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Etymology question
Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 8:27 pm
by Sectori
I wasn't sure where to put it, but I figured this would be a safe bet.
Is rannsaich cognate to English ransack? I see the latter comes from Old Norse, and the semantic difference between "research" and "go hurriedly through" isn't so much, so it seemed plausible enough that I thought I'd ask.
Re: Etymology question
Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 8:47 pm
by faoileag
So I've been told and would happily accept.
Macbain's Etymological Dict. of Scottish-Gaelic certainly says so.
Ir. rannsuighim; from Norse rannsaka, search a house, whence English ransack.
Re: Etymology question
Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 9:56 pm
by AlasdairBochd
Litir do Luchd-Ionnsachaidh #74 le Ruairidh MacIlleathain discusses this word at length (entertainingly as always) and a few others.
Seo ceangal luchdaidh-a-nuas . Here's a download link
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/alba/foghlam ... tir074.pdf
Re: Etymology question
Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 11:18 pm
by Sectori
faoileag wrote:So I've been told and would happily accept.
Macbain's Etymological Dict. of Scottish-Gaelic certainly says so.
Ir. rannsuighim; from Norse rannsaka, search a house, whence English ransack.
Good to know!
Tapadh leat! I'll look at that when I have time to go through it with the dictionary.