n ā, f. Christian cpd. of 2 día + sercc. O.-Ir. Probably dē-ĕrcc, dĕ-ărcc (beside d-hercc), with shortening of dé- in hiatus; dé- only in Wb. 5 d 18 . Usually written desercc, deserc (19 instances); dearc n s., Wb. 33 d 6 . deirc d s., Wb. 25 a 36 . desseirc, ib. 23 b 1 .—Mid.-Ir. Monosyllabic dércc, dérc—the common spelling. Frequently even in comparatively late MSS also spelled deṡerc, deṡercc (SR. AU A.D. 1498 . PH pass. &c.), and dearc, dearcc ( Thes. ii 318. 33 ; 332. 38 . PH pass.). Rarer spellings: deerc ( Fél. Ep. 389 v.l. SR 724 ). degserc Mon. Tall. 159. 1 , through confusion with deg- = dag. The constant lack of accent in deṡerc, dearc seems to suggest a disyllabic deärc beside monos. dérc (but déseirce, TFrag. A.D. 908 . déaircci, Trip. 62. 9 ). In PH there is not a single instance of the accent being written with the -ea- form.

DISYLLABIC: manodtechtaid deseirc, Fél. Ep. 389 . mó cech ṁbríg ar deṡeirc ṅdil, SR 7511 ; ib. 724 ( 6819 ambiguous). MS. Mat. 616. 15 .

MONOSYLLABIC: SR 2176 . ZCP viii 199. 21 ; 215. 5 .

INFLEXION: Regular stem in ā. Noteworthy is the a s. desercc, Wb. 12 b 27 (but deseircc, 10 c 1 , deseirc, 14 d 22 ), and the d s. desercc, 5 d 15 , deserc, 25 b 7 (but deseircc 9 a 23 , desseirc, 23 b 1 ), both modelled on the inflexion of the consonantal stems (traig n. a. d s.).—g s. Oir. always -erc(c)e. Mid.-Ir. n s. dérc and déirc ( PH 315. 5910 . Lib. Flav. 33 b 1. 11 . Lec. 335 d 30 . Donl.). g s. déirce; deiṡeirci, Rawl. 70 a 18 . a s. déirc and dearc ( PH 5792 . 5927 . 6140 ), deṡercc, deerc ( Fél. Ep. 389 v.l.). d s. déirc.—pl. dérca, ZCP viii 215. 5 . deircinda, Lib. Flav. ii 14 a 2. 21 . deircinna, ib. ZCP vi 25. 1 .—MOD. n s. only déirc (déirce, Don. and parts of Con.). g s. déirce (`and déarca,' Dinneen ). pl. déirceacha, W.K. Sc. déircean.

I Orig. love of God , i.e. (a) God's love to man and (b) man's love of God (serc Dé) and his neighbour, commanded as the fulfilling of the Law ( car do chomnesam amal notchara fén, PH 5837 ).— Deercc represents caritas of the Vulgate (Gk. ἀγάπη). As the frequent addition of Dé (deercc Dé) shews, the sense of de- was no longer apparent.

(a) God's love to man: deserc Dé dil, SR 6819 . ar do deirc ar do thrócaire, 2176 (of God); 7511 . atlochomar buidi do Dia ara deircc, Ériu iii 2. 2 . tabair ar deirc tuismed éigin dam a Dhé, 3 B 22, 40 b 12 . rosgail in Comde tre dermaire a derci a deghmáine don cinedh daenda, Lib. Flav. 28 b 2. 35 .—Possibly a transferred use of (b).

