Auraicept na n-Éces (Old Irish: [ˈaurikʲept na ˈnʲeːgʲes]; "the scholars' [éices] primer [airaiccecht]"; Scottish Gaelic: Uraiceachd nan Èigeas, Irish: Uraiceacht na nÉigeas) is an Old Irish text on language and grammar. It was historically thought to be a 7th-century work of Irish grammarians,[1] written by a scholar named Longarad.[2] The core of the text may date to the mid-7th century,[3] but much material was added between that date and the production of the earliest surviving copy in the 12th century. If it indeed dates to the 7th century, the text is the first instance of a defence of vernaculars, defending the spoken Irish language over Latin, predating Dante'sDe vulgari eloquentia by 600 years and Chernorizets Hrabar's O pismeneh by 200 years.
fol. 170v of the Book of Ballymote, the Incipit of the Auraicept.
The author argues from a comparison of Gaelic grammar with the materials used in the constructions of the Tower of Babel:
Others affirm that in the tower there were only nine materials and that these were clay and water, wool and blood, wood and lime, pitch, linen, and bitumen ... These represent noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, participle, conjunction, preposition, interjection
As pointed out by Eco (1993), Gaelic was thus argued to be the only instance of a language that overcame the confusion of tongues, being the first language that was created after the fall of the tower by the seventy-two wise men of the school of Fenius, choosing all that was best in each language to implement in Irish. Calder notes (p. xxxii) that the poetic list of the "72 races" was taken from a poem by Luccreth moccu Chiara.
Ogham
The Auraicept is one of the three main sources of the manuscript tradition about Ogham, the others being In Lebor Ogaim and De dúilib feda na forfed. A copy of In Lebor Ogaim immediately precedes the Auraincept in the Book of Ballymote, but instead of the Bríatharogam Con Culainn given in other copies, there follows a variety of other "secret" modes of ogham. The Younger Futhark are also included, as ogam lochlannach "ogham of the Norsemen".
fol. 170r of the Book of Ballymote, variants of ogham, nr. 43 (sluagogam) to nr. 77 (sigla).
Similar to the argument of the precedence of the Gaelic language, the Auraicept claims that Fenius Farsaidh discovered four alphabets, the Hebrew, Greek and Latin ones, and finally the ogham, and that the ogham is the most perfected because it was discovered last. The text is the origin of the tradition that the ogham letters were named after trees, but it gives as an alternative possibility that the letters are named for the 25 members of Fenius' school.
In the translation of Calder (1917),
This is their number: five Oghmic groups, i.e., five men for each group, and one up to five for each of them, that their signs may be distinguished. These are their signs: right of stem, left of stem, athwart of stem, through stem, about stem. Thus is a tree climbed, to wit, treading on the root of the tree first with thy right hand first and thy left hand after. Then with the stem, and against it and through it and about it. (Lines 947-951)
In the translation of McManus:
This is their number: there are five groups of ogham and each group has five letters and each of them has from one to five scores and their orientations distinguish them. Their orientations are: right of the stemline, left of the stemline, across the stemline, through the stemline, around the stemline. Ogham is climbed as a tree is climbed
Fege finn
References
^"Auraicept na nÉces". Oxford Reference. 1 January 2003. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
^Auraicept na n-éces: the scholars' primer; being the texts of the Ogham tract from the Book of Ballymote and the Yellow book of Lecan, and the text of the Trefhocul from the Book of Leinster. United Kingdom, J. Grant, 1917.
^"Auraicept na n-éces". Codecs. 1 January 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
Anders Ahlqvist, The Early Irish Linguist (Auraicept na nÉces), Helsinki 1982
R. Thurneysen, "Auraicept na n-éces", in: ZCP 17, 1928, pp. 277–303.
Erich Poppe, "Die mittelalterliche irische Abhandlung Auraicept na nÉces und ihr geistesgeschichtlicher Standort", in: Theorie und Rekonstruktion, edd. von Klaus D. Dutz & Hans-J. Niederehe. Münster: Nodus, 1996, 55-74.
