Texts

O’Clery’s glossary (Foclóir na Sanasán Nua)

Mícheál Ó Cléirigh
  • Irish
  • prose
  • Irish glossaries

An Irish glossary compiled by Mícheál Ó Cléirigh. who dedicated it to Baothghalach Mac Aodhagáin.

Title
O’Clery’s glossary (Foclóir na Sanasán Nua)

The work was printed as Foclóir na Sanasán Nua, but is commonly known by descriptive titles such as O’Clery’s glossary or Sanasán Mhichíl Uí Chléirigh.

Author
Ó Cléirigh (Mícheál)
Ó Cléirigh (Mícheál)
(d. 1643)
Irish scholar, historian and scribe.

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Compiled by Mícheál Ó Cléirigh.
Contributors
Mac Aodhagáin (Baothghalach)
Mac Aodhagáin (Baothghalach)
No short description available

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Manuscripts

include:

Dublin, National Library of Ireland, MS G 585
Part of introduction
Dublin, National Library of Ireland, MS G 1136
Language
  • Irish
Date
1643 (first appearance in print).
Form
prose (primary)
Textual relationships

In his introduction, Ó Cléirigh acknowledges the use of a number of textual and manuscript sources:(1)n. 1 Arthur W. K. Miller, ‘O’Clery’s Irish glossary’, Revue Celtique 4 (1879–1880): 354; E. J. Gwynn, ‘On a source of O'Clery's Glossary’, Hermathena 14 (1907): 464.

  • Amra Choluim Chille
  • Immacallam in dá thúarad
  • ‘Féilire na náomh’, i.e. Félire Óengusso
  • Martyrology of Gorman
  • ‘Leabhar iomann’, i.e. the Irish Liber hymnorum (TCD MS 1441 and UCD (Franciscan) MS A 2)
  • Sanasán
  • Bethu Phátraic
  • ‘Seinscreaptra meamruim agas seinleabhar páipéir ina bíríth mórán d’foclaibh cruaidhe gona míniughadh’ (“old vellum manuscripts and an old paper book in which many difficult words with their interpretation were found”). E. J. Gwynn suggests that the former may have included a copy (or copies) of the Dinnshenchas Érenn.(2)n. 2 See E. J. Gwynn, ‘On a source of O'Clery's Glossary’, Hermathena 14 (1907) and E. J. Gwynn, ‘O'Clery's glossary II [On a source of O'Clery's glossary]’, Hermathena 15 (1909).
  • Foras focal
  • Deirbshiur don Eagna an Éigsi
  • ‘urmhor an leabhráin ó sin amach do réir na gluaise do glacadh ón nBáothghalach réumhraite’ (“a great part of the book according to the gloss received from the aforesaid Baothghalach [ruadh Mac Aodhagáin]”). Baothghalach ruadh Mac Aodhagáin (not to be confused with the patron of the book), Torna Ó Maolchonaire, Maolsheachlainn modardha Ó Maolchonaire and Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh (d. 1616) are credited as learned authorities on the interpretation of the glosses.
  • Seán Ó Maolchonaire (John O'Mulconry) and Flann mac Cairbre meic Aodhagáin are mentioned as Irish scholars who have produced glossaries before Ó Cléirigh.
(Possible) sources: Amra Choluim ChilleAmra Choluim Chille

Elegy on Saint Columba (Colum Cille).

Immacallam in dá thúaradImmacallam in dá thúaradEarly Irish wisdom textFélire ÓengussoFélire ÓengussoFélire Uí Gormáin (Martyrology of Gorman)Félire Uí Gormáin (Martyrology of Gorman)Irish metrical calendar of saints compiled by Máel Muire Ua Gormáin in the 12th century.SanasánSanasánView incoming dataBethu Phátraic / Vita Tripartita S. PatriciiBethu Phátraic / Vita Tripartita S. PatriciiDinnshenchas ÉrennDinnshenchas ÉrennThe Dinnshenchas Érenn is a compilation of literary compositions, in prose or verse, on lore surrounding the prominent places of Ireland. These texts usually offer origin legends which purport to explain how a well-known place in Ireland, such as a certain hill, plain or lake, received its present or former name. The genesis of this collection is usually dated to the late Middle Irish period (11th and 12th centuries).Forus focalForus focalA metrical Irish glossary (75 qq).Deirbhshiúr glossaryDeirbhshiúr glossaryMetrical Irish glossary, which deals with c.193 head-words in the course of over 6o qq.
Related: Vocabularium Latinum et Hibernum / Foclóir Lainne agus GaoidheilgeVocabularium Latinum et Hibernum / Foclóir Lainne agus Gaoidheilge

Latin-Irish dictionary compiled in 1662 by the Franciscan Risteard Pluincéad (Richard Plunkett) at the friary of Trim, Co. Meath. The work, which is held to be the first known attempt at a complete dictionary of the Irish language, did not see publication in print but remained in manuscript form. It came to the attention of Edward Lhuyd, who made use of it when preparing his Archaeologia Brittanica.

Associated items
Bethu Phátraic / Vita Tripartita S. PatriciiBethu Phátraic / Vita Tripartita S. Patricii

Classification

Irish glossariesIrish glossaries
...

Irish glossariesIrish glossaries
...

Sources

Notes

Arthur W. K. Miller, ‘O’Clery’s Irish glossary’, Revue Celtique 4 (1879–1880): 354; E. J. Gwynn, ‘On a source of O'Clery's Glossary’, Hermathena 14 (1907): 464.
See E. J. Gwynn, ‘On a source of O'Clery's Glossary’, Hermathena 14 (1907) and E. J. Gwynn, ‘O'Clery's glossary II [On a source of O'Clery's glossary]’, Hermathena 15 (1909).

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[print] Ó Cléirigh, Mícheál, Foclóir nó Sanasán nua: A new Vocabulary or Glossary, Louvain, 1643.
[ed.] Miller, Arthur W. K. [ed. and tr.], “O’Clery’s Irish glossary”, Revue Celtique 4 (1879–1880): 349–428, 479–480.
Internet Archive: <link>
[ed.] Miller, Arthur W. K. [ed. and tr.], “O’Clery’s Irish glossary”, Revue Celtique 5 (1881–1883): 1–69.
Internet Archive: <link>
[ed.] Lhuyd, Edward, Archæologia Britannica, giving some account additional to what has been hitherto publish’d, of the languages, histories and customs of the original inhabitants of Great Britain: from collections and observations in travels through Wales, Cornwal, Bas-Bretagne, Ireland and Scotland, vol. 1: Glossography, Oxford, 1707.
Internet Archive: <link>, <link>
Incorporates the glossary in an Irish dictionary.

Secondary sources (select)

Sharpe, Richard, and Mícheál Hoyne, Clóliosta: printing in the Irish language, 1571–1871. An attempt at narrative bibliography, Online (pre-publication): Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 2019–present. URL: <https://www.dias.ie/celt/celt-publications-2/cloliosta/>.
54–58 [id. 29.]
Russell, Paul, “The sounds of a silence: the growth of Cormac's Glossary”, Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 15 (1988): 1–30.
Stokes, Whitley, “A collation of the second edition of O'Clery's Irish glossary”, Archiv für celtische Lexikographie 1 (1900): 348–359.
Internet Archive: <link>
Gwynn, E. J., “On a source of O'Clery's Glossary”, Hermathena 14:33 (1907): 464–480.
Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
Gwynn, E. J., “O'Clery's glossary II [On a source of O'Clery's glossary]”, Hermathena 15:35 (1909): 389–396.
Internet Archive: <link>
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
March 2012, last updated: January 2024