capall

Irish

Capall

Etymology

From Old Irish capall, related to Welsh ceffyl and Latin caballus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkapˠəl̪ˠ/

Noun

capall m (genitive singular capaill, nominative plural capaill)

1. horse (large hoofed animal)

   Synonym: each

   Is minic a rinne bromach gioblach capall cumasach. (proverb)

   Many a ragged colt made a noble horse.

2. (Ulster) mare

   Synonym: láir

3. (genitive singular as attributive adjective) large, coarse (species of something)

Declension

Declension of capall (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative capall capaill vocative a chapaill a chapalla genitive capaill capall dative capall capaill forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an capall na capaill genitive an chapaill na gcapall dative leis an gcapall don chapall leis na capaill

• Alternative plural: caiple (Cois Fharraige)

Hyponyms

• bromach (“colt”)
• cairiún (“gelding”)
• cliobóg (“filly”)
• gearrán (“gelding”)
• láir (“mare”)
• láireog (“filly”)
• searrach (“foal”)
• stail (“stallion”)

 

Derived terms

• ar chapall (“on horseback”, adverb)
• ar muin capaill (“on horseback”, adverb)
• athchapall m (“remount”)
• beach chapaill f (“wasp”)
• beithíoch capaill (“horse”)
• buaic capaill (“crest of horse”)
• capaill bhána m pl (“white horses, crested waves”)
• capaillín m (“pony”)
• capall ardfhola m (“thorough-bred horse”)
• capall ardualaigh m (“pack-horse”)
• capall cogaidh m (“charger”)
• capall coille m (“capercaillie”)
• capall cóiste m (“coach-horse”)
• capall diallaite m (“saddle-horse”)
• capall fiaigh m (“hunter”)
• capall folaíochta m (“thoroughbred horse”)
• capall luascáin m (“rocking-horse”)
• capall maide m (“hobby-horse”)
• capall marcaíochta m (“hackney”)
• capall marclaigh m (“pack-horse”)
• capall rása m (“racehorse”)
• capall sáiteach m (“borer”)
• capall sealaíochta m (“relay horse”)
• capall seilge m (“hunter”)
• capall tarlaithe m (“draught-horse”)
• capall tarraingthe m (“draught-horse”)
• capall ualaigh m (“pack-horse”)
• capallach (“equine”, adjective)
• cíor chapaill f (“curry-comb”)
• cnó capaill m (“horse-chestnut”)
• coiléar capaill m (“horse-collar”)
• coirb capaill (“withers”)
• cruimh chapaill f (“grub of tiger moth”)
• eireaball capaill (“horsetail”)
• faocha chapaill f (“whelk”)
• féar capaill m (“cat’s-tail grass”)
• feoil chapaill f (“horsemeat”)
• fia-chapall m (“wild horse”)
• gearrchapall m (“pony”)
• giolla capaill m (“horse-boy”)
• leathchapall m (“medium-sized horse, cob”)
• pana capaill (“horse-cloth, housing”)
• péist chapaill f (“large caterpillar”)
• rás capall (“horse race”)
• rásaíocht chapall f (“horse-racing”)
• scothchapall m (“medium-sized horse”)
• seamair chapaill f (“red clover”)
• seangán capaill m (“black ant”)
• sos capall (“relay of horses”)

 

Mutation

Mutated forms of capall

radical	lenition	eclipsis
capall	chapall	gcapall

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) “capall”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “capall”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “capall”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Old Irish

Etymology

Uncertain. The Old Irish /p/ and the /f/ in Welsh ceffyl suggest an earlier *pp, making it impossible to be directly related to Gaulish Caballo-, which occurs in proper nouns. A common source of the Irish and Welsh words could be a hypothetical Vulgar Latin *cappillus, some kind of contamination of caballus (“horse”) and capellus (“small goat”). Latin caballus is assumed to be a borrowing from Gaulish. This might in turn be a Wanderwort originating in Asia, compare Ancient Greek καβάλλης (kabállēs, “a nag”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkapal͈]

Noun

capall m (genitive capaill, nominative plural capaill)

1. horse

Inflection

Masculine o-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	capall	capallL	capaillL
Vocative	capaill	capallL	caipliuH
Accusative	capallN	capallL	caipliuH
Genitive	capaillL	capall	capallN
Dative	capullL	caiplib	caiplib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: capall
• Manx: cabbyl
• Scottish Gaelic: capall
• → Old Norse: kapall
  • Icelandic: kapall

Mutation

Mutation of capall

radical	lenition	nasalization
capall	chapall	capall pronounced with /ɡ(ʲ)-/

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), “capall”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish capall (“horse”), related to Welsh ceffyl and Latin caballus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʰahpəl̪ˠ/

Noun

capall m (genitive singular capaill, plural capaill)

1. colt
2. mare (female horse)

Usage notes

• Even when meaning "mare", retains masculine gender.

Derived terms

• capall-aibhne (“hippopotamus”)
• capall-coille (“capercaillie”)
• capall-lìn (“flax beater”)
• capall-mara (“seahorse”)
• capall-uallaich (“packhorse”)

Mutation

Mutation of capall

radical	lenition
capall	chapall

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

Further reading

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