v1.0
Published 01/10/24
amall m. [ˈɑ̃məɫ̪], (Glengarry) [amuʟ] (Dieckhoff 1932), (Benbecula) [ˈɑ̃məlʰ], (Lewis) [aməlʰ], (Wester Ross) [aməʟh] (LASID IV, Item B.607, pp. 234, 253, 267), gen. amaill [ˈɑ̃miʎ̪], (Glengarry) [amiʟˈj] (Dieckhoff ibid.), ‘swingle-tree: a crossbar connecting the traces of a horse to a plough or cart’; it is sometimes stated that it rather or also means an ‘oar-loop, oar grommet’ (Falk 1912, 71, so Vendryes 1913, 231; Bugge 1912, 292) or ‘yoke’ (Craigie 1894, 158), although neither alternative meaning seems to be attested, and derived from ON hamla f. ‘oar-loop’, but which would formally yield *[ˈ(t̪h)ãm͡ał̪ə].
Henderson (1910, 117–18) cites both ON hamla ‘oar-loop’ and hamla vb ‘to pull backwards’.
MacBain (1896: amal) suggests the word may originate in a compound consisting of aḋ-, a nominally intensive prefix, + mol m. ‘axle or rotating shaft, esp. of a mill-wheel (eDIL˄)’, with assimilation of ḋ to m, although O’Rahilly (1950, 337–41) notes that EIr. ḋm would normally yield dhm, e.g. (Book of the Dean of Lismore) ne elli my cheymm at yġ mawle (= ní fhuil mo chéim acht adhmall),
Quiggin 1937, 65, 4 lines from bottom, from Adv.MS.72.1.37, folio 87, line 3. Note that the Book of the Dean of Lismore’s adhmall and the headword amall are different words.
which would be expected in due course to yield ām (Ó Maolalaigh 2006, 59–62). ON hamla f. in the sense ‘pole, beam’, however, is derived from earlier ON *hǫmull ‘swingle-tree’ (de Vries 1962
‘[Q]uerstock vorn am wagen, an den die zugstränge befestigt werden.’
), which yields Scots aml, ammel [aməl] ‘little wooden rod, short fishing rod; splinter-bar, swingle-tree of a plough, crossbar between traces’ (Jakobsen 1928, s.v. 2aml), which, while a derivation directly from Old Norse cannot be ruled out entirely, would in turn yield SG amall regularly.
(SG amail vb ‘to hinder’, amail
MacBain 1896: aḋ + mall ‘slow’ (cf. aḋ + mol, above), but (1911) noting ON hamla vb ‘to hinder’. Ó Muirithe (2013, 14) compares SG amail ‘hindrance’ with ON hamla vb.
f. and amaladh m. ‘hindrance’, as well as Ir. amalta
O’Reilly 1864.
adj. ‘bound’, are cited by McDonald (2009, 360) in relation to SG amall ‘swingle-tree’ but are probably unconnected. McDonald also draws attention to SG amaill vb ‘to entangle’ in MacLennan 1925, noting MacLennan’s reference to an Early Irish form amaill(e) ‘sporting’, but for which read áṁaill(e) with a medial fricative (eDIL˄).)