ceist

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish ceist, from Latin quaestiō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /cɛʃtʲ/

Noun

ceist f (genitive singular ceiste, nominative plural ceisteanna)

1. question [with ar ‘for’]

   Tá ceist agam ort.

   I have a question for you.

Declension

Declension of ceist (second declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative ceist ceisteanna vocative a cheist a cheisteanna genitive ceiste ceisteanna dative ceist ceisteanna forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an cheist na ceisteanna genitive na ceiste na gceisteanna dative leis an gceist don cheist leis na ceisteanna

Derived terms

• aincheist f (“dilemma”)
• ceisteach (“questioning, interrogative”, adjective)
• ceistigh (“question”, verb)
• croscheist f (“cross-question”)
• focheist f (“minor, subordinate question; odd, occasional inquiry”)
• i gceist (“in question”)

 

Mutation

Mutated forms of ceist

radical	lenition	eclipsis
ceist	cheist	gceist

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

Old Irish

Etymology

From Latin quaestiō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʲesʲtʲ/

Noun

ceist f (genitive cestae, nominative plural cesti)

1. question
   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 55^d11

     Amal du·berad nech hi ceist do Dauid: “Húare is móir sléb fírinne Dǽ, cid ara fodmai-siu, ⟨a⟩ Dauid, didiu a ndu imnedaib ⁊ frithoircnib fodaimi? Air it fírián-⟨s⟩u.” Ícaid-som didiu anísin, a n-as·mbeir iudicia Domini abisus multa .i. ataat mesai Dǽ nephchomtetarrachti amal abis ⁊ amal fudumain. Is ed in sin fod·era in n-erígim, cid ara fodaim int aís fírián inna fochaidi, ⁊ cid ara mbiat in pecthaig isnaib soinmechaib.

     As though someone had put as a question to David: “Because God’s righteousness is as great as a mountain, why then, David, dost thou suffer what of afflictions and injuries thou sufferest? For thou art righteous.” He solves that then when he says “iudicia Domini abyssus multa”, i.e. there are judgments of God incomprehensible like an abyss and like a depth. That is what causes the complaint why the righteous folk endure tribulations, and why sinners are in prosperity.

Inflection

Feminine ī-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ceistL	ceistL	cestaiH
Vocative	ceistL	ceistL	cestaiH
Accusative	ceistN	ceistL	cestaiH
Genitive	cestaeH	cestaeL	cestaeN
Dative	ceistL	cestaib	cestaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: ceist
• Manx: keisht
• Scottish Gaelic: ceist

Mutation

Mutation of ceist

radical	lenition	nasalization
ceist	cheist	ceist 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), “ceist”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish ceist, from Latin quaestiō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kʰʲeʃtʲ]

Noun

ceist f (genitive singular ceiste, plural ceistean)

1. question

   Bu toigh leam beagan cheistean a chur air an duine sin. ― I would like to ask that man a few questions.

   Cha robh ceist air a chur air. ― No question had been put to him.

2. problem, dispute, controversy

   tha, gun cheist ― yes, indeed, undoubtedly

3. darling

   tha, a cheist ― yes, darling

4. regard
5. anxiety
6. puzzle

Derived terms

• aincheist (“dilemma”)
• ana-ceist (“difficulty, dilemma; puzzle, riddle”)
• ceist-fhacal (“interrogative”)
• ceist-leabhar, leabhar-cheist (“catechism, question-book”)
• ceist-phunc (“note of interrogation”)
• ceisteachan (“questionnaire”)
• ceistean àbhaisteach (“frequently asked questions”)
• dubh-cheist (“enigma”)

 

Mutation

Mutation of ceist

radical	lenition
ceist	cheist

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