borb

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish borb (“foolish, ignorant”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbˠɔɾˠəbˠ/
• (Kerry) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠʌɾˠəbˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠɔɾˠəbˠ/, (as if spelled barb) /ˈbˠaɾˠəbˠ/

Adjective

borb (genitive singular masculine boirb, genitive singular feminine boirbe, plural borba, comparative boirbe)

1. brusque, gruff, abrupt; rude

   Synonym: drochmhúinte

2. pungent

Declension

Declension of borb

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	borb	bhorb	borba; bhorba2
vocative	bhoirb		borba
genitive		boirbe	borba	borb
dative	borb; bhorb1	bhorb; bhoirb (archaic)	borba; bhorba2
Comparative	níos boirbe
Superlative	is boirbe

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

Related terms

• boirbe f (“gruffness, rudeness”)

Verb

borb (present analytic borbann, future analytic borbfaidh, verbal noun borbadh, past participle borbtha)

1. (intransitive) Alternative form of borbaigh (“get angry, rude”)

Conjugation

conjugation of borb (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	borbaim	borbann tú; borbair†	borbann sé, sí	borbaimid	borbann sibh	borbann siad; borbaid†	a bhorbann; a bhorbas / a mborbann*	borbtar
	past	bhorb mé; bhorbas	bhorb tú; bhorbais	bhorb sé, sí	bhorbamar; bhorb muid	bhorb sibh; bhorbabhair	bhorb siad; bhorbadar	a bhorb / ar bhorb*	borbadh
	past habitual	bhorbainn / mborbainn‡‡	bhorbtá / mborbtᇇ	bhorbadh sé, sí / mborbadh sé, s퇇	bhorbaimis; bhorbadh muid / mborbaimis‡‡; mborbadh muid‡‡	bhorbadh sibh / mborbadh sibh‡‡	bhorbaidís; bhorbadh siad / mborbaidís‡‡; mborbadh siad‡‡	a bhorbadh / a mborbadh*	bhorbtaí / mborbta퇇
future		borbfaidh mé; borbfad	borbfaidh tú; borbfair†	borbfaidh sé, sí	borbfaimid; borbfaidh muid	borbfaidh sibh	borbfaidh siad; borbfaid†	a bhorbfaidh; a bhorbfas / a mborbfaidh*	borbfar
conditional		bhorbfainn / mborbfainn‡‡	bhorbfá / mborbfᇇ	bhorbfadh sé, sí / mborbfadh sé, s퇇	bhorbfaimis; bhorbfadh muid / mborbfaimis‡‡; mborbfadh muid‡‡	bhorbfadh sibh / mborbfadh sibh‡‡	bhorbfaidís; bhorbfadh siad / mborbfaidís‡‡; mborbfadh siad‡‡	a bhorbfadh / a mborbfadh*	bhorbfaí / mborbfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go mborba mé; go mborbad†	go mborba tú; go mborbair†	go mborba sé, sí	go mborbaimid; go mborba muid	go mborba sibh	go mborba siad; go mborbaid†	—	go mborbtar
	past	dá mborbainn	dá mborbtá	dá mborbadh sé, sí	dá mborbaimis; dá mborbadh muid	dá mborbadh sibh	dá mborbaidís; dá mborbadh siad	—	dá mborbtaí
imperative		borbaim	borb	borbadh sé, sí	borbaimis	borbaigí; borbaidh†	borbaidís	—	borbtar
verbal noun		borbadh
past participle		borbtha

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation

Mutated forms of borb

radical	lenition	eclipsis
borb	bhorb	mborb

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) “borb”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “borb”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “borb”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 77
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “borb”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect] (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 47
• “borb”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 54

Old Irish

Alternative forms

• borp

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈborb/

Adjective

borb

1. foolish, silly, senseless; stupid, ignorant, unlearned; rude, uncouth
2. fierce, rough, rude, violent, harsh; arrogant

Declension

o/ā-stem
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	borb	borb	borb
Vocative	buirb* borb**
Accusative	borb	buirb
Genitive	buirb	buirbe	buirb
Dative	burb	buirb	burb
Plural	Masculine	Feminine/neuter
Nominative	buirb	borba
Vocative	burbu borba†
Accusative	burbu borba†
Genitive	borb
Dative	borbaib
Notes	*modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative **modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative † not when substantivized

Derived terms

• burbae

Descendants

• Irish: borb
• Scottish Gaelic: borb
• Manx: barb

Mutation

Mutation of borb

radical	lenition	nasalization
borb	borb pronounced with /β(ʲ)-/	mborb

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

Further reading

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

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish borb (“foolish, silly, senseless; stupid, ignorant, unlearned; rude, uncouth; fierce, rough, rude, violent, harsh; arrogant”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɔrɔp/

Adjective

borb (comparative buirbe)

1. barbaric, barbarous
2. boisterous
3. brusque
4. brutish, crude
5. cruel, savage, fierce
6. harsh
7. knockabout
8. rabid

Mutation

Mutation of borb

radical	lenition
borb	bhorb

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

References

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “borb”, 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), “borb”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language