n ā, f., (< manach; for suffix cf. laíches) a nun ; an early word denoting not a cloistered nun but one who made a religious profession and in some cases apparently was associated in service with an abbot or bishop. Mathona . . . quae tenuit caille o Patraic ┐ o Rodán ┐ robo manchess dóib, Trip. 98.5 = mainches , Lat. Lives 25 (= monacha fuit illis). manchess do Cheithiuch Comgilla, Trip. 104.21 = Comgella est monacha Cethiaco, Lat. Lives 28. mances duitsi mhé, RC xiv 48 § 56. muc gacha manaig ┐ cacha mainchisi, Trip. 560.5 . mór manach is mainches mall, Fél. 88.10 . do mhuinnter ┐ do manaigh ┐ do mhaincesa, BNnÉ 79 § 153. domaincheass ainm do boin .i. dam-manchess .i. mainchess bo an ox-nun (i.e. cow), O'Mulc. 321. mainces soiscela `a gospel nun', Lism. L. p. xv ; perh. a woman who had been under the spiritual direction of the abbot, cf. similar expression under manach (c).

n u, m., (manach) service due to the head of a monastic community; the service and by extension sphere of authority of an abbot . ro an ina mainces iaramh remained in his (Mochuda's) service (i.e. became a monk), BNnÉ 294 § 17. a mainches ┐ a moirthermann Molaisi `in the subject district and termon of M.', 247 § 199 . dligim do Cholam . . . 's d'Adomnan . . . cuairt a m.¤ ┐ a cell gach tres bliada[i]n, Fen. 298.1 . Esp. in pl. rights or dues (in service or tribute) of an abbot or monastic community: dioghbáil ag sliocht Aodha da ttréiget mo mhainchesa if they forsake my services, BNnÉ 266 § 233. dlegar mar a bhḟuigter na mainchisa a ngabháil ann it is proper to receive benefactions in the place where they are forthcoming (i.e. offered), Acall. 689. na dilsig mo manchasa do not alienate my dues (said by St. Caillín to Adamnán), Fen. 414.10 . Of religious duties or observances in wider sense: drem . . . a n-ifrinn . . . nach fagann . . . mainches soirb da saoradh, ZCP xii 390.1 . Of monastic profession: iar ngabháil habite manchessa ime monastic habit, AFM iii 294.

n iā, f., (manach), also with slender vowel mainchine:

(a) the duty or calling of a monk and in general the monastic life: ro éla o tustigib i manchuine, Fél.² lxiii 27 . co na-tarad i mod manchine amail cach manach fognama do Día, Fél. 92.28 . geibh misi it' manchaine (= let me be a monk under you), Lism. L. 3492 , cf. 2039 . tri. l. ri teoir a máinchine aici-sium in Hi `thrice fifty monks had he for contemplation', 1018 . tanic Constans a manchaine ┐ ro gabh rige, Anecd. iii 66 (= C. . . . quem ex monacho Caesarem fecerat, Beda i 11 ). an t-airdeaspoc . . . do dhol i mainchini retired into a monastery, AFM iii 144.1 . By extension a community of monks: bui maincine mor ime [sc. im Mochuda] occ lubair . . . deichneabar ar secht cedaibh dō isin mancine, BNnÉ 300 § 1. The monastic profession, monasticism: fear ro athnuigh manchine ┐ canonach[a] riagulla hecailsi nErenn (of St. Malachy), CS 346.9 . Cf. Lism. L. 3492 above.

(b) service due to an abbot or monastery from a layman , esp. of tribute in kind, etc., apparently = 2 mainches . dobéram ar mainchine ┐ ar bhfoghnamh duit (said to Ciarán), Lism. L. 4233 , cf. 4246 . dobéra cach manchaine a chlain[n]e . . . dō every one shall give the service of his children . . . to him (sc. Colmán), BColm. 12.25 . Trip. 558.27 . [a] mainchene féin . . . ┐ a meic ┐ a oa ┐ a iarmoa co brath do Colum Cille ┐ do mhuinnter Daire, AU ii 188.15 , cf. AFM iii 34.5 ; ii 714.7 . dorat C. in mag ┐ a manchine do Chaillin `the plain and its profits' (? his service), Fen. 180.8 . dorat a mallachtain don ti . . . doberadh a mhancine o Chiaran whosoever should take away (withhold) his dues from [the community of ] C., RC xxvi 370.29 , cf. ACL iii 226.3 . In Acall. 3506 , 3707 , 5900 , 6650 mainchine is the reading of F. for maicne of text (see maicne).

