n (see ZCP vii 360 ) heaven, the heavens: erc .i. nemh, Corm. Y 534 . erc .i. neamh, O'Dav. 773 . O'Cl. fo erc... .i. fo nem, O'Dav. 1026 . `erc' nim [leg. nem ?], Metr. Gl. , Eg. 13 . Meyer, Wortk. 205 , would add: maigne erca, ZCP viii 197 § 11 .

adj speckled, also dark red: earc .i. breac no ní breac, O'Cl. .i. dearg ib. alath, odhar, usgdha, erc, irfind (the vowels in dath-ogam), Auraic. 5701.3 , 4 , 5 erc are probably extensions of this.

n ( RC ii 326 . xix 353 ) a speckled fish; trout, salmon: earc .i. bradán, O'Cl. Cf. 2 erc .

n (2 erc Études Celt. xxiii 49 ) a spotted or red-eared cow; a cow: earc .i. bó, O'Cl. (cf. under ercne infra). g s. (?) co n-ubullrosc ercce , IT iii 247.111 . pl. ercca Iuchna, amnus buar (with gl.: .i. tri bae) RC xxiii 325.21 ; 306.31 . earca iuchna .i. cenél bho .i. ba fionna ódeargha .i. cluaisdearga white cows with red ears O'Cl. im na teor[a] herca Iuchna, Ériu ii 20.5 . g p. na mbo .i. na n-earc , 20.6 . gáir graifni ┐ gáir erca, Acall. 452 = gair ercca (.i. bó), LL 206a37 (= g s. ?). ined erc 'suitable place for cows' Ériu xxxix 136 . Cf. earca rainn .i. do bheireadh bo ar rannaibh, O'Cl. (see 2 ercaid).

n (? 2 erc Études Celt. xxiii 49 ) f. a reptile of some kind, lizard (?): e.¤ sléibhe viper (?): rug an bhen ... | da eirc ṡléibhi ┐ énmac, Ériu v 82.4 . is amhlaidh dobhádar an dá earc sin ┐ earc [arc v.l.] in gach láimh don leanb sin dibh, 80.31 (cf. dá athair nimhe ar fud mo chuirp, 80.16 ). ba torrach an peist ... go haimsir a mbreithi dona hanmannuibh ┐ iad ag a cognam ┐ ag a sgoltad ga mbreith mur bhis toirrces na herci slebhe, Aisl. Tond. 129 z . 104.6 . toirrcheas na heirce, Dánta Gr. 69.23 .

e.¤ luachra lizard, eft: an earc luachra, Levit. xi 30 . da ndearna an airc luachra créacht ar neach, TSh. 7187 . g s. airce luachra, 7188 .

n (? 2 erc Études Celt. xxiii 49 ) a bee: earc .i. beach, O'Cl. , Metr. Gl., Ff. 51 . Cf. earc .i. mil [= míl ?] ib. ib. and earcamhail `sweet as honey' P. O'C.

n falsehood, deceit: a s. can eirc n-ecndaig, TBC-I¹ 846 (in a rhetoric with gl.: .i. cen bréic LU). Cf. erc .i. brecadh, O'Mulc. 414 (this may be brecad adorning, besprinkling; carving, see 2 ercaid).