t-AWLOi{ — The Cathach of St. Colimiba. 253 



(Ps. xliii), the first word of the last line is written somewhat out of its proper 

 place, so as to make room for an initial // It was evidently penned after 

 the initial. 



Our scribe is singularly sparing in the use of contractions. With the 

 exception of the usual abbreviations of Dens, Dominus,^ Christus, S2nritus, 

 sandus, and the suspension diab for diahsalmats (= diapsalmics) we find only 

 the following : — 



b: = bus, 17 times (xxxiii. 7; xxxiv. 10, 25; xxxix. 6 ; xliv. 9 (his); 



Iviii. 6 ; Ixvii. 27 ; Ixxv. 1 ; Ixxviii. 2 ; Ixxxiii. 1 ; Ixxxv. 5 ; 



Ixxxvi. 1; Ixxxviii. 26; xci. 12; xciii. 13; ciii. 22). 

 fi = 71011, once (Ixviii. 5). 

 q : = que, 19 times (xxxv. 6 ; xxxvi. 1 ; xxxvii. 7 ; lii. -i; Ixi. 13 ; Ixx. 19 ; 



Ixxi. 8 (bis); Ixxiii. 10; Ixxiv. 7; Ixxix. 12; Ixxxi. 5; Lxxxii. 2; 



Ixxxv. 9; xciii. 15; ci. 3 (bis) ; ciii. 9, 23). 

 scificatio = sanctijicatio, thrice (Ixxvii. 54; xcv. 6; xcvi. 12). 

 scificanit = sanctificauit, once (xlv. 5). 

 sciiicium = sanctificium, once (Ixxvii. 69). 

 scimonia = sanctimonia, once (xcv. 6). 

 scitudo = sanctitudo, once (xcii. 5). 

 scuarium = sajictuarium. four times (Ixxii. 17; Ixxiii. 7; lxxxii. 13; 



Ixxxviii. 40). 

 ~ = final VI, 13 times (xliii. 1 ; xlv. 1 ; xlvi. 1 ; Ixx. 10, 24 ; Ixxvii. 24, 



69 ; Ixxviii. 1 ; Ixxxviii. 5 ; xcii. 5 ; civ. 18, 44 ; cv. 3). 



Okthography. 



It is not easy to decide in all cases what forms should be included in a 

 list of the irregular spellings of an early manuscript. In the following tables 

 I give all spellings in which the Cathach varies from the text of the 

 Clementine Vulgate as printed in Heyse-Tischeudorf, though many of them 

 cannot be regarded as anomalous. Spellings marked with an obelus (t) are 

 exceptional. 



1. Prepositions in Composition. 



adf-/oy aff- 



adl- for all- 



adn-yb7- ann- (annuunt, xxxiv. 19). 



adp- for app- (apparuerunt, xci. 8). 



adqU'/o?- acqu- 



' Deos is written in full, Pss. xciv. 3 ; xcv. 4, and dominus (applied to Joseph) in I'.s. 

 civ. 21. 