Erich Poppe, "Natural and Artificial Gender in Auraicept na nÉces", in: SH 29, 1995–97, 195-203.
Erich Poppe, "Latinate Terminology in Auraicept na nÉces", in: History of Linguistics 1996. Vol. 1: Traditions in Linguistics Worldwide. Eds. David Cram, Andrew Linn, Elke Nowak. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. 1999, 191-201.
Erich Poppe, "The Latin Quotations in Auraicept na nÉces: Microtexts and their Transmission", in: Ireland and Europe in the Early Middle Ages. Texts and Transmission, edd. Próinséas Ní Chatháin & Michael Richter. Dublin: Four Courts. 2002, 296-312.
Umberto Eco, The search for the perfect language (1993, book translated in English 1995).
— Serendipities : Language and Lunacy (1998).
Damian McManus, A Guide to Ogam, An Sagart, 1997
Engesland, Nicolai Egjar, "Auraicept na nÉces: A Diachronic Study. With an Edition from the Book of Uí Mhaine", 2020 (Unpublished Ph.D.-thesis, University of Oslo, Norway).
Editions
Calder, George, ed. (1995) [1917]. (Repr. [d. Ausg.] Edinburgh 1917. ed.). Blackrock: Four Courts Press. ISBN1-85182-181-3. Archived from the original on 4 September 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2005.
External links
Full text of the Auraicept na N-Éces (Calder's 1917 edition) in various formats (PDF, JP2, etc)
scan of the Ogham section < not readable. Better resolution (server broken, 2018-03-24.)
The Ogam Scales from the Book of Ballymote by B. Fell
April 30, 2023
auraicept, Éces, irish, ˈaurikʲept, ˈnʲeːgʲes, scholars, éices, primer, airaiccecht, scottish, gaelic, uraiceachd, Èigeas, irish, uraiceacht, nÉigeas, irish, text, language, grammar, historically, thought, century, work, irish, grammarians, written, scholar, n. Auraicept na n Eces Old Irish ˈaurikʲept na ˈnʲeːgʲes the scholars eices primer airaiccecht Scottish Gaelic Uraiceachd nan Eigeas Irish Uraiceacht na nEigeas is an Old Irish text on language and grammar It was historically thought to be a 7th century work of Irish grammarians 1 written by a scholar named Longarad 2 The core of the text may date to the mid 7th century 3 but much material was added between that date and the production of the earliest surviving copy in the 12th century If it indeed dates to the 7th century the text is the first instance of a defence of vernaculars defending the spoken Irish language over Latin predating Dante s De vulgari eloquentia by 600 years and Chernorizets Hrabar s O pismeneh by 200 years fol 170v of the Book of Ballymote the Incipit of the Auraicept Contents 1 Manuscripts 2 Contents 3 Ogham 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 Editions 7 External linksManuscripts EditTCD H 2 18 Book of Leinster ca 1160 TCD H 2 16 Yellow Book of Lecan 14th century RIA 23 P 12 Book of Ballymote foll 169r 180r ca 1390 British Library MS Egerton 88 1564 clarification needed Contents EditThe Auraicept consists of four books I The Book of Fenius Farsaidh II The Book of Amergin III The Book of Fercheirtne Filidh IV The Book of CennfaeladhThe author argues from a comparison of Gaelic grammar with the materials used in the constructions of the Tower of Babel Others affirm that in the tower there were only nine materials and that these were clay and water wool and blood wood and lime pitch linen and bitumen These represent noun pronoun verb adverb participle conjunction preposition interjection As pointed out by Eco 1993 Gaelic was thus argued to be the only instance of a language that overcame the confusion of tongues being the first language that was created after the fall of the tower by the seventy two wise men of the school of Fenius choosing all that was best in each language to implement in Irish Calder notes p xxxii that the poetic list of the 72 races was taken from a poem by Luccreth moccu Chiara Ogham EditThe Auraicept is one of the three main sources of the manuscript tradition about Ogham the others being In Lebor Ogaim and De duilib feda na forfed A copy of In Lebor Ogaim immediately precedes the Auraincept in the Book of Ballymote but instead of the Briatharogam Con