Discusses evidence for an alternative account of Fénius’s role in the invention of the alphabet characterized by Isidorian influence, and suggests that Fénius’s increased prominence in the legend originates in the Middle Irish commentary tradition on Auraicept na n-éces.
On the training of bardic poets; stresses the role of ‘books’. Incl. discussion of associated terminology, e.g. saothrughadh ‘training’, cúrsa saothruighthe ‘a course of study’, duan dheiridh shaothair ‘composition to secure graduation’, sgagadh ‘straining, sifting’, glanadh ‘cleansing’, gleódh ‘purifying’, breithniughadh ‘judging, examining’, oide ‘teacher’.
Edition of Bríatharogaim, including glossing and commentary, from MSS RIA 23 P 12, NLI G 53, TCD H 3. 18, and YBL; with translation and notes. Discussion of each of the names: Beithe, Luis, Fern, Sail, Nin, (h)Úath, Dair, Tinne, Coll, Cert, Muin, Gort, Gétal, Straiph, Ruis, Ailm, Onn, Ú(i)r, Edad (?), Idad (?), Ébad (?), Ó(i)r, Uil(l)en(n), Pín (Iphín), Iphín (Pín), Emancholl.
Discusses (1) the sources of Séamus Ó Broin’s Irish glossary (in MS Egerton 158), (2) mistakes copied from E. Lhuyd’s Irish glossary in Archaeologia Britannica (1707), (3) Egerton as a source in DIL.
Ahlqvist (Anders): Histoire de la linguistique: la tradition irlandaise.
THTL sér. 8, 2. Paris: Département de recherches linguistiques, Université de Paris VII, 1983. [iv] + 35 pp. (Travaux d’histoire des théories linguistiques, série 8, 2).