EARRAIG, 15, an attempt, a tugging of a person to frighten him or a sudden darting upon a person to frighten him. Thug mi earraig orra cheana said by a ghost who came to frighten people. 17: Thug iad earraig air falbh no air a dhol gu cuan ach b’fheudar dhaibh tilleadh, [they made an] attempt [to go away or put to sea but they had to turn back]. VI 157: Bheir e ’n earraig bhuaidhe, he will make a bold attempt. See Tàthadh, 51.
TÀTHADH, 51, tugging. ’S e earraig tàthadh na ribeadh thoirt air duine gus eagal a chur air, [an ‘earraig’ is giving a man a tug or pull to frighten him]. 126: Ann an tàthadh a chéile, fitting into one another properly. I 368: B’e sin na caoraich ’s na gobhair a thàthadh ri chéile, sin a dhianamh dhutsa [that were mating sheep with goats] is a proverb signifying extreme difficulty or impossibility to be encountering in trying to execute any project.
Tha Dwelly ag ràdh airson earraig: “Shift; the last shift, great deal ado, greatest strait.”
Tha na h-iomraidhean as motha as urrainn dhomh lorg air earraig ga chleachdadh anns an t-seagh oidhirp air rudeigin doirbh, ach tha e air a chleachdadh san t-seagh eile, a’ cur eagal air cuideigin, anns an iris Mac-Talla bho Cheap Breatainn: “Thainig an namhaid orra nan tonnan; ach thachair earraigriutha — ’n uair a choinnich iad an staillin fhuar, bu bhuidh leo teicheadh.”
Cha robh am facal aig Màiri Thormoid ann an Éirisgeigh: “cha robh e bitheant againn idir. Chanadh tu gum bitheadh, o chionns bha iad uabhasach ann an Éirisgeigh mu dheidhinn bòcain is rudan. Dh’fhaodadh sin a bhith againn, chionns bha iad cho measail air na bòcain – bha na bòcain anns a h-uile àite mun cuairt.”
