bealach

See also: béalach

English

Etymology

From Irish bealach.

Noun

bealach (plural bealachs)

1. (Ireland) A mountain pass.
   • 2018, Cameron McNeish, There's Always The Hills:

     These scoured-out basins form the grain of the land but excellent tracks weave their way through glens and up over the bealachs at their heads, giving good access to the summits, and what summits they are.

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish belach (“gap, pass, road, path”), perhaps from Proto-Celtic *bolko-, from Proto-Indo-European *bel- (“to dig, cut off?”), and possibly cognate with Welsh bwlch (“gap, pass”), Old Armenian պեղեմ (pełem, “to dig, hollow”), and Sanskrit बिल (bila, “hole, pit”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /bʲəˈl̪ˠɑx/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲalˠəx/; /ˈbˠɑlˠəx/ (as if spelled balach)
• (Connemara, Mayo) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲalˠəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲalˠa(x)/

Noun

bealach m (genitive singular bealaigh, nominative plural bealaí)

1. way
2. road

   Synonyms: bóthar, ród

3. route

   Synonyms: caoi, slí

4. passage, thoroughfare
5. direction
6. journey
7. manner, method

   Synonyms: bóthar, modh

8. (broadcasting) channel

   Synonym: cainéal

Declension

Declension of bealach (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative bealach bealaí vocative a bhealaigh a bhealaí genitive bealaigh bealaí dative bealach bealaí forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an bealach na bealaí genitive an bhealaigh na mbealaí dative leis an mbealach don bhealach leis na bealaí

Derived terms

• aerbhealach
• ar an mbealach céanna
• ar aon bhealach
• ar bhealach
• ar bhealach éigin
• ar chéad bealach
• ar gach uile bhealach
• as bealach
• athbhealach
• bealach aeir
• bealach aic
• bealach amach
• bealach análaithe
• bealach bus
• bealach cise
• bealach coise
• bealach cúil
• bealach éalaithe
• bealach iarainn
• bealach imdháilte
• bealach iompair
• bealach isteach
• bealach mara
• bealach mór
• Bealach na Bó Finne
• bealach oibre
• bealach stuach
• bealach trádála
• bealach trasna
• bealach uisce
• carrbhealac
• crosbhealach
• débhealach
• fobhealach
• glanbhealach
• íosbhealach
• leath bealaigh
• luasbhealach
• mórbhealach
• mótarbhealach
• rotharbhealach
• saorbhealach
• seachbhealach
• siúlbhealach
• taobh-bhealach
• tarbhealach
• tollbhealach
• trasbhealach
• uasbhealach

 

Mutation

Mutated forms of bealach

radical	lenition	eclipsis
bealach	bhealach	mbealach

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) “bealach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “bealach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “bealach”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “bealach”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 59

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Middle Irish belach (“gap, pass, road, path”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpjaɫ̪əx/

Noun

bealach m (genitive singular bealaich, plural bealaichean)

1. defile, passage, pass or gorge of a mountain, glen
2. gap, breach (in a wall or fence)
3. gateway, gate
4. road

Mutation

Mutation of bealach

radical	lenition
bealach	bhealach

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

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “bealach”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “belach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language