taghairm

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic taghairm, from Old Irish togairm, from Proto-Celtic *to-garrman, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵh₂r̥-smn̥, from *ǵeh₂r- (“to call, to shout”); compare Irish toghairm (“an invocation, a summons”), from gairm, gair (“to call; to invoke”), ultimately from the same Proto-Indo-European roots. The Encyclopædia Britannica (3rd ed., 1797) suggests a derivation from Scottish Gaelic ta (“a ghost, a spirit”) + gairm (“to call, to cry”), while the editor of an 1871 edition of Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake suggested tarbh (“a bull”) or targair (“to foretell”). These etymologies are no longer to be taken seriously. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtaɡəɹəm/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtæɡəɹəm/ Hyphenation: ta‧ghai‧rm === Noun === taghairm (usually uncountable, plural taghairms) (historical, Scotland) An ancient divination method of the Highland Scots involving animal sacrifice. A method of divination involving wrapping a person in the hide of a freshly-killed ox which was then placed beside a waterfall or other desolate place, to enable the person to foresee the outcome of an impending battle; the oracle of the hide. A method of divination in which cats were roasted alive to call up the spirit of the demon cat who would grant the wishes of the torturers. ==== Alternative forms ==== taigheirm === References === M[artin] Martin (1703), “The Ancient and Modern Customs of the Inhabitants of the Western Islands of Scotland”, in A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland, London: Printed for Andrew Bell, at the Cross-Keys and Bible, in Cornhill, near Stocks-Market, →OCLC, pages 111–112: Andrew E. M. Wiseman (2010), “Caterwauling and Demon Raising: The Ancient Rite of the Taghairm?”, in Scottish Studies: The Journal of the School of Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh‎[1], volume 35, Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 9 May 2016, pages 174–209. === Further reading === taghairm on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Michael Quinion (January 12, 2002), “Taghairm”, in World Wide Words. == Scots == === Etymology === Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic taghairm, from Old Irish togairm, from Proto-Celtic *to-garrman, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵh₂r̥-smn̥, from *ǵeh₂r- (“to call, to shout”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtɑɡərəm/ === Noun === taghairm (plural taghairms) taghairm == Scottish Gaelic == === Etymology === From Old Irish togairm, from Proto-Celtic *to-garrman, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵh₂r̥-smn̥, from *ǵeh₂r- (“to call, shout”); compare Irish toghairm (“invocation, summons”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtʰɤɾʲɤm/ === Noun === taghairm f (genitive singular taghairme, plural taghairmean) echo a gathering summons taghairm ==== Descendants ==== → English: taghairm → Scots: taghairm