n o, m. and ā, f. gabhal (ā, f.), IGT Decl. § 12 ; gobhal, gabhal, ā, f., § 192 . Gender seems to vary sometimes with sense. n s. gabul , Sg. 45b20 . LU 4804 . gobul, LU 401 . g s. na gabla , LU 4800 ; 4811 ; 9193 . TBC-LL¹ 683 . goible, Laws v 360.15 . gaible, LL 193b52 . gaibhle, Tribes of Irel. 58 . in (mur-)gabuil, , Metr. Dinds. iii 194 ( LL 196a38 ). gabail, Fen. 120.18 . d s. gabail, Anecd. i 57 § 59 . RC xxvi 12 ( LL 186a56 ). TBC-LL¹ 2360 . gabul , LU 9061 ( FB 81 ). Ériu ii 194 § 9 . gabhal, RC xiv 52.19 . a s. gabail, LU 4796 . TBC-LL¹ 673 . LL 142a39 . gabal, CCath. 2960 . gabol, LL 284a16 . gobol, ib. 11 . n p. (muir-)gobuil, Ml. 45d12 . gabail, Laws iv 282.13 . a p. -gabla, LL 172b26 . gábla, Thr. Ir. Gl. 36.38 (s.v. prull). cetheora gabla , TBC-LL¹ 5645 (St). gablu, Laws iii 78.20 . g du. Mag Dá Gabul , LU 8508 ( FB 36 ).

(a) a fork: gl. furca, Sg. 45b20 . librither gabla a láma as long as pitchforks, Thr. Ir. Gl. 36.38 . Fig. of wreaths of steam, etc. scaiblín ... cona gáblaib gaile, MacCongl. 35.1 . g.¤ dluta some sort of a tool, pincers (?): gulban .i. gobul dlūta la sāiro, O'Mulc. 675.

(b) a forked branch of a tree: for cethora benna na gabla, LU 4800 = co tuc gobal ceithri mbeann fo a cinnu, Dinds. 144 . crichiditi limsa in gabul , TBC-LL¹ 781 . topacht gabail cethri ṁbend, 673 . i tóeb na gabla, LU 4808 ( TBC-I¹ 316 ). TBC-LL¹ 683.5030 . co ngabail chain ina lamaib, Anecd. i 57 § 59 . Used of a larger branch than the `cráeb,' the ` gabul ' being prob. a bough direct from the trunk and the `cráeb' a branch of such a branch: colpach ina ngablaib, dairt ina craeba, a `colpach'-heifer as fine for cutting their `gabla,' a `dairt'-heifer for their `cráeba,' Laws iv 146.23 . Cf. i 164.1 Comm. Of behaviour in horses that can cause injury to humans: cenn a ngabal, 'putting its head in the fork of a tree' CIH i 266.7 , EIF 153 .

(c) the fork of a gallows, a gibbet: riag no gabul (gl. patibulum), Sg. 53a20 . fer soerus di gabail `a man whom he frees from the gallows,' Laws iv 338.3 ( Críth G. 579 ). daer gabla an unfree person whom his patron has redeemed from the gallows: doer-ḟuidir .i. in daer aigenta noco n-e deirim acht daer gabla no crai, Laws v 518.18 Comm. Cf. however: in daor aicenta .i. fear gabar do ... gabail he, O'Curry 1212 ( H 3.18, 485a-b). in deoraidh .i. daer aicenta .i. [daer] gabla, Laws i 106.7 Comm. fuidir gola (.i. gablai .i. crucis), Ir. Recht, p. 65 § 7 (see also ib. pp. 25 , 76 ff., 79 ). fuidir goible (.i. gabar o gabail na croici .i. tar bragait), Laws v 360.15 . na manaig nuna ┐ gola ┐ gabla, iii 10.24 . furail gabla arda do breith ann `order high gibbets to be brought there,' Fier. 148.

