n
u, n.? (
Todd Lect. iv 205
), later m. The original
meaning seems to be
slaughter, slaying
, and this is
generally implied, under all extensions of meaning.
I A slaying, slaughter
; usually of slaying an enemy in
battle, but also in the senses of
murder, manslaughter
(with
gen. of agent or obj.): écht Maind the slaying of Mand
(obj. gen.)
TBC-I¹ 2181
=
Metr. Dinds. iv 278
.
ferais ēcht
ndochla ndobail | guin Fiachach,
TBC-I¹ 2068
=
TBC-LL¹ 2784
.
naco ndernat echt fon innas(s)a nidat tualngi comram until
they accomplish such a killing as this
LL 123b51
(=
Death-tales of the Ulster heroes 4
).
Anecd. i 13.5
. do commaoidhimh an echda mhoir
dorinde (viz. the slaying of Fer Diad)
ZCP x 296 y
.
is
mór in t-écht doringni rí L., bás mo dam ingen do
thuidecht trina cheilg,
LL 295a23
=
RC xiii 38.18
.
saebécht doróni L. for mnai Conchobair,
Metr. Dinds. iv 32
.
ēchta Lagen for Leth Cuind slaughters (inflicted) on L.C. by
the Leinstermen
LL 48b7
.
dorigne P. echta ar na
Tiauandaib,
TTebe 2835
. nir bo echt cen aithi not
an unavenged slaying
TTebe 3523
. mairg cathraig i
ndernad in t-échtsa (viz. the Crucifixion)
PH 3306
. lucht
an echta those who had wrought the murder
KMMisc.
313.13
.
Dán Dé xxvi 33
. tír an echta `the land on
which the crime had been committed'
BNnÉ 313.5
.
adchondairc A. na tigri...a haithli na n-echt sin do
denam daib (after the tigers had killed a charioteer and his
steeds),
TTebe 2780
.
trésna háraibh ┐ trésna héachtaibh
do-bhéaradh ar a easgcáirdibh,
TSh. 2763
. Here may
belong:
ech cumal echta,
Laws v 414.21
with gloss:
.i.
go n-a duine,
416.1
, possibly = gona duini of slaying a
man; then ech c.e. might mean a horse worth a blood price
(?).
aircet échta,
Acall. 789
(`silver taken as spoil from
the slain'
SG ii 120
) cf. 1 echta. Attrib. g
s.: aire échta
noble of death-deeds, the designation of an officer entrusted
with the duty of exacting blood-vengeance,
Laws iv 322.
20
. See
PRIA xxxvi C 16 § 109
(cf.
ib. 269.31
).
ZCP xv 319
.
airi echta in tAengus G., ac dígail greisi
ceniuil a tuathaib Luigne,
Laws iii 82.6
. neoil éachta
clouds of (i.e. presaging) death
Ir. Monthly 1920, 108
.
II By extension a slain person
, occasionally somewhat
in the sense of Engl.
casualty, loss (in battle) but some of the follg. exx. may belong to I (see SGS iv 94-95
); cf. eacht
pity, grief, sorrow, mourning
P. O'C.
: ard cach n-écht dorochair and every (warrior) slain there
Metr. Dinds. iv 44
. rob
echt mór fer dibhsin gérbhó maith an dias n-aile (of three
slain warriors)
AFM v 1636.6
. dorónadh écht mór annsin ō
Ghallaibh .i. Pattraiccín C. there was a serious loss on the
English side, viz. P.C.
1646 y
. dorochrator échta móra ó
Máguidhir M. suffered some serious losses
Hugh Roe² 30.
27 (17a)
.
ni hinnister echt oirdearc diobh do thuitim,
AFM
vi 2106.8
.
L. Chl. S. § 54
. echta a n-airech the
slain of their leaders
Leb. Gab.(i) i 270
.
nír bhó hionairimh
a n-échta,
AFM vi 1936.12
.
Marco P. 63
.
mór n-éacht
gcuradh do chaillsead,
Miscell. Celt. Soc. 352
.
ba
doimtheachta an maighen la hioliomat na n-écht ina
bhfaoínlighibh,
AFM v 1278.11
.
The use of écht may be anticipatory: dús in tetarthad
écht n-amra d'Ultaib do marbad if he could succeed in
slaying a famous champion of the U.
LL 124a8
=
Death-tales of the Ulster heroes 4
(rendered:
i ndóigh éachta do dhéanamh ar
Ulltachaibh,
Keat. ii 3106
). is amlaid forcoemnacair cach
oen for erchomhair a échta facing the man he was to slay
ZCP xi 61.17
.
ni fiu lium echt anuasal nā gillanrach
do marbadh,
vi 278.30
.
ML 100.12
.
gu nderna mé écht
Ídhail,
IGT, Decl. ex. 426
. Probably of this type is: demin
leis gia no thachrad écht dó nā lécfadh C. dó a dénam even
though he should get the chance of slaying (a champion)
TBC-LL¹ 1180
.
III
Exploit, prowess, deed of valour
(
echt ab actu
,
O'Mulc. 365
, may belong here): eachd, gaisge prowess
Kirk
=
ACL iii 154
. eacht `a feat, exploit, achievement'
P. O'C.
imchongbail echta ocus enig ocus engnuma
na hErenn,
MR 148.21
.
géaga gionalaidh gach fir |
éachda iongantais is aisdir,
Studies 1923, 598
. síothamhla
a héachta an athuair more peaceful her deeds
TD 39.15
.
téid...d'éisteacht Aifrinn Dé...éacht nár thais don
treonruire,
Ó Bruad. iii 84
. In pejorative sense:
olc echt … mind righ fo ceann druag and so,
Anecd. ii 79
.
IV Of a hurt
inflicted: níor leigheasadh...éachta...a
chuilg the wounds from his blade were never healed
Ir. Monthly 1920, 265
.
V ?: ni fuil écht do choite féin inti `to do thee alone a
skiff's office his capacity is all too scant'
SG 242.32
.
Compds.: échtbrug
dwelling of champions (?):
clár na
n-eachtbhrugh,
Miscell. Celt. Soc. 342.11
.
¤chor: tárrais
éachtchor iongantach thou hast met with strange disaster
(to a ruined abbey)
Ir. Monthly 1921, 508
.
¤chú
deadly
hound, ep. of a warrior:
éachtchuin tseanga,
Ó Bruad. ii 54
.
¤chur
death-dealing champion, valiant warrior: síol na
n-éachtchuradh, Ó Heódhusa,
Ir. Monthly 1921, 330
.
¤ḟoirenn: ó éachtḟuirinn A. `A.'s daring tribe'
Ó Bruad. ii 156
.
¤ḟrém
valiant stock:
bile échtfhréime
Uidir,
O'Gr. Cat. 471
.
¤minic given to performing
valorous deeds:
Sir A. armdherg échtmhinig,
Rel. Celt.
ii 186.6
.