Nollaig

Irish

Alternative forms

• Nodhlaig, Nodlaic, Nodlaig (superseded)

Etymology

From Old Irish Notlaic, from Latin nātālīcia (“a birthday party”), from nātālis (“natal”), from nātus (“born”). Compare Welsh Nadolig, Breton Nedeleg and French Noël.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈn̪ˠɔl̪ˠɪɟ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈn̪ˠolˠəc/, /ˈn̪ˠol̪ˠəc/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈn̪ˠʌl̪ˠic/

Proper noun

Nollaig f (genitive Nollag, nominative plural Nollaigí)

1. Christmas (festival on 25 December; season from 24 December to 6 January)
2. a male or female given name from Latin, equivalent to English Noel or Noelle

Declension

Declension of Nollaig (fifth declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative Nollaig Nollaigí vocative a Nollaig a Nollaigí genitive Nollag Nollaigí dative Nollaig Nollaigí forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an Nollaig na Nollaigí genitive na Nollag na Nollaigí dative leis an Nollaig don Nollaig leis na Nollaigí

• Alternative plural: Nollaigeacha (Cois Fharraige)

Derived terms

• bloc Nollag (“yule log”)
• cárta Nollag (“Christmas card”)
• Daidí na Nollag (“Father Christmas, Santa Claus”)
• Mí na Nollag (“December”)

 

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “Nollaig”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “Nodlaig”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 520
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “Nollaig”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “Nollaig”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish Notlaic, from Latin nātālīcia (“a birthday party”), with specific reference to the birth of Christ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈn̪ˠɔl̪ˠɪkʲ/

Proper noun

Nollaig f (genitive Nollaige, plural Nollaigean)

1. Christmas

Derived terms

• Bodach na Nollaige
• Là Nollaige
• Oidhche Nollaige

 

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “notlaic”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language