v1.0
Published 01/10/24
aiseal m. [ˈaʃəɫ̪], gen. aisil [ˈaʃil], also aisil (Easter Ross) /ɑʃəl/ (Watson 2021, 3), (Islay) [ɑʃəl], (Mull) [ɑʃẹl’], [ɑ̣ʃẹl’] (Faclan bhon t-Sluagh˄: f.), ‘axle; axis’. Craigie (1894, 158) suggests aiseal might be from ON ǫxull m. ‘axle’, while McDonald (2009) thinks it likely it is from either ON ǫxull or ON ǫxl f. ‘shoulder’ (although perhaps influenced by Old Norse and English at different times). This can be ruled out on the basis that ON <x> /ks/ would likely yield SG /ks/. MacBain (1896) states that a native origin seems possible, and, although he says the word is absent from Irish, we can compare Ir. aiseal ‘axle’ and ais
Noted by MacLennan (1925) under SG aiseal.
‘axis’ (Ó Dónaill 1977), the latter of which Vendryes (1996) notes occurs in the sense ‘car, cart, waggon’ in O’Reilly (1864) but is of uncertain origin.
Although both Proto-Celtic *ak-si ‘axle’ and Lat. axis ‘axle’ have been proposed as sources (Vendryes ibid.). EG aisil, aisel ‘part, division, joint (of a body, land etc.)’ (eDIL˄) (Ir. aisil ‘part, piece, joint’ (Ó Dónaill 1977)) is apparently etymologically unconnected with Ir. aiseal, but conceivably may have had an influence in terms of form.
Watson (ibid.) compares Scots assel-tree ‘axle-tree’.