earrach

spring, so Irish, Old Irish errech *persâko-, from pers, which is from per, as eks, (= ex) is from ek; per, before, Latin per, pr$$oe, English for, fore; as in air, (= ari). The idea is the "first of the year". Cf. German fru"hling, spring, of like descent. Such is Stokes' derivation. Another view is that earrach is from eàrr, end (cf. for form tòs and toiseach, and earrach, lower extremity) meaning the "end of the year', the céitein, May, "first of summer", being the beginning of the year. Not allied to Latin ver.