(d) a (forked ?) beam, support or shaft (for diverse uses):

(1) a beam, a rafter (of a house): dolluid ... co rrabi inna sessom i mbun na gabla roboí hi ciund tened, LU 9193 ( FB 92 ). luid is tech ... co mbaí forsin irlár ┐ a lám forsin gabail, RC xxvi 12.22 (v.l. tuirid, H 3.18, 543yb ). Cf. rosforbair in gabul ... uas in tig cona torad forri, PH 1315 . gabhla ar ttighe `beams,' Canticles i 17 . gréas gach gallghabhla `the ornament of each foreign arch,' DDána 119.33 . ar bhun na gaibhle `on the rafter's end,' Tribes of Irel. 58.

(2) a support (a crook ?) for hanging a cauldron: in coire fiuchus for a gabluib, Laws i 46.26 Comm. cuit in tslóig ... ni berbther é ar oengabail, TBC-LL¹ 2360 . as iad ba gabhla dá ccoiredhaibh cáirn do chorpaibh na Lochlann, Thr. Frag. 124.1 . ra chuirset [in banb] forsin gabail i cionn na teined, SG 88. 18 , 21 . nech do chur fo ghabhail (an) choire (a mark of contumely): go gcuirfedh ... Fiond fo ghabhail an choire, Duan. F. i 4.8 . cur Cormaic mic Airt d'Fhiacha fo ghabhail coire, Content. iii 27 . Cormac fo ghabhail do chor, vi 119 . Cf. xv 50 ; xviii 107 .

(3) a pillar; with or without fulaing (g s.) a prop, an undersetting: cf. gabhalfulaing, posd[a], úaitne, más, `a base, pillar, undersetter,' Eg. Gl. 365 . co tugdais leo gabla oir ... i mbidis cu[i]g troigti fichet ┐ co scribdais a uili ... gnimrada ... intib (memorial pillars ?), IT ii2 105.8 . flesc for dib ṅgablaib lasin conair immetiagat `a rod on two forks' (a rail-fence ?), Ml. 45c9 . airdither slegh curadh cach cathgabal diobh agus rosuidigsetar cetheora gabla fo cech roth, TBC-LL¹ 5645 St. = da cathuaithne dec, 5643 . (Prob. props fixed under the wheels of portable besieging castles to act as brakes ?) Cf. cliatha iomdha do ghénamh aca, ┐ gabhla do chur fotha, ┐ tolladh an mhuir fotha, TFrag. 232.14 . Cf. in Carr B.D. [i.e. a spear] ... amlaid nobid, ┐ gobal fo bragaid `with a fork under its neck' [i.e. supporting it], Dinds. 14 . Of supports of the heavenly bodies: fúaim na ... rann ... ac tuitim ... da gablaibh fulaing, RC xxiv 382.17 . tuitfidh grian ┐ éasga dá rothaibh ┐ da ngabhlaibh go talamh, Uncat. MS. Cashel Lib. tuitim ó gabhlaibh don ghrein | go talmhuin, 24 L 5 (RIA.) 2.12 . go buain a gabhal ón ngréin, Timth. 1917.8 § 10 . 1 Kings vii 34 . Fig. upholder: Banbha ... ga chloinn | gabhla foirtille fulaing, IGT Decl. ex. 1918 . Giolla Criost ... gabhal fulaing chogaidh ┐ cosnamha Cenil Conaill, AFM ii 834.14 . Cf. ALC i 40.1 . AFM vi 2348.13 . na trí subáilche díadha ... as uaitnedha ┐ as gabla fulaing fán mbethaidh sbioradálta, Ó Héodhusa 13 . gabhla Thighe na Teamhrach, TD 9.3 . gabhla caomhChaithreach Cröoinn, 4.13 . fa gabhal de ceithre ghabhlaibh na hEagluise é (of St. Jerome), Eochairsg. 31.9 .

(4) yards (?) of a sail: corr-gabla siúil, CRR 11.4 .

(5) a weapon, a pronged spear (?): gabhal .i. sleagh, P. O'C. gabhla .i. sleagha, BB 191b sup. marg. O'Cl. la hiolar a n-éidedh n-allmharda ┐ a ngabhladh nglaisiaroinn, Hugh Roe § 31 .