(c) service due from a tenant or clansman to his chief in return for stock; acc. to O'Don. Sup. service rendered by manual labour (as though < Lat. manus?), a restriction not borne out by texts. cia measom do cāin tsaorraith? Manchuine ┐ ureirge, Laws ii 194.2 (glossed .i. fer cacha somhuine do denam a dūine no a meithle . . . no a sluaigedh lais, ib. 9 , i.e. the tenant is bound to build, reap, and fight for his chief). dligidh in flaith ceilsine . . . ar dē mīs fri manchuine, ii 258.1 5 (acc. to ib. 31 Comm. for every heifer received as stock the tenant had to furnish a man for military service for two months in the year). cōir mancuine fri sloiged fri dunad fri gell fri dail fri fuba fri ruba fri fognam do Dia, iii 22.4 (where the term comprehends every kind of service). See Manners and Customs I pp. cxi-cxii .

(d) hence in wider sense service, attendance (on a person, in a calling): ri ┐ brethem ┐ dias i manchuine (i.e. the king travels accompanied by a brehon and two attendants), Laws iv 334.23 Comm. scor fir mancuine (.i. in fer doni in m.¤ oibre), v 490.2 , 23 . lucht manchuine servants or attendants (of a chief), iii 510.3 . In O'Mulc. 865 manchaine prob. = attendance or following allotted to a `file' acc. to his grade. lanfilidecht cach fir dib ┐ ceard manchani la cach fir dib (of the Fianna), ZCP viii 561.7 , cf. i 472.9 . lēigis leabaid lāin mainc[h]ine rig Rōmān rūaid he left a comfortable berth, the service of the strong king of the Romans (of the Apostle Matthew) x 46.18 .

n io, n. (2 so+scél) sosgéla m., IGT Decl. § 2 .

(a) the good news, gospel : ní ar log . . . pridchimmi soscéle, Wb. 14c8 . i táu dar cenn sosceli `in which I am now for the sake of the gospel', 32a10 . amal asṅindedar i ssoscélu, 13a36 . no línfed preceupt a soscelai in n-ule cuaird in talman, Ml. 25a8 . cēim iar sētaib soscēla, Ériu ii 56 § 11 . Patraic . .. pritcuis soiscela . . . do tuaith . . . mac Miled, Laws i 4.5 . go robadur soiscela Crist . . . i n-a croidi, Smaointe B. Chr. 5 . In the phrase manach (mainches) soiscéla lit. servant of the gospel, i.e. a person under spiritual direction: Conghus comhorba Patraicc do rigni in rann so do gresacht Oedhae Ollaín, a mhanaigh sóiscéla, im díoghail sháraighti a chille, 23 K 32, 196.25 = anmchara, AFM i 330.11 . con ḟaca chuice mainces soiscela robo marb se la roime sin, Lism. L. xv 26 .

(b) the book of the four gospels; a particular gospel text : an cetharlebar sosceli, Mon. Tall. 29 (138.1) . doratt soiscela ┐ menistir dó, Trip.² 423 . minda Colaim chille . . . ┐ in dá Sosscéla do tabairt a Tir Conaill, RC xviii 12.27 (Tig.). 'n-a aimsir roscrib Eoín in Soscela, MacCarthy 306.30 . amal atbeir soscela Matha, PH 7570 . in tan atbert in soscela erdraic in principio erat verbum, LB 145a29 . soisccela Bairri aigi ara ucht oca comairce, Cog. 90.23 . Of swearing by the Gospel (see fo II (p)): toingi a tri luighi fo soiscela .i. soscela ar minn, O'Curry 2568 ( Eg. 88, 48a ). ní taithmis naidm soscela, O'D. 1688 ( H 5.15, 30a ). fir nime ┐ soscela Crist, Laws iv 210.7 . ronaidm in Trínoit ┐ in cethar soscela comdeta fair `he bound him by the Trinity and the four gospels of the Lord', RC xiii 106 § 138 . A gospel text sewn in red cloth and hung round the neck was used as an amulet: bendachais dīa fithir (.i. aite) atnagar soscēla imme `he bade farewell to his tutor who put a gospel around him', MacCongl. 11.4 . regut ēm . . . ┐ tabar soscēla immum, 81.28 . gabais a paiter lem in clēirech ┐ dobe[i]r soscēla fom' chenn, issē soscela bōi annside .i. soiscēla do gūalloind aisle, etc., 126.37 . tócbáil soiscélai fri elevating the gospel on behalf of (?) (a form of intercession): issed aspered Máolrúaoin oca aurail do neuch fairsiom guidhi Dé laisiom ┐ tócbale soscéli fris, Mon. Tall. 158.22 . forith . . . ind soscele ┐ cobrid inda hanmanna frisa tocabar amail forith uíuos ┐ fogni laisiom a tocbail frissna marbu, 162.8 . Of the liturgical gospel, an lám s.¤ lit. the gospel hand, i.e. the left hand (see O'Rahilly, SGS ii 23 ): benais de in láim soscélíí, Ériu iii 11.26 . dorogell Gilla Crist mac Manchan in ferand ar do láim soscéla ic dola sís ar ammus Atha Catan, no ar do laim bennachtan anís ón áth, Ériu iii 9.15 . Hence left: tuc buille ina lethchíg shoiscéla, SG 41.4 .