bliain

Irish

Alternative forms

• bliadhain (superseded)

Etymology

From Old Irish blíadain, from Proto-Celtic *bleidanī (“year”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʲlʲiənʲ/

Noun

bliain f (genitive singular bliana, nominative plural blianta)

1. year

Usage notes

Bliain has the irregular count plural bliana:

• trí bliana ― three years
• seacht mbliana ― seven years
• ceithre bliana déag ― fourteen years

Declension

Declension of bliain (third declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative bliain blianta vocative a bhliain a bhlianta genitive bliana blianta dative bliain blianta forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an bhliain na blianta genitive na bliana na mblianta dative leis an mbliain don bhliain leis na blianta

• Alternative genitive plural: blian

Derived terms

• athbhliain (“new year”)
• blianacht (“annuity”)
• bliantúil (“annual”)
• i mbliana (“this year”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of bliain

radical	lenition	eclipsis
bliain	bhliain	mbliain

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

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “bliaḋain”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 71
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “bliain”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “bliain”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “bliain”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025