At 5:17:21 PM on Saturday, August 11, 2012, Rick McCallister wrote:
> From: pat <dicoceltique@...>
>> I think about an another word in celtic to design the
>> sword "Kladio-= gladius"
>> Aeliestr- = gladiolus flower (and iris)
>> Breton = Elestrenn
>> Old Breton = Elester
>> Cornique = Elester
>> Welsh = Elestr
>> Irish = Feileastar
>> may be connect with Latin Alestrere = to dampen but
>> difficulty with Irish form (letter F)
> The <f> in Gaelic may be a misprism.
It seems to be a rare dialect variant.
According to the DIL, the Old Irish word is <ailestar>,
glossed 'flag iris', also <eilestar>, later <soilestar>,
glossed 'a marsh flag, flag iris'. Dwelly s.v. <soileastar>
'the marsh flag, wild iris, sword lily' notes the dialect
variants <siolastar>, <siolastair>, <siolastrach>,
<(f)eileastram>, <alastram>, and <aileastar>, which last he
takes to be 'prob[abaly] the best form'.
Dinneen has Sc.Gael. <seilisdeir> 'yellow iris, sedge,
yellow water-flag' and a dialect variant <sealastair>.
Brian