An apple a day …

Abstract

Zusammenfassung This article presents hitherto overlooked evidence that suggests that the Old Irish word for the ‘apple’, ubull, was originally a neuter u-stem. This is then integrated into a general picture of the words for ‘apple’ in Celtic and Indo-European. Along the way, several other problems are discussed: it is demonstrated that the normal, if not regular, genitive plural of neuter u-stems in Old Irish had the ending -Ø; the rules for the operation of MacNeill’s Law after b /β/ are refined; and the question of the regular reflex of *su̯ in Old Irish is investigated.