WHALE— WOLF 227 



In the Annals of Tigernach, so ably translated by Whitley 

 Stokes, we read of a whale which, circa 739-743 a.d., the sea cast 

 to land with three golden teeth in its head, and fifty ounces in 

 each of these teeth. " Mil mor rola in muir docum tire ocus tri 

 fiacla oir na chind, ocus 1. uinge in gach fiacail dib." (Rev. Celt., 



xvn.) 



Tha fios aige c'aite 'bheil na muca-mara breith. 



He knows where the whales breed — or bring forth. (Said 

 of the would-be omniscient man.) 



WHELP (see also Dog). — Can, canna, cuain, cuilean. 



This word is from the Teutonic type " Hwelpa "-Cuilen (Old 

 Germ.) ; while the old Gaelic word cuilen is from cul, col ; foetus, 

 embryo. 



WOLF. — Allabhair, allaidh, allamhadadh, allmhadadh ; Blad, 

 bladair, bladaire, blaidh, bleidire (a mouth or mouther), breac, 

 breach, brech, broc ; Cliabhach, cliamhach, cliuin, con, conoel 

 (Ir. fem. werewolf), criun, cu-allta, alluidh choille, fiadh or fiad- 

 haich ghearr or ghiorr ruadh, cuan, a pack or rout of wolves ; 

 Fael (Ir.), faol, faolbhaidh, faol-chu, fiadh-chu, fiamoin ; Gladaman, 

 glaoidheaman ; Leidire, lub (obs.) ; Mac thire (Ir.), mac-tire, mada, 

 mada-galluidh, madadh, madadh-alluidh or allt ulaith, madra, 

 madra-alta (Ir. pi.), raaduigh, magadh-ulaidh alia or allta, marbh- 

 chu ; Odhar-chu, onchu ; Ruadh-chu ; Sagh-ictire (fem.), sidheach, 

 sigheach, sighoch, siogach, sithoch ; Uilbh (Sutherland), ulmhach. 



Brocad; Licos ; Onbeast, ouf ; Volt; Wluine (A. S. fem.), wouf, 

 wowf, wulf, wulfa (A. S.). In Old Irish we find the term 

 "canaid" for a wolf-whelp. 



From Teutonic type Wolfa, a wolf; lit. a tearer or render — 

 " wark," to tear. The terms breac and broc mean spotted or 

 brindled, as wolves sometimes are. Leidire or bleidire, said to 

 mean "thief," but more correctly "mouther"; hence the words 

 blether, bletherer. The phrase in Irish Gaelic of Macthire 

 mongach, or hairy wolf, has been come across. "Uilf" is just 

 "brute," from Norse Ulfr ; while the word "faol" enters into the 

 proper name " Cathal," i.e., cath wal or fliaol cath, signifying 

 battle, and wal or faol, wolf (Macbain) ; a wer-wolf, again, is 

 "conricht" — cu riochd. A full-grown wolf measures 5 feet 

 5 inches in length, 18 inches of which is tail, height 33 inches, 

 and weight over 100 lbs. ; a wolf can travel over forty miles in 

 one night. The word glaoidheaman is from the double bark oi 

 cry of the wolf, and also applies to the yelp of the fox. 



It is upwards of two hundred years at least since the last wolf 

 was slain in the Highlands. Several circumstantial accounts are 

 given and tales told as to the date of death of the last ; one being 

 that the feat of killing the last wolf was performed or achieved 



