corrach

English

Noun

corrach (plural corrachs)

1. Alternative form of currach (“light, rowed Irish boat”)
   • 1862, University Magazine: A Literary and Philosophic Review, page 68:

     The corrachs, as may be supposed, drew but few feet of water.

   • 1891, Mary Banim, Here and There Through Ireland, part 1, page 116:

     […] the corrachs are so light, and the western fishermen are so skilful in their management, that accidents are almost unknown, and if a boatman but says it is safe to venture out with him, there is no danger whatever [...]

   • 1892, The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science, and Art, volume 119, page 486:

     So, happy at heart, he stepped into the corrach, that floated lightly on its own light shadow under the edge of the island, and he rowed it over the Dark Lake […] but the man who sat in the corrach watched for the light […]

   • 1903, Country Life Illustrated, volume 13, page 544:

     The earliest boat, so they say in Ireland, was a raft. After that came the corrach. The pattern of the corrach drifted across to the adjacent island, where in debased form it became the coracle, which is used on the upper reaches of the Severn and elsewhere even unto this day. So also the corrach of ...

   • 1920, Katharine Tynan, Denys the Dreamer, page 247:

     ... as the corrach pulled near the shore.

Irish

Etymology 1

From Old Irish cuirrech, currach m (“marsh, fen”). Likely related to Welsh cors (“reeds, bog, marsh”); see there for details.

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔɾˠəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌɾˠa(x)/

Noun

corrach m (genitive singular corraigh, nominative plural corraigh)

1. (geography) wet bog, marsh

Declension

Declension of corrach (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative corrach corraigh vocative a chorraigh a chorracha genitive corraigh corrach dative corrach corraigh forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an corrach na corraigh genitive an chorraigh na gcorrach dative leis an gcorrach don chorrach leis na corraigh

Derived terms

• pónaire chorraigh (“buck-bean, bog-bean”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish corrach. By surface analysis, corr +‎ -ach.

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔɾˠəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔɾˠa(x)/

Adjective

corrach (genitive singular masculine corraigh, genitive singular feminine corraí, plural corracha, comparative corraí)

1. uneven, unsteady; uneasy, unsettled
2. projecting; angular, pointed

Declension

Declension of corrach

Positive	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine
nominative	corrach	chorrach	corracha; chorracha2
vocative	chorraigh		corracha
genitive		corraí	strong noun	weak noun
			corracha	corrach
dative	corrach; chorrach1	chorrach; chorraigh (archaic)	corracha; chorracha2
Comparative	níos corraí
Superlative	is corraí

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

Synonyms

• (insecure): neamhdhaingean
• (erratic): taomach

Mutation

Mutated forms of corrach

radical	lenition	eclipsis
corrach	chorrach	gcorrach

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

Middle Irish

Etymology

From corr (“sharp, protruding point”) +‎ -ach.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkor͈əx/

Adjective

corrach

1. rough, uneven (of places, mountains, roads, etc.)
2. moving, rough, restless (of water, particularly the sea)

Mutation

Mutation of corrach

radical	lenition	nasalization
corrach	chorrach	corrach pronounced with /ɡ(ʲ)-/

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Middle 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), “corrach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Middle Irish corrach. By surface analysis, còrr +‎ -ach.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʰɔrˠəx/

Adjective

corrach

1. steep, precipitous

   Synonym: cas

2. uneven
3. shaky, precarious, unstable, unsteady

Mutation

Mutation of corrach

radical	lenition
corrach	chorrach

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

Welsh

Etymology

From cor +‎ -ach.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɔraχ/

Noun

corrach m (plural corachod or corachiaid, diminutive corechyn)

1. dwarf, pygmy

   Synonym: cor

2. gnome

   Synonyms: dynan, pwca

Derived terms

• corachaidd (“dwarfish, gnome-like”)
• corachedd (“dwarfishness”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of corrach

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
corrach	gorrach	nghorrach	chorrach

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

References

• Griffiths, Bruce, Glyn Jones, Dafydd (1995) Geiriadur yr Academi: The Welsh Academy English–Welsh Dictionary‎^[1], Cardiff: University of Wales Press, →ISBN
• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “corrach”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies