n
ā, f., O.Ir. n
s. mebul (Glosses; but
mebuil,
Ml.
138c8
). meabhal (meabhail incorrect), g
s.
meabhla,
IGT Dec.
§ 37.
In late Mid. and Mod.Ir. also o, m.
(a) a cause of shame, a disgrace:
dinim .i. mebal nó aisc,
O'Mulc. 335.
meabhal .i. nár,
O'Cl.
In Glosses used as pred.
with cop. in expressions: is m.¤ dom
it is a cause of shame to
me
; is m.¤ limm
I am ashamed
. arnap mebul domsa mo irbāg
(gl. ne . . . erubescamus),
Wb. 16d11
.
24a30
. is mebol damsa
. . . mani fuil imorbága I am put to sshame unless there is a contest,
LU 1472
(
MU 48.23
).
is mebul duit . . . laigi fri bangrád,
SCC 30.
is mebul dom imrādud a mét élas uaimm shame to my
thoughts how they stray from me!
Ériu iii 14.2
. ní mebul do
Ultaib uli a thabairt dó to award it to him (i.e. Cú Ch.) would
be no slur on all the (other) Ulstermen,
FB 14.
nach mebhal
doibh féin an cuairt?,
Cog. 98.35
. ní mebul lemm precept
soscéli ( = non erubesco evangelium),
Wb. 1b10
, cf.
29d18
,
30a6
.
is mebul leu in tan nad rucat they are ashamed when . . .,
Ml.
87c3
.
ba mebul lē dul issi torruch,
IT i 139.29
. ba mmebul
lee buith donaib ócaib cen biad she was ashamed that the
youths were left without food,
LL 249b6
(
TBFr., Med. and
Mod.Ir. Ser. v 136
), cf.
ZCP iv 37.18
. beith a mbochta ní
mebol poverty is no disgrace,
ACL iii 321 § 6.
Col ┐ Mebul ┐
Eraise,
TBC-I¹ 1766
(allegor. npr.
f.). ní dénat acht mebáil
indiu they are acquitting themselves shamefully (of discomfited
warriors),
LU 1513
=
MU 52.8
.
cen ruci cen mebail,
FA 35.
cách a ndénaidh frisin ingin do mhebail (mebhul .i. olc) all the
wrong you do the maiden,
ZCP v 524.20
. comét mo lāma . . .
nar chlechtat . . . atchuingid fo mebail lest they be accustomed
to seek what is shameful,
ZCP vi 259 § 8.
ní hosnad iar mbebail
. . . is ósnad iar mbúaid (i.e. after discomfiture),
FB 89.
g
s.
caint meblæ
,
O'Mulc. 203.
rūn meblai,
ACL iii 306 § 9.
mod
mebla,
LL 144a26
.
(b) transf. in concrete sense pudenda: mebul [meabhul,
mebal MSS.]
.i. ball bannda na mna . . . do dechsain a mebla
.i. a náire,
O'Dav. 1264
=
a mebuil,
1225
.
(c)
deceit, guile, treachery (common later meaning):
brecc
nó m.¤
,
O'Mulc. 789.
meabhal .i. feall,
O'Cl.
brég (.i. cealg nó
mebhul),
ZCP v 524.29
.
Brēg ┐ Meng ┐ Meabal,
Corm. Y 723.
doronsat Saxain mebuil for Bretnu,
LU 234
, cf.
Todd Nenn.
102.2
.
feall ┐ meabal . . . do dénum air,
Fianaig. 70.5
. meabal
ar Sil M. la Murchertach treachery (was practised) on,
RC xviii
15.26
(Tig.). Dondchadh . . . do marbadh la hA. . . . a mebuil
treacherously
,
xvii 337.6
, cf.
AFM i 484.15
( = dolose,
CS 152.18
).
a mac do marbadh la Hua C. tre meabul,
RC xviii 192.36
.
ro ferad faeilti gan meing gan mebail re C.,
Acall. 6902.
lucht
fingaile ┐ mebla,
RC xxviii 318 § 30.
crech meabla `a treacherous foray',
AU ii 114.4
. aisling meabhuil an illusive vision,
O'Rah. vi 1 (1911). chum meabhla do dhénamh air a
sheirbhíseachaibh `to deal subtilly with',
Psalms cv 25.
The follg.
exx. may represent (a): m.¤ fo t[h]uinn [sic leg. ?] fosluide, cid
fīada fuilt ḟindbuidi ( = `beauty is only skin-deep'),
ZCP vi
267 § 3.
tuilledh ele as dliccedh duibh, | mart, muc is molt gan
meabail `without deceit',
BNnÉ 269.16
(but cf.
do gadadh úam
mart meabhla,
IGT Dec. ex. 963
).