n
d, m. a warrior
. For a discussion of the origin of 1
and 2 nia see MacNeill, Ir. Ogham Inscriptions,
PRIA xxvii
C 15 p. 369 fg.
; Peritia v 140-43
;
ZCP viii 185
;
x 405 fg.
g
s. O.Ir. (in npr.)?
Nioth,
Thes. ii 267.39
,
269.34
(<
Ardm. 14a2
,
15b2
; acc. to
Pokorny
ZCP x 404
this form represents 2 nia).
Neth,
273.7
(Adamnán), archaic form.
Niath,
274.38
(ib.).
niath,
8.38
(Aug. Cr. 26v5
).
ind niäd
,
Hy. v 71.
Mid.Ir.
niath,
TBC-LL¹ 2630.
TBC-I¹ 1967.
niad, pass.
Nia,
LU 7685
(npr.). d
s. do niaid
,
TBC-I¹ 1646.
ra níaíd
,
TBC-LL¹ 3410.
n
du.
na dā niad
,
TBC-LL¹ 3768
=
dá nía, St. n
p.
niaid,
LL 190b42
.
tri nia
,
BDD 134
(=
LU
7786
), niaid v.l. g
p.
tricha níad (: tríath),
LL 206a51
=
nia
,
Acall. 465.
níad,
SR 4085.
d
p. níathaib.
LU 9319.
Later often written niad(h) in n
s. (so almost always in Cóir
An.). a
s.
cin niadh
,
LL 393b19
.
In O.Ir. the word was a disyllable, cf.
bebaid and in rignía,
ZCP xiii 377.4
(
B. in Scáil 14
).
ar ulc fri fraicc ind niad,
Hy. v 71.
fidchell Cremthaind niaid [leg. niad] Náir,
LU 1103.
LL 121b51
(see below); all heptasyllabic verses.
In Mid.Ir. treated as monosyll.:
iar cathaib iar nithaib níad,
SR 4085
(7 syll.), cf.
TBC-LL¹ 604.
ní hopair niad náre,
TBC-LL¹
3275
=
TBC-I¹ 2465
(6 syll.), cf.
TBC-LL¹ 3410
and
LL 44b36
.
In compds. the form niad- is used.
A warrior, champion
, apparently used somet. of a recognized or professional champion in attendance on a king or
chief; confined to heroic romance and poetry.
nith .i. guin. Nie in fer dodgní,
Corm. Y 973.
nia .i. trenfer,
978
; same gloss
Hy. v 71 Comm.
,
LL 44b36
,
208a30
,
377b16
,
BB 119b27
,
Metr. Gl. Ff. 23
, O'Cl.
níadh .i. trén,
Cóir Anm. 106
,
180
,
192
.
is ionann nia is gaisceadhach nó tréinfhear,
Keat. ii
3644
.
6273
.
in nia,
SR 6827
(of David's captain Joab).
nia
tire,
ZCP viii 311.25
.
ba niad side, ba fenid,
YBL 179b32
.
Glas mac Luinde . . . nia sin Fiachach Sraiphtine,
BB 358b4
.
am niadh frí huair iorghaile,
Todd Lect. iv 98.13
.
cless níad,
FB 51.
cride níad,
SCC 38
(
LU 3848
).
ferg niad,
TBC-I¹ 2179
,
cf.
1706
.
nasc niad,
Corm. Y 978
(see 1 nasc).
naidm níad,
TBC-LL¹ 604.
nert niad,
Aen. 2569.
Huatu o tat noí maic niat[h]
in cach bailiu,
ZCP viii 334.20
(techn. term?).
ro batar cethri
niaid do chlaind aicce .i. Uathnia ┐ Druthnia. Cáinnia ┐
Deochnia,
LL 190b42
.
catha Fosta ba forrach niad,
LL 44b36
.
As abstr. =
strength, valour?
da mbeith do nert nō do
níagh,
ZCP x 301.25
. Possibly also in follg. exx. from B. na
f.:
Oisin ro chan indsin . . . ar nia na mucci,
IT i 163.6
=
LL
208a22
(note follg. a poem on a monster pig).
mu leo úam
ḟaesum dum niad,
IT i 163.4
(
LL 208a21
) = dom niadh, Ed.,
where the glosses .i. ar mo chommus féin, L., .i. mo bhoill as
comairce diob nert, Ed., seem to include the word niad.
In compos. with a preceding noun: bār-nia lond Labraid
princely champion,
Ält. Ir. Dicht. ii 7 § 2
=
barniad,
Rawl.
118a11
;
bar (.i. sai) nia (.i. trenfer),
LL 377b16
. Cf.
bár níad,
Dinds. 42
(
RC xv 433.12
).
grithniad,
MR 170.10
(g
p.).
rignía,
ZCP xiii 377.4
.
frisin rígnia,
Alex. 55.
As fictive npr.:
imda Nia ┐ Bruthni, dā foss mési Conairi,
BDD 127.
Folld. by a gen. or adj., freq. as sobriquet or even npr.:
Níad in Chairnn the Champion of the Cairn,
Cóir Anm. 276
(sobriquet of Cormac Conloinges).
Níadh Corb,
192
, cf.
Mocu
Neth Corb,
Thes. ii 273.7
.
Carpre Nia fer,
CRR 19.
in regno
Coirpri Nioth fer,
Thes. ii 267.39
.
d'airsciu Cairpri Niod fer,
LL 121b51
(7 syll.).
do choígedh Choirpri Níadh fer,
Cóir Anm. 205
(7 syll.).
Crimthan Nía Nár,
106
.
Nía Naí nGraínde,
119
.
Nia Segamain,
LL 129a8
.
Cóir Anm. 26
(Niadh).
nepos Niath Taloric,
Thes. ii 27 4.38
. Cf.
mac Nioth,
BB
149d35
.
See gnía.