Anmoch

[Droigheann]

From BBC News:

"Ach tha cho anmoch is a chuir Comhairle Earra-Ghàidheal is Bhòid sanas-obrach a-mach airson tidsear Gàidhlig fhaighinn ga fhàgail gu math ao-coltach gum faigh iad neach a tha deònach gluasad dhan sgìre [...]"

Is this usage of "anmoch" common? My dictionaries qualify that the word means "late in the day", implying that otherwise "fadalach" should be used.

[akerbeltz]

No that's kosher. Fadalach would mean it was too late whereas anmoch just means it was late but not too late
(moch) tràth » anmoch » ceann-ama » fadalach

[Droigheann]

Aha, so if I want to say that something happened "late in the morning" as a simple statement of fact, it would be "anmoch sa mhadainn", while "fadalach sa mhadainn" would give the impression that (at least in my opinion) it should have happened earlier? As in, "dhùisg mi anmoch sa mhadainn" (because I had a day off and could afford a lie-in) vs "dhùisg mi fadalach sa mhadainn" (because I drank too much the night before and overslept)?

[akerbeltz]

Anmoch has no specific reference to "morning", certainly not since it displaced tràth. Think of it this way, you don't have to start making excuses for being late until you're fadalach. You can arrive anmoch at 8pm if the thing you're going to starts at 9pm. If you arrive at 10pm, you're fadalach and excuses are in order.

[Níall Beag]

Anmoch is something that is scheduled late.
Fadalach is later than scheduled.

[GunChleoc]

Thoir sùil air an fhacal "fadal" cuideachd is tuigidh tu nas fhearr dè as ciall dha fhadalach.

[Droigheann]

Anmoch has no specific reference to "morning", certainly not since it displaced tràth. Think of it this way, you don't have to start making excuses for being late until you're fadalach. You can arrive anmoch at 8pm if the thing you're going to starts at 9pm. If you arrive at 10pm, you're fadalach and excuses are in order.

I can understand the rest but how has anmoch/late replaced tràth/early? Anyway, my question was rather whether I can use anmoch in connection with madainn, I didn't mean I thought it specific to it.

Thoir sùil air an fhacal "fadal" cuideachd is tuigidh tu nas fhearr dè as ciall dha fhadalach.

Deagh chomhairle, cha robh mi eòlach roimhe air na seaghan eile aig "fadal" seach "longing".

[akerbeltz]

I can understand the rest but how has anmoch/late replaced tràth/early? Anyway, my question was rather whether I can use anmoch in connection with madainn, I didn't mean I thought it specific to it.

That as a messy way of putting it, my bad. It used to be
moch «» anmoch
but it has been
tràth «» anmoch
in Scottish Gaelic for a long time.

[Droigheann]

Ah, it's completely clear now. My mistake was that before I began this thread I thought there were [in today's Gaelic as well] simply two pairs of opposites, moch vs anmoch and tràth vs fadalach.