(6) Of a pair of compasses : gabul ina laim ┐ da beind eisti ┐ doforni oen na n-aisill isin luaith, Ériu v 72 . hi catraig choéimchumaide fo gabulrind gábla, LB 130a56 . See also gabulrind.

(e) the fork of the body, the thighs: bá fodeirc dó folés na farrci foa gabul , LU 9061 ( FB 81 ). ecnach nem ┐ grían fo [a] gabal ara ḟot, Ériu iv 138.26 . co tuc glun ina gabal do, CCath. 2960 (Inguina ... insertis pedibus ... Luc. Phars. iv 628 ). is ech tened bís hi n-gabul (inna gabail v.l.) a marcaig a n-iffirn, Ériu ii 194 § 9 . each teneadh am gabhal, RC xiv 52.19 . caeca cubat 'na gabul , Dinds. 23 . fer na ra leic leithet da gabail bhadéin ... dit ḟerand dait, TBC-LL¹ 5997 . ech gabail ┐ sliasta, a riding-horse, Fen. 140.17 ; cf. 120.18 . coslomnocht ┐ a (sic leg.) leinte a ngobhal gc aon aca, their shirts tucked between their legs, Rel. Celt. ii 200.13 . maith a banscal roriastrat drochdoíne do gabol, ZCP xviii 92.8 ( LL 284a16 ). ib. 91.22 ( LL 284a11 ). a ndluigi in-a ṅgablaib na mna (as a mode of execution), LB 154b52 . urthach saer dobeir in ben fri uaitne, no a brisid oc a gabal, Laws i 180.12 Comm. (alternative gl. on: im sarurrach mban fri uatne, 176 ). gabul cumung na clainne, O'D. 81 ( H 3.17 c. 69 ) = Laws i 180.27 Comm.

(f) a bifurcation or angle in a glen, pass, etc.; the spit of land between two rivers (?): i ngobhal na ngleann, ZCP ii 362.38 . gabhla gruaid-fhliucha glenn, O'Gr. Cat. 459.4. In Laws some kind of enclosed land with special privileges (?): tar cro no tar gabail tire, Laws v 258.21 Comm. dar cro no gabal tire, i 98.20 Comm. Cf. geni goba acht lethgabail de `though it (the water) should pass through only half a step of it, AL iv 212.2 .

(g) a branch of a river, an arm or inlet of the sea forming a creek or river estuary (see muir, Compds.): gabhal do sruth Órt[h]anain, Anecd. ii 29.3 . coneracht g.¤ fairrge etarru, Trip. ii 486.21 (LB). gabhal mhara, Ériu iii 164 § 20 . Lism. L. 1486 . gabhal (sic leg.) mhuiridhe, Ériu iii 168 § 24 . tar gabail mara, Laws v 440.29 Comm. ised is gabhol mara ann cach bail na fetar cen luing no cen snam, iii 318.4 .

(h) Fig. a branch or ramification of a family; of a genealogical tree: fodla ┐ ilgabla mac Noe, Rawl. 72a48 . ben ... o dib gablaib, is de a athair d'Ulltaib ocus a mathair do feínib Temrach, Laws iv 18.2 gloss. ni cuirithur cuaird for gablu fine, ... on the branches of the `fine,' iii 78.20 . riasiu ranntar a lín cenn ngabal , O'D. 549 ( H 3.17, c. 437 ). ar a lin do gablaibh i fodlaither gra[d] tuathe, Críth G. 3 . RC xxxii 392.2 . sech flaith, sech eclais, sech ilgobhlai fine, ZCP xii 365.22 . aenfine iat ... ┐ ragablaighset iat ... in darna gabul ... in gabul eile, O'D. 2259 ( Rawl. B 506 21a ). roiadus gabail Chaim, I closed up (i.e. completed) the genealogy of C., LL 142a39 . gnáith-bérla na ngabal ngrinn | cétna tharla for Eirinn, SG 348.4 . a gabhla gaoil, those of her kin, A. Ó Dálaigh iii § 4 . ite fodlai fine cacha flatha; a fuidri, a ciniud, a gabail fodagniat, his branches (i.e. his dependants) who serve him (?), Laws iv 282.12 .

