aisteach

Irish

Etymology 1

From aiste (“quirk, peculiarity; knack, odd talent”) +‎ -ach (adjectival suffix).

Alternative forms

• aisdeach (dated)
• aistíoch

Pronunciation

• (Galway) IPA^(key): /ˈæʃtʲəx/
• (Mayo) IPA^(key): /ˈaʃtʲəx/

Adjective

aisteach (genitive singular masculine aistigh, genitive singular feminine aistí, plural aisteacha, comparative aistí)

1. peculiar, queer, strange, unusual; wonderful, surprising

   Synonym: aistiúil

   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect], volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 30:

     n̄ax æšcəx ə šḱēl ē?

     [Nach aisteach an scéal é?]

     Isn’t that a strange story?

   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect], volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 30:

     tā šē rī æšcəx gə mĭøx n̥ ȷīnēr xō ȷeŕnəx.

     [Tá sé rí-aisteach go mbeadh an dinnéar chomh deireanach.]

     It’s very strange that dinner would be so late.

2. droll

   Synonym: aistiúil

Declension

Declension of aisteach

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	aisteach	aisteach	aisteacha
vocative	aistigh		aisteacha
genitive		aistí	aisteacha	aisteach
dative	aisteach	aisteach; aistigh (archaic)	aisteacha
Comparative	níos aistí
Superlative	is aistí

Derived terms

• aisteachas m (“queerness; drollery”)

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “aisteach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “aisteach”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 19
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “aisteach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “aisteach”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Etymology 2

Adverb

aisteach

1. Obsolete spelling of isteach.

Mutation

Mutated forms of aisteach

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
aisteach	n-aisteach	haisteach	not applicable

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.