ONlwSG

duairc m./f. [d̪̥uəɾ̥ʲkʲ], gen. duairce -[ə], in the sense ‘pig-headed character’ is derived by Mackay (1897, 91: duaire [leg. duairc]) from Ice. durgra [leg. OIce. durgr (Cleasby 1874)] ‘a sulky fellow’, ascribing Gaelic usage to the poet Rob Donn (1714–1778).

Mackay 1829, 183: (pl.) duairceachean [sic], 254 (Glossary): (sg.) duairc ‘amhlair, burraidh, oaf, stupid fellow, clod-pole’.

Rob Donn’s noun duairc (otherwise duairce) is no doubt a nominal use of the adjective SG duairc ‘unpolished, uncivil, unamiable, surly; stern’ (cf. Ir. duairc ‘morose etc.’, EG dúairc ‘surly, grim, stern; gloomy, threatening; dire, grievous’ (eDIL^˄), the antonym of EG súairc ‘pleasant etc.’ (Marstrander 1910, 360–61)), and resorting to OIce. durgr – in which anyway g represents fricative [ɣ] rather than a plosive – is unnecessary.

In discussion, McDonald (2009, 350–51) inadvertently links Mackay’s duaire – presumably via association with OIce. durgr – with SG durga, s.v.