cailín

Irish

Etymology

From caile (“maid”) +‎ -ín (diminutive suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /kaˈlʲiːnʲ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈkalʲiːnʲ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈkælʲinʲ/

Noun

cailín m (genitive singular cailín, nominative plural cailíní)

1. girl; young, unmarried woman

   Synonyms: gearrchaile, girseach

2. girlfriend

   Synonym: girseach

3. female servant, maid
4. useful thing (referring to a feminine noun)

   Is í an druil an cailín chun na hoibre.

   The drill is the right tool for the job.

Usage notes

• Cailín is masculine because of the suffix -ín. Nevertheless, the feminine pronouns sí and í are used to refer to it.

Declension

Declension of cailín (fourth declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative cailín cailíní vocative a chailín a chailíní genitive cailín cailíní dative cailín cailíní forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an cailín na cailíní genitive an chailín na gcailíní dative leis an gcailín don chailín leis na cailíní

Coordinate terms

• bean (“woman”)
• buachaill (“boy, unmarried young man”)
• fear (“man”)

Derived terms

• cailín aimsire (“servant-girl”)
• cailín báire (“tomboy”)
• cailín bán (“stoat”)
• cailín bláthanna (“flower-girl”)
• cailín coimhdeachta (“bridesmaid”)
• cailín dearg (“tongue”)
• cailín freastail (“waitress”)
• cailín óg (“young girl; bride”)
• cailín oibre (“work-girl”)
• cailín scoile (“schoolgirl”)
• cailín siopa (“shop-girl”)
• cailín tí (“housemaid”)

Descendants

• → English: colleen
• Shelta: lakeen

Mutation

Mutated forms of cailín

radical	lenition	eclipsis
cailín	chailín	gcailín

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) “cailín”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “cailín”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “cailín”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025