§ 999: Olldam

§ 1000: Ói

§ 1001: Óimelc

[following on from § 1000. Ói:] oímelc, i.e. sheep/ewe (oí)-milk (melc), i.e. the time when a sheep’s milk (as cairach) comes; melc, i.e. milk (as) because it is milked (mblegar).

This entry is usually explained as a glossator’s ‘folk etymology’ of the term Imbolc, where the form has been altered in order to make etymological sense. It occurs mostly verbatim in the expanded version of Tochmarc Emire (§ 55 in Van Hamel’s edition). Further reading: Éimear Williams, ‘Bealtaine and Imbolg (oimelc) in Cormac’s Glossary’, Studia Celtica 39 (2005); Eric P. Hamp, ‘Imbolc, Óimelc’, Studia Celtica 14-15 (1979); Joseph Vendryes, ‘Imbolc’, Revue Celtique 41 (1924); Fergus Kelly, Early Irish farming: a study based mainly on the law-texts of the 7th and 8th centuries AD (1997): 460.

Subjects

Imbolccalendrical events
Imbolc

id. 27647

One of the four quarter days of pre-Christian origin (together with Beltaine, Lugnasad and Samain) which are attested in early Irish sources. “The spring festival of Imbolc was celebrated early in February. It is likely that this festival was originally associated with the earth goddess Brigit ‘The exalted one’, but was taken over by the Church early in the Christian period. The goddess was transformed into a saint, whose mythical career is described in Bethu Brigte and other texts, and whose feast is celebrated on 1st February.”, Fergus Kelly, Early Irish farming: a study based mainly on the law-texts of the 7th and 8th centuries AD (1997): 460.

Keywords

milkmilk
...
sheepsheep
...

Lexical items

Ir. oí-melcIrish oí-melc
Search eDILIr. ImbolcIrish Imbolc
Search eDILIr. melg ... 1. milkIrish melg ... 1. milk
Search eDILIr. as ... 1. milkIrish as ... 1. milk
Search eDIL

Related texts

Tochmarc EmireTochmarc Emire

§ 1002: Oen

§ 1003: Oen

§ 1004: Oenach

§ 1005: Oar

§ 1006: Oech

§ 1007: Orb

§ 1008: Ogh

§ 1009: Ord

§ 1010: Olchobar

§ 1011: Orn

§ 1012: Om

§ 1013: Opar

§ 1014: Ong

§ 1015: Orait

§ 1016: Oslucud

§ 1017: Ogthach

§ 1018: Ór

§ 1019: Orc treith

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