back prev next Irish harp terms from Bunting
from Edward Bunting, The Ancient Music of Ireland (Dublin 1840), Page 25: Shakes, etc.
Irish cúlaithris spoken by Gráinne Yeats Scottish Gaelic cùl-aithris spoken by Tony Dilworth Click the play button to hear it spoken. help “By first finger and thumb.” Simon Chadwick 2008 Cul-aithris - Half shake The English here does not translate the Gaelic, which looks as if it may be a compound, cúlaithris, whose second element is aithris, 'imitation; narration; mimicry'. The first element is likely to be the noun cúl, 'a back', which a variety of applications and is common in compounds as a prefix meaning 'back' or 'backward'. On p.32 Culaithris is explained as 'Repetition, or relish'. Colm Ó Baoill 2002
Click the play button to hear it spoken. help
“By first finger and thumb.”
Simon Chadwick 2008
Cul-aithris - Half shake
The English here does not translate the Gaelic, which looks as if it may be a compound, cúlaithris, whose second element is aithris, 'imitation; narration; mimicry'. The first element is likely to be the noun cúl, 'a back', which a variety of applications and is common in compounds as a prefix meaning 'back' or 'backward'.
On p.32 Culaithris is explained as 'Repetition, or relish'.
Colm Ó Baoill 2002