Culainn given in other copies there follows a variety of other secret modes of ogham The Younger Futhark are also included asogam lochlannach ogham of the Norsemen fol 170r of the Book of Ballymote variants of ogham nr 43 sluagogam to nr 77 sigla Similar to the argument of the precedence of the Gaelic language the Auraicept claims that Fenius Farsaidh discovered four alphabets the Hebrew Greek and Latin ones and finally the ogham and that the ogham is the most perfected because it was discovered last The text is the origin of the tradition that the ogham letters were named after trees but it gives as an alternative possibility that the letters are named for the 25 members of Fenius school In the translation of Calder 1917 This is their number five Oghmic groups i e five men for each group and one up to five for each of them that their signs may be distinguished These are their signs right of stem left of stem athwart of stem through stem about stem Thus is a tree climbed to wit treading on the root of the tree first with thy right hand first and thy left hand after Then with the stem and against it and through it and about it Lines 947 951 In the translation of McManus This is their number there are five groups of ogham and each group has five letters and each of them has from one to five scores and their orientations distinguish them Their orientations are right of the stemline left of the stemline across the stemline through the stemline around the stemline Ogham is climbed as a tree is climbed Fege finnReferences Edit Auraicept na nEces Oxford Reference 1 January 2003 Retrieved 26 June 2022 Auraicept na n eces the scholars primer being the texts of the Ogham tract from the Book of Ballymote and the Yellow book of Lecan and the text of the Trefhocul from the Book of Leinster United Kingdom J Grant 1917 Auraicept na n eces Codecs 1 January 2006 Retrieved 26 June 2022 Bibliography EditJames Acken Structure and Interpretation in the Auraicept na nEces Saarbrucken VDM Verlag Dr Muller e K 2008 ISBN 978 3 639 02030 4 Anders Ahlqvist The Early Irish Linguist Auraicept na nEces Helsinki 1982 R Thurneysen Auraicept na n eces in ZCP 17 1928 pp 277 303 Erich Poppe Die mittelalterliche irische Abhandlung Auraicept na nEces und ihr geistesgeschichtlicher Standort in Theorie und Rekonstruktion edd von Klaus D Dutz amp Hans J Niederehe Munster Nodus 1996 55 74 Erich Poppe Natural and Artificial Gender in Auraicept na nEces in SH 29 1995 97 195 203 Erich Poppe Latinate Terminology in Auraicept na nEces in History of Linguistics 1996 Vol 1 Traditions in Linguistics Worldwide Eds David Cram Andrew Linn Elke Nowak Amsterdam amp Philadelphia John Benjamins 1999 191 201 Erich Poppe The Latin Quotations in Auraicept na nEces Microtexts and their Transmission in Ireland and Europe in the Early Middle Ages Texts and Transmission edd Proinseas Ni Chathain amp Michael Richter Dublin Four Courts 2002 296 312 Umberto Eco The search for the perfect language 1993 book translated in English 1995 Serendipities Language and Lunacy 1998 Damian McManus A Guide to Ogam An Sagart 1997 Engesland Nicolai Egjar Auraicept na nEces A Diachronic Study With an Edition from the Book of Ui Mhaine 2020 Unpublished Ph D thesis University of Oslo Norway Editions EditCalder George ed 1995 1917 Auraicept na n Eces the scholars primer being the texts of the Ogham tract from the Book of Ballymote and the Yellow Book of Lecan and the text of the Trefhocul from the Book of Leinster Repr d Ausg Edinburgh 1917 ed Blackrock Four Courts Press ISBN 1 85182 181 3 Archived from the original on 4 September 2006 Retrieved 1 November 2005 External links EditFull text of the Auraicept na N Eces Calder s 1917 edition in various formats PDF JP2 etc The Ogham Tract Auraicept na N Eces scan of the Ogham section lt not readable Better resolution server broken 2018 03 24 The Ogam Scales from the Book of Ballymote by B Fell Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Auraicept na n Eces amp oldid 1132258036, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
