ONlwSG

sainnseal m. [ˈs̪ãı̃ʃɑɫ̪], gen. sainnseil -[al], 

Cf. (Gairloch) [s[ɑ̃ı̃]ʃɑʟ] (Wentworth 2003, s.v. lesson), (Glengarry) [s(ai)*Sal] (Dieckhoff 1932), cf. [seyshal] (MacLennan 1925), but /sãĩNʲʃəL/ (AFB^˄).

‘handsel, gift given at New Year’. While MacDomhnuill (1741) lists SG sainsel and An Dughalach (1829, 198: Glencoe) writes saimhseal, the word is normally spelt sainnseal (e.g. Armstrong 1825; HSS 1828).

Craigie (1894, 159) suggests SG sainseal (sic) is a loan from ON handsal nt. ‘handshake, esp. to confirm an agreement; a promise or security given with a handshake’ (NO), 

Without explanation, McDonald (2009, 360–61: sainseal) defines ON handsal as ‘a new-year gift, with the sense of reciprocal obligation’, but considers the loan uncertain.

or possibly from Scots handsel [ˈha(ː)n(d)səl], [ˈhɔːn(d)səl] ‘a gift bestowed to commemorate an inaugural occasion, event or season, e.g. the beginning of the year, the first visit to a friend’s new home or the commencement of a new undertaking, the wearing of new clothes etc., with the idea of bringing good luck to the recipient’ (SND^˄); MacBain (1911) cites Scots handsel and MacLennan (1925) Eng. handsel, both from MEng. han(d)sel(l). A derivation from Scots seems more likely.

HSS (1828) takes SG sainnseal to be a derivative of SG seamhas [ˈʃɛ̃vəs̪] (cf. M^cAlpine 1832: [sév´-us], although MacLennan (1925) gives [shēvus] with a long stressed vowel, possibly via confusion with sèamh adj. ‘mild, peaceful’) ‘good luck’, but seamhas is an Argyllshire variant of seanns, from Eng. chance (MacBain 1911; MacLennan 1925), via back-formation, cf. SG dannsadh ‘dancing’ [ˈd̪̥ãũs̪əɣ], (Islay) /dɛvəsəɣ/ (based on Eng. dance), cf. SG samhradh ‘summer’ [ˈs̪ãũɾəɣ], (Islay) /sɛvərəɣ/ (EG saṁraḋ) (Grannd 2000, 56–57; Cox 2008a, 54–55).

SG sainnseal in the sense ‘gift’ is extended via ‘reward’ to ‘a lesson learnt, consequence’ (Wentworth 2003, s.vv. learn, lesson, story) and to ‘blow, shock’ (Faclan bhon t-Sluagh^˄, s.v. sainnseal: ‘verbal drubbing’ (Harris), ‘blow, slash’ (Harris, Scalpay) ‘unexpected shock’ (North Uist), ‘severe blow’ (Skye)).

Henderson (1898, 209, stanza II.1, and 211) notes that SG mar shanns’ ‘as a gift’ 

In a poem by Fear na Pàirce (MacCulloch of Park, Strathpeffer), fl. late-16th to early-17th century.

contains a variant of sainnseal, but sanns’ (with a non-palatal cluster) rather than sainns’ may have been used intentionally in order to rhyme with annsachd ‘love, affection’ in the same line and (imperfectly) with (gen.) anma ‘soul’ in the following line. The variant seannsal is listed by AFB^˄ (/ʃãũNsəL/ ‘handsel’) and Faclan bhon t-Sluagh^˄ (‘(severe) blow, hurt’, Harris, Scalpay), but it is possibly the result of confusion with SG seannsail ‘lucky’ (< seanns < Scots/Eng. chance, 

Cf. McDonald 1972, s.v. seannsail ‘prosperous’.

more recently borrowed as seans(a) and teans(a)).

Derivatives: SG sainnsealaich m. (e.g. HSS 1828) and sainnsealaiche m. (e.g. Armstrong 1825) ‘one who gives a handsel’, and sainnsealach adj. (e.g. HSS).