174 HORSE 



Numerous etymologies are given of this word with its variations, 

 a few of which are given above. Horse is said to be from Old 

 Teutonic har (hor), to run, a runner, while steed is from stod or 

 stud. The original signification of capuU seems to have been a 

 draught horse — at least that is one meaning found in a respectable 

 authority, and explained as "cap," a car, and peall, a horse; this 

 is to be found also in the Annals of the Four Masters. Gabar or 

 gobhar is an obsolete name for a horse, the Welsh being gafr. 

 The Old Irish word " Fellac " means an enclosure for horses, from 

 *• fell." In the Scottish Celtic Revieio, "eoch " is given as Old Celtic, 

 e.g., CO n-eoch, with a horse ; the words each, ech, eoch, etc., 

 come from the root ak, to hasten ; the word deubhann or deabhann 

 means a horse-fetter, this is supposed to be from deahh, to shrink, 

 to contract, and ba?in, a tie or fetter, that which contracts or confines 

 the pace or stride ; galuban again is a band on a mare's teats to 

 prevent her foal sucking her, this is a provincialism but may be from 

 gal or gul and liiban, the fold of weeping or sorrow — to the foal ; 

 the word gearran is said not to mean "cut one," "glib horse" or 

 gelding, but to be garran, short for gabharan, dim. of gabar or 

 gabhar. The Hebrew word " ail," has been said to mean " horse," 

 it certainly means a quadruped in one sense, that not only a horse. 

 The Anglo-Saxon word "hors " is most probably from Old Teutonic 

 as above ; " palfrey " is Celticised into falafraidh, though the 

 word " pony " is originally from the Gaelic word " ponaidh," a 

 small horse. Professor Cossar Ewart refers to the pony as being 

 indigenous to Tiree, Barra, etc., but they are now extinct there. 

 The word " cut " is a name frequently given to a common horse 

 from its tail being docked. The word "cullach" also, now 

 generally applied to a boar, seems to have been used for "stallion," 

 as we read of a grey British stallion as glas-chullach ; elsewhere, 

 in Irish Celtic Chronicles, we find " Caiple bitaille " given for a 

 sumpter-horse, and "dila" as an epithet for horses (the latter 

 word Whitley Stokes acknowledges as being obscure even to him). 

 Roan is a corruption of Rouen in Normandy, where horses white 

 or grey (roan) are common. The term " aileach " if not from above 

 Hebrew word, and which signifies a stallion, may be traced, 

 according to one etymologist, the Rev. J. Mackay, Canada, to 

 alach, litter, or ailire, brood, all seemingly connected under 

 the meaning of breeding or bred ; al signifies a generation, 

 and is also an old term for a horse, while the Latin aleo 

 signifies to nourish. The word "gobar," translated steed, is 

 to be found in a prayer by Colum cille in Chronicon Scotorum 

 as follows : — 



Ar alainn ferus alluaoh 

 Gobar Baedain resin sluaigh, 

 Fo la Baodan fuilte buidhe 

 Beraseh a heren fuirre. 



