(earlier disyllabic
gnoë,
Celtica i 322 n. 4
,
Imr. Brain 34 § 6
, later: gnó, gnáe, gnaí; Mod. Ir. gnaoi).
adj
I io,iā
(a)
beautiful, fine, exquisite:
gnoe .i. ségda,
LU 8905
.
gnóe ...
cech sēgda,
Corm. Y 693
.
[g]no[e] .i. airdirc nó aibind,
O'Dav.
1023
.
gnaoi .i. aoibhinn,
O'Cl.
i mbith gnóu (gnó, gnoe, gnae,
v.ll.) in the beautiful world,
Imr. Brain i § 51
.
i tig Garbhāin bid
gnōe,
Corm. Y 661
. fo bafis gnae no aibind according to
the pleasant or delightful knowledge,
Laws iv 18.6 Comm.
Cf.
iii 24.23 Comm.
comal ngnaoi (chev.),
TFrag. 48.9
.
go
mór-ghnaoi,
Keat. i 114.23
. Used esp. of rare or exotic
objects: cnó gnóe 'tropical drift seed, particularly that of Entada gigas (?)'
FS Gillies 211-15
. Included among `gaillite
tacair,'
Laws v 220.23 Comm.
Cf.
ib. 406.22
,
25
;
408.12
.
Corm. Y 693
.
O'Dav. 539
.
fiacail gnaei,
Laws
v 250.4
(gl.
.i. fiacail in mil moir,
14
); 'ivory tusk of the narwhal (?)'
Peritia xii 408
.
(b)
illustrious, noteworthy (?):
[g]no[e] .i. airdirc,
O'Dav.
1023
;
gno .i. airrdric,
Lec. Gl. 31
.
gnó .i. oirdheirc,
O'Cl.
n
II iā, f. gnaí fem.,
IGT Decl. §§ 98
,
99
.
(a)
beauty,
delightfulness; charm (?) :
fil fid fo mess i mbí gnóe,
Imr. Brain i
§ 42
. tre bithu gnoe `through beautiful ages' (or a
p. of adj. ?),
§ 6
.
ro ás gnóe móir in n-ingin,
LU 3161
(
RC ii 88.24
).
dá
ṡúil in Grégaig co ngnái,
Anecd. i 36 § 90
. tria gáine ngnó
`through delight of her beauty,'
Metr. Dinds. iii 8.1
. co sáer-gnó `noble of mien,'
270.18
(but see glossary).
co mór-gnaí,
iv 1884.42
.
fo gnoí (gne, gnai v.ll.) glain,
76.3
. Cuan
Baoi ... | fá ghnaoi fhairsing fhíonchabhlaigh.
Top. Poems²
1284
.
m'eich-si ... is ferrdi a n-gnai,
MR 82.12
. na slatuibh
uile ar aonghnaoi' scions all alike in grace,'
Arch. Hib. i 90
§ v
.
ar ghnaoi ghréasa,
Studies 1923, 422 § 5
.
chugad ... is
breághtha dath agus gnaoi,
Oss. iv 24.6
. fer coimhéid do
ghnaí Geróid guardian of G.'s charm (?),
IGT Decl. ex. 1011
;
749
. pl. Gormlaith na ngnaí ṅgnáth of the well-known
attractions (?),
LL 141a39
. In modern poets passes from
meaning `beauty of countenance' to `countenance,' see
Dinneen
s.v. gnaoi
.
(b)
delight, pleasure:
eter gnai ┐ glór is gen,
AU ii 520.16
(an. 1365)
.
atā colum ... ālaind | againd ... mōidi ar ngnāi,
ACL iii 242 § 10
. más gnaoi leat d'fhághail if thou desirest
to get it,
Oss. iv 74.4
. fuair gnaoi ní gnaoi as nar theannta
`she hath won love to be relied on,'
DDána 99 § 11
.
ní dona
mnáibh glioca amháin | dobheirim fós grádh nó gnaoi,
Dánta Gr. xxxvi 42.
(c)
distinction, fame: Mugna moo gnoe .i. moo báiscnib
`greatest of all noteworthy things,'
Dinds. 34
(
RC xv
).
dofhuair
gnai ... go mblad,
MacCarthy 310 § 4
. mairidh gnaoi an
glaicleabair gloin | on Traoi taitnemaigh tredaig (of Alexander),
ZCP ii 350.29
.
roleath a ngnai sund gu sal | fria
foglaim gaiscidh,
BB 19b32
. téid gnaoi don fhlaith as a los
the chief's honour by it is forfeited,
A. Ó Dálaigh l 9
.
méaraidh
a ghlóir is a ghnaoi,
Dán Dé xxvi 40
. béim dá ghnaoi
`a reproach to his fame,'
Content. xxiv 19.
(d)
knowledge, information (?):
finta dún | ... ol at eōla
ecna uill, | ol at cana gnoe grind,
LL 7406.
(e) As npr
m.
Gnoe mac Blai,
Rawl. 160a29
.
mac Gnai
meic Meic Eirc,
BB 196c18
.