amadán

See also: amadan

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish *ammatán (“fool, simpleton”).^[1] By surface analysis, amaid (“foolish woman; simpleton, idiot”) +‎ -án (masculine diminutive suffix).

Pronunciation

(Munster) IPA^(key): /(ə)mˠəˈd̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ/^[2]^[3]^[4], /ˌɑmˠəˈd̪ˠɑ̃ːn̪ˠ/^[5]
(Connacht) IPA^(key): (Galway) /ˈamˠəd̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ/^[6], /ˈamˠəd̪ˠɑːnˠ/, (Cois Fharraige) [ˈaːmˠəd̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ]^[7]; (Mayo) /ˈamˠəd̪ˠaːnˠ/^[8], /ˈumˠəd̪ˠaːnˠ/^[9]
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈamˠəd̪ˠan̪ˠ/^[10], /ˈɑmˠəd̪ˠɑnˠ/^[11]

Noun

amadán m (genitive singular amadáin, nominative plural amadáin)

(derogatory) fool

Declension

Declension of amadán (first declension)

bare forms
case	singular	plural
nominative	amadán	amadáin
vocative	a amadáin	a amadána
genitive	amadáin	amadán
dative	amadán	amadáin

forms with the definite article
case	singular	plural
nominative	an t-amadán	na hamadáin
genitive	an amadáin	na n-amadán
dative	leis an amadán don amadán	leis na hamadáin

Quotations

1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect], volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 8:
əs amədān ān wōr ē.
[Is amadán an-mhór é.]
He is a great fool.
1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect], volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 8:
ńīl šē xō mōr n̥ amədān agəs vŕȧnīn šē ə ve.
[Níl sé chomh mór an amadáin agus a bhreathnaíonn sé a bheith.]
He’s not as great a fool as he appears to be.

Synonyms

dúramán

Derived terms

amadáinín m (“bat”)
amadán Aibreáin m (“April fool”)
amadán móinteach m (“dotterel”)
amadánta (“foolish; fatuous”, adjective)
Lá na nAmadán m (“All Fools' Day”)
pleidhce amadáin m (“silly fool”)

Descendants

→ English: amadan, omadhaun

Mutation

Mutated forms of *amadán*
radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
amadán	n-amadán	hamadán	t-amadán

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

References

^ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “ammatán”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
^ Breatnach, Risteard B. (1947) The Irish of Ring, Co. Waterford: A Phonetic Study, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, section 466, page 125
^ Ó Cuív, Brian (1968) The Irish of West Muskerry, Co. Cork: A Phonetic Study, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, section 317, page 105; reprinted 1988
^ Ó Sé, Diarmuid (2000) Gaeilge Chorca Dhuibhne [The Irish of Corkaguiny] (in Irish), Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann [Linguistics Institute of Ireland], →ISBN, section 182, page 92
^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish Dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 268, page 134
^ Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect] (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 8
^ de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1977) Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge: An Deilbhíocht [The Irish of Cois Fharraige: Accidence] (in Irish), 2nd edition, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath [Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies], page 298
^ de Búrca, Seán (1958) The Irish of Tourmakeady, Co. Mayo: A Phonemic Study, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, section 45, page 13
^ Mhac an Fhailigh, Éamonn (1968) The Irish of Erris, Co. Mayo: A Phonemic Study, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, section 66, page 17
^ Lucas, Leslie W. (1979) Grammar of Ros Goill Irish Co. Donegal (Studies in Irish Language and Literature, Department of Celtic, Q.U.B.; vol. 5), Institute of Irish Studies, The Queen’s University of Belfast, page 228
^ Wagner, Heinrich (1959) Gaeilge Theilinn: Foghraidheacht, Gramadach, Téacsanna [The Irish of Teelin: Phonetics, Grammar, Texts] (in Irish), Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath [Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies], section 17, page 8; reprinted 1979