>) and Buck
lists marko- words for "mare" in NONE of those four Celtic languages.  (His
rationale for leaving out other relevant words is unexplained.)

Regards,
Steve Long