(b) charity, i.e. man's love of God (caritas .i. sercc immircide do Dia, Wb. 12 b 26 ) and his neighbour ( desercc Dé ┐ comnessaim, Wb. 23 b 1 . serc Dé ┐ in choimnessaim, PH 4605 ). In the Glosses constantly transl. caritas, occasionally also dilectio ( Wb. 33 d 6 ; cf. PH 5875 ). Only in this sense in the Glosses.— ó imbud a deserce (sic leg.)...ba galar dó galar cáich, Cambr. 37 d . gním desercce, Wb. 6 d 3 . crábud cen desercc, 12 b 27 . conroib deserc leu fri cách, 26 d 22 . ní torban na áe mani bǽ desercc, 12 b 33 (= mine rab dearcc accum, PH 5909 ); further 5 d 18 . 9 a 23 . 12 b 35 . 14 d 22 . 16 c 4 , 10 . 23 c 8 . 25 a 21 , 36 . 28 a 22 . Ml. 128 d 9 .—latitudo caritatis .i. forleithi na deiṡeirce, Laud 610, 41 b . andud ┐ elscud déaircci, Trip. 62. 9 . sechem derce, ZCP iii 29. 34 . sualaig na deirce uirtus caritatis PH 5929 . isé techtus in deirc intí charus in cara i nDia ┐ in námait ar Dhia, ib. 5799 . intí nach fil i ndéirc ní fil side i ṅDia uair is ainm do Dia dearc, 5908 . ib. 5790 , 5808 , 5906 . Dércc is the fourth of the `sualchai erechdai triasa roichend cech fírén dochum nime' PH 6852 , cf. 5908 .—deerc brátharde caritas fraternitatis: bad fuairrech cách fri alaile ón desercc bráthardi, Wb. 5 d 15 . 10 c 1 . 25 b 7 . 33 d 6 ; superseded by bráthairse in Mid.-Ir.— deerc ocus trócaire: lucht na deirce ┐ na t., FA § 1 . RC iv 254. 2 f.b. (LU). Lec. 335 d 30 . SR 724 . —topor deerce a fount of charity, of persons: t. na deṡerci ┐ na cennsa (of Mac Magnusa) AU A.D. 1498 . t. eagna ┐ d.¤ , AFM ii 1024. 3 f.b. tobar finn fírdéirce (of Christ) ZCP viii 199. 21 .—cenn deerce head of charity: c. déseirce ┐ gach sualcha (of Cormac bishop of Cashel) TFrag. 214. 9 .—lestra deerce vessels of charity, modelled on the vasa misericordiae of Romans ix 23 : ropadh maith lem lestru deircce do dáil, MS. Mat. 616. 15 .

II Benevolence to the poor, charitableness, alms-giving . Closely related to I (b), cf. esp.: manodtechtaid deseirc... bói sund bochtán frisṁbad dénti, Fél. Ep. 389 . cia dobera duine na déirc (pro dilectione Dei) a uili indmas do bochtaib, PH 5875 . caraid in déirc intí charus in comnessom, 5906 . co ndenad Brigit deirc móir dend airliud, Thes. ii 332. 35 , 38 . déirc .i. oibre na trócaire, Donlevy 194. 19 . Frequently joined to troscadh and urnaigh, ib. xiv 3 ; 194. 15 ; 310. 6 . The various kinds of dércc are enumerated PH 5815 sq. and Donlevy 194. 2289 .

III In a concrete sense alms (to the poor or to the Church); often pl. Synon. almsu. dérca re deiblénaib...do thabairt uadh, ZCP viii 215. 5 . doberedh dercinna do deblénaibh Dé, vi 25. 1 (15th century). deircinda, Lib. Flav. ii 14 a 2. 21 . an dream chailleas ar na marbhaibh og congbháil a ndéirce aca féin gan a tabhairt don eaglais nó do bhochtaibh, TSh. 130. 6 ; 175. 2 f.b. —Closely related to II, cf.: dogabh deirc uathadh mar gach mbocht eile, Lib. Flav. 35 a 1. 5 . nach roibhe do bhethai accu acht an deirc dogeibhedh Eoin óna crístadaibh, 33 b 1. 11 . dérca (┐ diamra Crist), LB 135 a 24 , is a mistake for deccra. For dércc in the concr. sense PH uses almsu. MOD. tabhair déirc dom; díol déirce an object of charity or pity (also Sc.). is mór an nuidhe (nuiṁe, with nasal vowel) déirce éisin (= is mór an truagh gan déirc thabhairt dó); Blasket. nuidhe déirce iseadh é, Sc. mo dhéirc ort give me alms, Manx jeirk.

adj o, ā. (delbad): gné dealbtach formal , O'Gr. Cat. 235 . genemain dealbtach . . . mar atá cuma no suidigud na hymhaighi do réir na deilbhi bís a menmuin an tshaeir, ib. in brig d.¤ gl. ( uirtus) fantastica, Mackinnon Cat. 40.29 .

n (firt, fert) u, m. (<Lat. virtus) n s. fiurt, Thes. ii 346.31 ( Hy v Comm.). a s. ? fert, Thes. ii 291.7 (Ml Poems). g s. ferto, Wb. 12a9 . cf. ind fertae (gl. signi) Ml. 16a9 . n p. ferte, Wb. 24c5 . fertai, Ml. 112d8 . a p. firtu, Wb. 12b20 . firto, Thes. ii 253.4 . g p. ferte, Wb. 12b15 . fertae, Ml. 17c9 . d p. ho fertaib , 64d15 . firt, fert (ón mírbhail) IGT, Decl. § 95 (p. 127) .

