priobadh

winking, twinkling (of the eye), Irish prap in le prap na súl, in the twinkling of the eyes (Keating), from prap, sudden, preaba in na bi preaba na sula muich (B.of Moyra), Middle Irish prapud, brief space (as twinkling of the eyes), la brafad súla, older friha brathad sula, where we get the series prapud, brafad, brathad (g. brotto), Old Irish brothad, moment. Stokes compares the similar Gothic phrase - in brahva augins, where brahv might = a British *brap, borrowed into Irish. The form frafad could easily develop into brap; the difficulty is the passinng of th of brothad (which gives g. brotto) info f of brafad (but See Rev.Celt. $$+10 57). The Gaelic priobadh has its vowel influenced by preabadh, kicking, that is, breab, q.v. Zim. (Zeit.$$+32 223) cites brofte, momentary, and says brafad is made from bro, eyebrow, falsely.