cèilidh

See also: ceilidh and céilidh

English

Noun

cèilidh (plural cèilidhs)

1. Alternative form of ceilidh.
   • 2013, Robert Dunbar, “Vernacular Gaelic Tradition”, in Sarah Dunnigan, Suzanne Gilbert, editors, The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Traditional Literatures, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, →ISBN:

     Although cèilidhs were undoubtedly crucial for oral tradition’s transmission, aspects – particularly song – were all-pervasive and ever-present.

   • 2018, Philip Dixon, Dairy Cows & Duck Races: The Life & Times of a Young Farmer, Poundbury, Dorset: Veloce Publishing, published 2019, →ISBN:

     A caller is the person who calls out the instructions to the dancers at barn dances and cèilidhs, such as, ‘now turn and face the Moor Cock wall!’

   • 2021, Sam Heughan, Graham McTavish, The Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories from Scotland, London: Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN:

     I can’t remember my first cèilidh. (In fact, it is in the nature of cèilidhs NOT to remember them, simply because of the sheer amount of whisky consumed.)

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

• céilidh (superseded)

Etymology

From Old Irish céilide (“visit, visiting”), from céle (“companion”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʲʰeːli/

Noun

cèilidh f (genitive singular cèilidhe, plural cèilidhean)

1. gossiping, visiting, visit

   Bha mi a' cèilidh air do mhàthair a-raoir. ― I was visiting with your mother last night.

2. sojourning
3. pilgrimage
4. ceilidh

Descendants

• → English: ceilidh
• → Scots: ceilidh, kailie

Mutation

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