A wonderful work, a miracle , of something done or caused by supernatural or occult means; common in relig. lit.; in Glosses = Lat. signum, miraculum and in pl. virtutes: uirtus .i. firt, Corm. Y 576 . firt a uirtute , O'Mulc. 543 . ni dénat firtu úili (gl. numquid omnes virtutes?) Wb. 12b20 . is he seo firt is mou dorigne Ísu, PH 4500 . firta ┐ mirbuli, 945 . ferta ┐ mírbaile, LU 2206 ( FA 28 ). tria firt ┐ mirbuilib Dia, RC xvii 411.1 (Tig.). robo mór in fiurt do Brigit, Thes. ii 346.31 . ic comardugud ind [ḟ]erta (= in miraculi memoriam) Lat. Lives 52 . docífitt m'fiorta ┐ mo miorbuile, BNnÉ 267.11 . tria fiortaibh Dé ┐ Caoimhghin AFM ii 716.8 . tre fertaib Coluim Cille, Ann. Conn. 1261 § 3 . eochair ferta féile (= generosity works wonders) ZCP vi 270 § 7 . A `deórad Dé' was expected to perform miracles: on deorad De ge donethsen firt no da firt, ma doḟemid in tres firt noco n-amail tarba, Laws v 16.11 Comm. in deoraid Dé ma dorinde tri ferta faillsighi ag tiachtain dochum thire i fiadnaise righ ┐ tuaithi is saire do cona sedaib ┐ a bairc ┐ mana derna act aen no dedhe dib is saire do cona sedaib ┐ comroind bairci dlighthighi for a bairc, O'Curry 1047 (< H 3.18, 436b ). deora De ernaigther ferta .i. ailithir co ndernadar a ferta tre urnaigthi, O'Curry 1058 (< H 3.18, 438 ). firt filed `a poet's miracle' [i.e. wrought by a poet] AU 1024 . RC xvii 364 (Tig.). an darna fiort filidh doronadh for N. `the second poetical miracle performed by N.' AFM iv 818.8 . f.¤ féle a miracle of generosity, extraordinary generosity: firt féli is ferr cach ní, LL 207a1 . dús in bhfuigbit[h]i cornn tria f.¤ fele ann, ZCP viii 102 x = tria firta na feile, Ériu ii 186.19 . feart féile, Studies 1921, 258 § 11 . IGT, Decl. § 95 (feart, firt). Transf. of supernatural beings: aingil nimhe ┐ ferta flaithemhnuis (perh. = Virtutes of Celestial Hierarchy), Parrth. Anma 347.19 .

Compds.: ¤fuil blood of virtue: a Mheic Dé ... atá th'fhiortfhuil dá dáil, Studies 1931, 660 . ¤linn liquor of virtue: grása ... go bhfeara 'na firtlinn te ib. 662 .

n [iā, f.] (by-form of súaltaige, q.v.). Also subalta.

(a) virtue (in moral sense): o neichib . . . dodenta d'imchor, dogeibther an tsubaltaidhe ro-ard, BCC 386 (430.30) . lán . . . da gach uile th-subhaltaigi (sic leg.) aircheana, AU iii 576.3 . a Dhe ar slanaighteóir na subhaltaighe = Deus salutaris noster, BNnÉ 70 § 119 . ni subhaltaigi ┐ ni firindi crabaidh iat (of actions), ITS xxix 204.8 . subaltai maithi do cur a n-aghaidh na locht, ITS xix 20.14 v.l. (subhalchai, text). beith marthanach an ar subaltaibh, 20.x v.l. (subhalchaibh, text). ar deallrad ┐ ar subaltaibh, ar crodacht ┐ ar ecna, 112.5 (subaltai, subaltaigh, v.ll.).

(b) virtue, power; miracle : subaltaighi labartha = uirtus loquendi, Laud 610, 24b14 . 'sa lebur do scrib se fen ar subháltaidhibh C.C., BCC 243 (246.30) . na tindluicthe ┐ na subáltidhe . . . tuc Día da serbfhogantaidh fen, 377 (426.29) . Cf. ag innisin admolta in tighearna ┐ na subalta ┐ na mirbuiledh do rinne se, ITS xix 4.25 (subalche, text). Note also: Leim na Subhaltaighe = Saltus uirtutum Brendani = Clúain Ferta Brenainn, BNnÉ 49.1 (see BNnÉ ii 375 ).

(c) joy, pleasure, gladness (cf. subae): gloir ┐ subaltaiged na catrach neamda, Ériu xi 178.25 . dob oirchisi duit si subhaltaighe do denamh ina tursi `to rejoice', BNnÉ 49 § 28 . do gab gengairi ┐ s.¤ mor é . . . do fhiarfaig B. adbhar a s.¤ , BCC 98 (94.22) . ag denamh suphaltaighi `cheering up' (of certain remedies), O'Gr. Cat. 277.20 .