ceannann

Irish

FWOTD – 8 March 2016

Alternative forms

• ceannfhionn (superseded)

Etymology

From Old Irish cenann, a compound of cenn (“head”) +‎ finn (“white”), from Proto-Celtic *kʷennowindos (“white-headed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈcan̪ˠən̪ˠ/

Adjective

ceannann (genitive singular masculine ceannainn, genitive singular feminine ceannainne, plural ceannanna, not comparable)

1. having a white face, having a blaze on the forehead (of animals)

Declension

Declension of ceannann

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	ceannann	cheannann	ceannanna; cheannanna2
vocative	cheannainn		ceannanna
genitive		ceannainne	ceannanna	ceannann
dative	ceannann; cheannann1	cheannann; cheannainn (archaic)	ceannanna; cheannanna2
Comparative	(not comparable)
Superlative	(not comparable)

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

Derived terms

• cál ceannann (“colcannon”)
• cearc cheannann (“(female) coot”)
• coileach ceannann (“(male) coot”)

Noun

ceannann m (genitive singular ceannainn, nominative plural ceannainn)

1. a white-faced animal, an animal with a blaze on its forehead

Declension

Declension of ceannann (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative ceannann ceannainn vocative a cheannainn a cheannanna genitive ceannainn ceannann dative ceannann ceannainn forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an ceannann na ceannainn genitive an cheannainn na gceannann dative leis an gceannann don cheannann leis na ceannainn

Mutation

Mutated forms of ceannann

radical	lenition	eclipsis
ceannann	cheannann	gceannann

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern 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), “cenann”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “ceannan”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 126
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “ceannann”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN