balsamach

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish balsamach (“fragrant”, adjective), from balsam(m) (“balsam; unguent, balm”). By surface analysis, balsam (“balsam, balm”) +‎ -ach (adjectival suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠalˠsˠəmˠəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠalˠsˠəmˠa(h)/

Adjective

balsamach (genitive singular masculine balsamaigh, genitive singular feminine balsamaí, plural balsamacha)

1. balmy
2. balsamic

Declension

Declension of balsamach

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	balsamach	bhalsamach	balsamacha; bhalsamacha2
vocative	bhalsamaigh		balsamacha
genitive		balsamaí	balsamacha	balsamach
dative	balsamach; bhalsamach1	bhalsamach; bhalsamaigh (archaic)	balsamacha; bhalsamacha2
Comparative	níos balsamaí
Superlative	is balsamaí

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Mutation

Mutated forms of balsamach

radical	lenition	eclipsis
balsamach	bhalsamach	mbalsamach

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

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “balsamach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “balsamach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “balsamach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “balsamach”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024