n n, f. g s. -an, later also -na, IGT, Decl. § 9 .

(a) art, science, acquired craft or skill (in general sense or of a specific branch), renders Lat. ars: beanaidh ris an ealadhain leighis = artis est medicinae TSh. 8229 (cf. Lile na hEladhan Leighis = Lilium Medicinae O'Gr. Cat. 202 ). abairt .i. ab arte .i. issī abairt do-ní .i. elada , O'Mulc. 10 . O'Cl. s. abairt. foillsigther do fis cecha healadna, Auraic. 4940 . lan do ecna in gach uile eladhain eter dlighedh ┐ diaghacht, ḟisigecht ┐ ḟellsaime ┐ ealadhain Gaeidhilgi air chena every science including law, divinity, physic, philosophy and the art of Gaelic [composition] in general AU 1498 . do réir [sic leg.] ealadhan an photeceári, Exodus xxx 35 . tárras deigh-ealadhain a noble craft (viz. poetic art) Dán Dé xxv 4 . gorab sec[h]ranach ealadhan an baramail sin unscientific Ir. Astr. Tr. 70.23 . Gailian Ipocráid amhra | gérbh égcinnte a n-eladhna `boundless as was their science' O'Gr. Cat. 556.5 . aes borb eladan unskilled workmen Laws v 98.11 Comm. (here opp. to aes dána). gnimrada borba...ac na recar a les ealat[h]u, iii 174n .

Esp. of literary or poetic art, or of minstrelsy , the underlying meaning being always skill , hence the word is not synonymous with éicse: aes ciuil ┐ oirfide ┐ ealadna, IT ii2 122.6 . aos ealadhna (of poets), Studies 1924, 85 . TD 8.16 . uinivers na healadhna (i.e. the poet's study), Ir. Review 1913, 594 . buime is ḟearr don ealodhain (of one bountiful to poets and minstrels) TD 9.51 . bágh na healadhna eadruinn the bond of art (letters, music) 23.5 .

With defining gen. of a particular craft or calling: doneoch...is tualaing éladu imbertha airm, TTr.² 91 . eolus ealadhna an ghaisgidh, Studies 1919, 439 . Cf. bearradh...lais...a ccomhartha ealadhan re taighleoiriocht in token of (his) calling as a courier Todd Lect. iv 68.14 .

do-gní e.¤ studies, learns, teaches or practises a craft: ag dénum eladhan isin cathraigh sin, RC x 182 y . co ndenad se ars memorativa .i. el[adh]na na cuimni do chach, 182.7 . ní tíaghair...d'íarraidh ealathan to seek (training in poetic) art IGT, Decl. ex. 315 ( = Studies 1924, 86 ). TD 12.6 .

(b) of applied skill in any art or craft; workmanship: ro derscaigestar a tech so eter adbur ┐ elathain material and workmanship FB 1 . screpall rob fiu in bunad ┐ da screpall dorormacht ealadu ┐ frichnum air (of a metal vessel; the skill and industry of the craftsman augmented the value of the material), Laws v 18.1 Comm. Of horse-training: don fer do-righne in eladhain...don fer do-righne in frichnumh, Cóic Con. 48.2 = Laws v 214.7 Comm. Of medical or surgical treatment: da ndecha mer as a inadh tarringther é ┐ cuir le suil th'ordoige 'na inadh é ┐ dentar an eladha cedna air (viz. apply a bandage, etc., as in the case of dislocatio manus) YBL 349a41 . nach fetir do reir naduire na ndaine clocha...dfoirithin, acht do reir eladhan...fetir seandaine eigin dfoirithin, 353b10 .

In connexion with military operations: doronsat... aidhme iongnaithe d'amhainsi ealadhan ┐ inntlechta trias ro ghabhsat Carrag L.C. for mhuintir F., AFM iii 280.17 .

(c) of skill in deception, craft, cunning, wile: gabaid fen rigi...tria cheilg ┐ elathain, LB 140a42 (= Todd Lect. vi 78.7 ). PH 8090 . mellaid demun tria eladain in drém na techtait in fírDia, 1950 . na fil celg no eladu dráidechta lais, 786 . BNnÉ 43.5 . trem' inntlecht ┐ trem' ealadhnoib diaplaidhi infernal arts Fl. Earls 138.11 . Here probably: ealaidhe na bpeataoi-se manœuvres (?) Ó Bruad. iii 134.22 .

(d) an exhibition or specimen of skill, craftsmanship: do erail eladan forru a display of their skill (in dancing) PH 893 . doronsat éladna inganta performed wonderful (gymnastic) feats 897 . trí fáilti coirmthige: immed ┐ dúthracht ┐ elatho (.i. ealadha do thaisbeana[dh]), Triads 225 and p. 42 . dob imdha céol ┐ eladhna ar an mbanais sin, ZCP vi 82.33 . augtair na elathan ic tennad a tairngi the builders of the structure (of a ship) LL 219a1 = TTr. 136 . Cf. cliatha bo Raghamain ruanaid | nírb ealadhain uabair [sic leg. ?] iat, Ériu x 85 z . Of a literary composition: augtar inna healathan-sa Béid Bede is the author of this work Anecd. iii 63.25 . S. O'D. da-rini inn ealadhu-so (heading of a piece of alliterative prose), H 2.7, col. 213 . don eladuin-si na Táno, ACL iii 3.3 . ros bennach cách dib elathain aroile, Fél. 4.21 . cethardai condagar da cech elathain .i. locc ┐ aimser, etc. 2.3 . MacCongl. 3 . Ériu viii 150 . co nderna liubra ┐ eladhna lanmora do amaindse ┐ do indleacht `treatises' [cf. above, last cit. under (b)] RC xvii 417.29 . Cf. Ir. Astr. Tr. 8.12 . RC x 183.3 . is don Mac S.-si doroinneadh na healadnacha adchualabar these poems were composed L. Chl. S. § 40 . Cf. elada .i. eccloga .i. gobarc[h]omrád...ar a doirchi ┐ ar a dot[h]uigsi, is umi aderar gobarc[h]omrad...rie, Corm. Y 561 .

COMPD.: in t-eladenmaid = artifex PH 5578 ( = elad-d., see IGT, Introd. § 94 ). Cf. gusan elandenmaid, Ériu v 72.6 (n.2) , perhaps for eladandenmaid (see IGT, Introd. § 93 ). See also acunailind denmaid, Ériu v 72 n. 2 (E 3 5 p. 56b) .