easpa

Irish

Alternative forms

• easba, easbaidh (superseded)
• easbhaidh (Ulster)

Etymology

From Middle Irish esba, espa, from Old Irish esbae, espe (“uselessness, vanity, folly; idleness, play, wantonness”), from ess- + bae (“good, profit”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈasˠpˠə/, /ˈɑsˠpˠə/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈæsˠpˠə/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈasˠwi/ (corresponding to the form easbhaidh)

Noun

easpa f (genitive singular easpa, nominative plural easpaí)

1. lack, want, absence
   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 30:

     tā šin duəl d æspə ūsāȷə.

     [Tá sin dual d’easpa úsáide.]

     That is due to a lack of practice.

2. (biology) deficiency, defect
3. (medicine) abscess

Declension

Declension of easpa

Fourth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative easpa easpaí Vocative a easpa a easpaí Genitive easpa easpaí Dative easpa easpaí

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an easpa na heaspaí Genitive na heaspa na n-easpaí Dative leis an easpa don easpa leis na heaspaí

Synonyms

• (deficiency): díothacht, easnamh, easpacht

Derived terms

• easpa reatha (“running sore, running abscess”)
• easpach (“lacking, wanting; missing, lost; deficient, defective”, adjective)

Related terms

• uireasa

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
easpa	n-easpa	heaspa	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “easbaiḋ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 280
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “easpa”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN