Middle Irish edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Old Irish ocus, see there for more.

Pronunciation edit

Conjunction edit

ocus (abbreviated )

  1. and

Descendants edit

  • Irish: agus
  • Manx: as
  • Scottish Gaelic: agus

Adverb edit

ocus

  1. also
    • c. 1000, “The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig”, in Ernst Windisch, editor, Irische Texte, volume 1, published 1800, section 1:
      I n‑oen uair dana tancatar ocus techta Conchobair mic Nessa do chungid in chon chetna.
      At the same time, then, messengers came also from Conchobar Mac Nessa to ask for the same dog.

Mutation edit

Middle Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Nasalization
ocus unchanged n-ocus
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading edit

Old Irish edit

Etymology edit

From Proto-Celtic *adgostus, with the initial o- arising under the influence of oc (at). Cognate to Welsh agos.[1]

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

ocus (comparative oicsiu, superlative oicsi)

  1. near
    • c. 845, St Gall Glosses on Priscian, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1975, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. II, pp. 49–224, Sg. 138a2, 3
      écndairc cian ... ecṅdairc ocus
      (glosses personae absenti vel quasi absenti; lit. absent near, i.e. though present regarded as absent)
    • c. 895–901, Vita tripartita Sancti Patricii, published in Bethu Phátraic: The tripartite life of Patrick (1939, Hodges, Figgis), edited and with translations by Kathleen Mulchrone, line 2047
      "Fot·uigeb-sa dano," ol Pátraic, "hi cill napa ro-ocus arnapa dimicnithi: nípa ró-chian dano co róastar immathigid etronn."
      "I will leave you, then," said Patrick, "in a church that shall not be very near lest you be despised [???], and shall not be very far, so that mutual visiting between us may be continued.
  2. close (of a relationship)
    • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 9c32
      is acus a coibdelag
      near is their kinship
    • c. 808, Félire Oengusso, Epilogue, line 229; republished as Whitley Stokes, transl., Félire Óengusso Céli Dé: The Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee, Harrison & Sons, 1905:
      Ind rígrad do·ruirmius, is ocus ar cundu, iar tuirim a féle do·rimiub a ndrungu.
      The kingsfolk I have recounted, close is our friendship; after reckoning their feasts, I will number their troops.

Usage notes edit

Often followed by preposition do.

Inflection edit

u-stem
Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative ocus ocus ocus
Vocative ocus
Accusative ocus ocuis
Genitive ocuis oicse ocuis
Dative ocus ocuis ocus
Plural Masculine Feminine/neuter
Nominative oicsi oicsi
Vocative oicsi
Accusative oicsi
Genitive *
Dative oicsib
Notes *not attested in Old Irish; same as nominative singular masculine in Middle Irish

Descendants edit

Conjunction edit

ocus (abbreviated )

  1. and

Descendants edit

Noun edit

ocus ?

  1. nearness, proximity
    • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 23b41
      imb i céin fa i n-accus beo-sa
      whether I be far or near

Inflection edit

Only the dative singular ocus is used due to generally requiring the preposition i (in).

Mutation edit

Old Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Nasalization
ocus unchanged n-ocus
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References edit

  1. ^ Hamp, Eric (1981), “Varia III”, in Ériu[1], volume 32, Royal Irish Academy, →ISSN, →JSTOR, retrieved February 9, 2024, pages 158–162

Further reading edit