(i) a branch or division of a subject : atait secht ngabala a-ra-fognad brethemnacht an betha .i. a secht do gablaib, Laws v 364.1 , 3.

(j) Metr. term: gobhal imairnd deínd for ardchassbairdní (name of a metre in which there is triple alliteration, but see EIS 231 ), IT iii 103 § 198 . is gobul dí .i. recne dechubaid .i. dá son nó a tri do thinscital ó oen fid ... ┐ son o fid ecsamail ina ndiaid-sede, ACC 146 Comm.

(k) Of the angle at which a horse carries its head: da mbia an t-ech gobard ┐ gabail granna aice 'if the horse is high of muzzle, and has an ugly head-carriage (?)' Celtica ii 46 § 7 . dligid ech na gab(ala crom)a beith mi-luthmar. Dligid ech na gabala airde a beith garg mer 'the horse that carries its head bent (?) should be lacking in vigour. The horse that carries its head high (?) should be fierce and giddy' 48 § 11 .

In n.l.: Fid nGaible ... nó comad Gabal ainm na haband do taot trit or G. may be the name of the river that flows through it, Dinds. 11 . Fid ṅGabli ... is aire ainmnigther Gabal dind abaind ..., LL 159b12 (see remainder of passage, cited s.v. gablaigid). in Gabol glan, Metr. Dinds. ii 58.1 . Cf. tri Guare Gabla, TBC-LL¹ 5939 = Gaible, TBC-I¹ 3494 . Cf. rig Gaible, Metr. Dinds. iii 16.204 . Abhainn Ghabhla, the Forked River, Iar Conn. 102, n . a iath na trenḟer tigba | úaim do thriath (sic leg.) glegel Gabla, LL 5142 . reidfid Dubgilla delbda | dín mo debra mind ṅGaible, 193b52 .

Compds. ¤chless game of slinging (?): cia clessat for gabulchless 'whomsoever they may hit (?) while engaged in a game of slinging (?)' Celtica viii 148 (Mellbretha) . ¤chos fork of the leg, leg : gur amuis idir an dá ghabhailchois ... é, ITS xxiv 126.30 . ¤dub: Ingen Chonmaír ... inna gorm-daíl gobul-duib `that dark-forked terror,' Metr. Dinds. iv 26.5 . ¤fada long-shanked : Aed G., Laud 610, f. 39e . ¤fine branching `fine' : senathuir senathur is esidhe athuir na gabal-fhine, O'Curry 361 ( H 3.18, p. 201 ). ¤gicce a pronged pole (?) : (of Conaire's swineherds) tri gabulgici úasaib hi toíb fraiged, LU 7585 ( BDD 112 ). (of the Dagda) gabol gicca rothach (sic leg.; gicc aroth, MS) feidm ochtair ina diaid ... gonad dei dogaror Slicht Loirge an Dagdai, RC xii 86 § 93 . See also ¤lorg. ¤gorm: coic eich ... gabalguirm ` grey-riding ,' Fen. 368.8 . Cf. BB 275b11 ¤lorg a forked or pronged pole or shaft: gabollórg íairn (sic leg.) inna láim, LU 6825 ( BDD 38 ). RC xliii 78 § 78 . briugu, filed, ┐ fer do-airgair a bith-erchuiliud; are sruithiu di-suidib a ngobol-lorgga olldate a n-airm ` supporting-staves ,' Laws v 420.11 ; ` walking-sticks ,' 17 gloss. tri .l. gabal-lorg ina lámaib (of a `brugaid' and his retinue), Acall. 2442 . ? ¤rind: fo treith gabail-rindedh (-dech ?) a fork-pointed trident (?), O'Curry 573 ( H 3.18, 286 ; see 2 gabair, supra). ¤ṡliasait thigh : conbeicidís as a broind ... rodusmhuch fo gabalsliasaid, BB 257b33 . ¤ṡreng a plumb-line : Ni heasbhaidh don bhláith bháirrṡlim | ríaghail ghrinn nó gabhailṡreing, Ridgeway Essays , p. 6 .