n ā, f. (cf. Lat. vervex, Vendryes MSL xii ; Pedersen Vgl. Gr. i 63 , RC xxiv 227 , cf. Pokorny, ZCP xvii 305 ) IGT, Decl. § 39 .

(a) a cow (poetic word): f.¤ .i. bó, Corm. Y 584 . RC xx 250.4 . fearb .i. bó, O'Cl. Lec. Gl. 157 . dha ṡenainm ar bhúaibh, ferbh is laithri, Metr. Gl., Ff. 16 . g s. cen gert ferbba (.i. bó) without a cow's milk LU 562 ( ACC 8 ). RC xii 70.11 . Menn ferba (.i. laegh bo do chur fa eilit), ZCP xii 360.21 = m. erbo (.i. laog bó), ACL iii 310 § 2 . baothān ferb (.i. laogh bó), ZCP v 484 § 9 (B. na f.). pl. ferba .i. bai, LU 10369 . teora ferba , Laws i 64.1 (.i. teora bai, ib. 15 ). teorae ferbai, Corm. Y 585 . ferba brachtchi fatted kine LU 8886 ( FB 68 ; glossed: bó LU, bui Eg.). ruccatar tricha ferbu (.i. bo) tricha láegh, BNnÉ 45.12 . cona chathchris do cholomnaib ferb, TBC-LL¹ 2569 . colamna fearbh ... .i. croicne bó, O'Cl. (cf. finnu ferb `cows' hair' BDD 130 ). inar do croicnib ferb, CCath. 4675 . fri hirad fearbbai [s]ceo gabrai `bestowing of kine and horses' Ériu viii 173.12 . céad fearb, ML 146.20 .

(b) a female deer, a hind (a different word = erp ?): g s. luas ainnli nó feirbe , CF 562 . ITS v 156.19 (ferbe). ZCP x 298.14 (eirbi). sé mhíle fiadh ... a n-éagmais aigh ┐ fearb, Oss. vi 130.11 . In: romarb in ferb dia bois buirb (: lerg), ZCP iii 23.18 ( Rawl. 80b ), prob. we should read fer; the allusion is to the legend of S. Thomas, see Leg. Aurea, Dec. 21 . Cf. erp, ferbóc.

(c) Of a woman : fri smachtad ferpu 'in accordance with a cow's command', BDC 142.614 .