Lat. laicus ‘layman’ introduced to Irel. and developed the rare subsidiary meaning ‘lay tenant’ in ecclesiastical context; laicus develops pagan connotations, hence ‘brigand’. In a separate line of development, Lat. laicus ‘layman’ borrowed into Ir. as láech at an early date primarily in legal texts; láech ‘warrior’ may have developed on the principle that ‘men’ are ‘warriors’ (see P. Mac Cana, ‘On the word láech “warrior” ', in Celtica 11 (1976), pp. 125-128); láech ‘warrior’ in turn influences Lat. laicus, which acquires the rare meaning ‘warrior’; láech ‘pagan’ occurs as a calque on laicus ‘pagan’.