A chàirdean,

There once existed in Gaelic the word 'deil', plural 'deala', (teat).
Figuratively, this was used to represent 'gaol' (affection)
or 'càirdeas' (kinship).

This need not merely be through maternal connection, as the following
passage in the Confessio may illustrate:

"On the day I arrived, the ship was about to go and I told them I
wanted to sail with them from there. But this displeased the captain
who, with disdain, replied: 'No way can you ask to travel with us!' So
I went away from them to a hut where I could shelter. On the way I
began to pray, and before I finished my prayer I hear a crewman
shouting loudly to me: 'Come! Quickly! These men are calling you!' I
turned back at once and they said: 'Come on, we are taking you on
trust. So show your friendship with us according to whatever custom
you choose.' But on that day I refused to suck their nipples, on
account of the fear of God, yet despite this I stayed with them for I
hoped that some of them would come to faith in Jesus Christ ... "
(translation by Thomas O' Loughlin).

A word 'deilech' (teated) may also have existed. Another related word
may be 'coibdelach' (related/relation/relationship/kinship). This
latter word was both masculine and feminine and, interestingly for a
harper's purposes,is glossed in the Leabhar Breac (dated 1408-1411)
as 'siair' (sister) 'nó ingein' (or daughter/maidean) although its
usual meaning is 'kinsman/kinswoman'.

Today this word would be spelled in Irish either as comhdheileach or
comhdhealach and could easily once have been used as a word-play in
relation to the two unison strings on the Gaelic harp. I have always
suspected that the English name for the strings, 'the sisters', may
have emerged into English from a Gaelic original. Is it possible that
this word is the Gaelic original?

More etymologising soon. Beannachdan,



Alasdair