biorach

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /bʲɪˈɾˠɑx/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish birach, berach (“pointed, sharp; having pointed ears, horned”). By surface analysis, bior (“pointed rod or shaft; spit, spike; point”) +‎ -ach (adjectival suffix).

Adjective

biorach (genitive singular masculine bioraigh, genitive singular feminine bioraí, plural bioracha, comparative bioraí)

1. pointed
2. sharp

Declension

Declension of biorach

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	biorach	bhiorach	bioracha; bhioracha²
Vocative	bhioraigh		bioracha
Genitive		bioraí	bioracha	biorach
Dative	biorach; bhiorach¹	bhiorach; bhioraigh (archaic)	bioracha; bhioracha²
Comparative	níos bioraí
Superlative	is bioraí

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

Noun

biorach m (genitive singular bioraigh, nominative plural bioraigh)

1. sharp, tricky, person
2. (card games) trick-winning card

Declension

Declension of biorach

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative biorach bioraigh Vocative a bhioraigh a bhioracha Genitive bioraigh biorach Dative biorach bioraigh

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an biorach na bioraigh Genitive an bhioraigh na mbiorach Dative leis an mbiorach don bhiorach leis na bioraigh

Derived terms

• biorach lodáin (“stickleback”)

Etymology 2

Noun

biorach f (genitive singular bioraí, nominative plural bioracha)

1. Alternative form of bearach (“muzzle; cone-like aperture of lobster-pot”)

Declension

Declension of biorach

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative biorach bioracha Vocative a bhiorach a bhioracha Genitive bioraí biorach Dative biorach bioracha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an bhiorach na bioracha Genitive na bioraí na mbiorach Dative leis an mbiorach don bhiorach leis na bioracha

Etymology 3

Noun

biorach m (genitive singular bioraigh, nominative plural bioraigh)

1. Alternative form of bearach (“heifer, young cow”)

Declension

Declension of biorach

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative biorach bioraigh Vocative a bhioraigh a bhioracha Genitive bioraigh biorach Dative biorach bioraigh

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an biorach na bioraigh Genitive an bhioraigh na mbiorach Dative leis an mbiorach don bhiorach leis na bioraigh

Descendants

• → Yola: benagh

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
biorach	bhiorach	mbiorach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish birach, berach (“pointed, sharp; having pointed ears, horned”). By surface analysis, bior +‎ -ach.

Adjective

biorach (genitive singular masculine bioraich, comparative bioraiche)

1. sharp, pointed
2. prickly, thorny
3. barbed

Derived terms

• muc-bhiorach
• uèir bhiorach

 

Related terms

• biorag
• bioran

 

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
biorach	bhiorach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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