Gaelach
Irish
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]- Gaedhealach (Ulster, otherwise superseded)
- Gaedhlach, Gaeulach, Gaodhalach, Gaodhlach, Gaoidhealach (obsolete)[1]
Etymology
[edit]From Gael + -ach (adjectival suffix).
Pronunciation
[edit]- (Munster) IPA(key): /ˈɡeːl̪ˠəx/
- (Connacht) IPA(key): /ˈɡeːlˠəx/[2], /ˈɡeːl̪ˠəx/
- (Ulster) IPA(key): /ˈɡeːlˠa(x)/, /ˈɡeːl̪ˠa(x)/
Adjective
[edit]Gaelach (genitive singular masculine Gaelaigh, genitive singular feminine Gaelaí, plural Gaelacha, comparative Gaelaí)
- Gaelic (relating to the Gaels or their language)
- Irish (pertaining to Irish Gaelic culture)
- (usually in lowercase: gaelach) native to Ireland; homely, pleasant; common, ordinary
Usage notes
[edit]Gaelach and Éireannach can both be translated “Irish”, but Gaelach refers specifically to traditional Irish Gaelic culture, historically associated with the Irish language. Éireannach refers to anything associated with the island or country of Ireland. Gaelach can also refer to Gaelic culture outside of Ireland, for example in Scotland, the Isle of Man, and the diaspora.
Declension
[edit]| singular | plural (m/f) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | masculine | feminine | (strong noun) | (weak noun) |
| nominative | Gaelach | Ghaelach | Gaelacha; Ghaelacha2 | |
| vocative | Ghaelaigh | Gaelacha | ||
| genitive | Gaelaí | Gaelacha | Gaelach | |
| dative | Gaelach; Ghaelach1 |
Ghaelach; Ghaelaigh (archaic) |
Gaelacha; Ghaelacha2 | |
| Comparative | níos Gaelaí | |||
| Superlative | is Gaelaí | |||
1 When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
2 When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.
Derived terms
[edit]- aiteann gaelach (“dwarf whin”)
- caife Gaelach (“Irish coffee”)
- cló Gaelach (“Gaelic type”)
- cnó gaelach (“hazel-nut”)
- damhsa Gaelach (“Irish dancing”)
- Gaelachas (“Irish characteristic(s)”)
- míle Gaelach (“Irish mile”)
- peil Ghaelach (“Gaelic football”)
- rince Gaelach (“Irish dancing”)
- stobhach Gaelach (“Irish stew”)
Related terms
[edit]Mutation
[edit]| radical | lenition | eclipsis |
|---|---|---|
| Gaelach | Ghaelach | nGaelach |
Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.
References
[edit]- ^ “Gaelach”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
- ^ Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect] (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 123
Further reading
[edit]- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “Gaelach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
- de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “Gaelach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
- “Gaelach”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024