cuach

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kuəx/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish caí, cúach (“cuckoo”), caí (“act of weeping; wailing, lamentation”).

Noun

cuach f (genitive singular cuaiche, nominative plural cuacha)

1. cuckoo
2. (music, ~ (cheoil)) strain of music; snatch of song
3. alto, falsetto (voice); whoop; (of horse) whinny; whine; sigh, sob

Declension

Declension of cuach (second declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative cuach cuacha vocative a chuach a chuacha genitive cuaiche cuach dative cuach cuaich (archaic, dialectal) cuacha forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an chuach na cuacha genitive na cuaiche na gcuach dative leis an gcuach leis an gcuaich (archaic, dialectal) don chuach don chuaich (archaic, dialectal) leis na cuacha

Derived terms

• banaltra na cuaiche (“meadow pipit”)
• clog cuaiche (“cuckoo clock”)
• coimhdire na cuaiche (“meadow pipit”)
• gobadán na cuaiche (“pipit”)
• smugairle cuaiche (“toad-spit”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish cúach, from Old Irish cuäch (“goblet”), from Proto-Celtic *kaɸukos (“cup”) (compare Welsh cawg (“cup, goblet, bowl”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to seize, hold”).

Noun

cuach m (genitive singular cuach, nominative plural cuacha)

1. bowl; goblet, drinking-cup
2. dome (of head)

Declension

Declension of cuach (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative cuach cuacha vocative a chuach a chuacha genitive cuach cuach dative cuach cuacha forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an cuach na cuacha genitive an chuach na gcuach dative leis an gcuach don chuach leis na cuacha

Derived terms

• cuach abhlann (“ciborium”)
• cuach altóra (“ciborium”)
• cuach coirn (“auger-shell”)
• cuach Phádraig (“plantain”)

Etymology 3

From Old Irish cúach (“fastener; lock of hair”), from the root of sense 2.

Noun

cuach f (genitive singular cuaiche, nominative plural cuacha)

1. ball, bundle (of clothes, etc.)
2. bowknot (of ribbons, etc.)
3. roll; tress, curl (of hair)
4. tuft, "latch" (of thatch)
5. hug, embrace
6. term of endearment

   Mo chuach thú! ― Love you!

Declension

Declension of cuach (second declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative cuach cuacha vocative a chuach a chuacha genitive cuaiche cuach dative cuach cuaich (archaic, dialectal) cuacha forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an chuach na cuacha genitive na cuaiche na gcuach dative leis an gcuach leis an gcuaich (archaic, dialectal) don chuach don chuaich (archaic, dialectal) leis na cuacha

Derived terms

• cuachmhargadh (“package deal”)

Verb

cuach (present analytic cuachann, future analytic cuachfaidh, verbal noun cuachadh, past participle cuachta) (transitive)

1. bundle; roll, wrap
2. hug; squeeze
3. flatter, praise

Conjugation

conjugation of cuach (first conjugation – A)

verbal noun	cuachadh
past participle	cuachta
tense	singular			plural			relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative
present	cuachaim	cuachann tú; cuachair†	cuachann sé, sí	cuachaimid	cuachann sibh	cuachann siad; cuachaid†	a chuachann; a chuachas / a gcuachann*	cuachtar
past	chuach mé; chuachas	chuach tú; chuachais	chuach sé, sí	chuachamar; chuach muid	chuach sibh; chuachabhair	chuach siad; chuachadar	a chuach / ar chuach*	cuachadh
past habitual	chuachainn / gcuachainn‡‡	chuachtá / gcuachtᇇ	chuachadh sé, sí / gcuachadh sé, s퇇	chuachaimis; chuachadh muid / gcuachaimis‡‡; gcuachadh muid‡‡	chuachadh sibh / gcuachadh sibh‡‡	chuachaidís; chuachadh siad / gcuachaidís‡‡; gcuachadh siad‡‡	a chuachadh / a gcuachadh*	chuachtaí / gcuachta퇇
future	cuachfaidh mé; cuachfad	cuachfaidh tú; cuachfair†	cuachfaidh sé, sí	cuachfaimid; cuachfaidh muid	cuachfaidh sibh	cuachfaidh siad; cuachfaid†	a chuachfaidh; a chuachfas / a gcuachfaidh*	cuachfar
conditional	chuachfainn / gcuachfainn‡‡	chuachfá / gcuachfᇇ	chuachfadh sé, sí / gcuachfadh sé, s퇇	chuachfaimis; chuachfadh muid / gcuachfaimis‡‡; gcuachfadh muid‡‡	chuachfadh sibh / gcuachfadh sibh‡‡	chuachfaidís; chuachfadh siad / gcuachfaidís‡‡; gcuachfadh siad‡‡	a chuachfadh / a gcuachfadh*	chuachfaí / gcuachfa퇇
subjunctive
present	go gcuacha mé; go gcuachad†	go gcuacha tú; go gcuachair†	go gcuacha sé, sí	go gcuachaimid; go gcuacha muid	go gcuacha sibh	go gcuacha siad; go gcuachaid†	—	go gcuachtar
past	dá gcuachainn	dá gcuachtá	dá gcuachadh sé, sí	dá gcuachaimis; dá gcuachadh muid	dá gcuachadh sibh	dá gcuachaidís; dá gcuachadh siad	—	dá gcuachtaí
imperative
–	cuachaim	cuach	cuachadh sé, sí	cuachaimis	cuachaigí; cuachaidh†	cuachaidís	—	cuachtar

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Etymology 4

Noun

cuach m (genitive singular cuaigh, nominative plural cuaigh)

1. Alternative form of cuaifeach

Declension

Declension of cuach (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative cuach cuaigh vocative a chuaigh a chuacha genitive cuaigh cuach dative cuach cuaigh forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an cuach na cuaigh genitive an chuaigh na gcuach dative leis an gcuach don chuach leis na cuaigh

Mutation

Mutated forms of cuach

radical	lenition	eclipsis
cuach	chuach	gcuach

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

Old Irish

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *kaɸukos (“cup”) (compare Welsh cawg (“cup, goblet, bowl”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to seize, hold”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ku.ax]

Noun

cuäch m (genitive cuäich)

1. bowl, goblet, drinking-cup

Declension

Masculine o-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	cuäch	cuächL	cuäichL
vocative	cuäich	cuächL	cuächuH
accusative	cuächN	cuächL	cuächuH
genitive	cuäichL	cuäch	cuächN
dative	cuächL	cuächaib	cuächaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

• ^H = triggers aspiration
• ^L = triggers lenition
• ^N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Middle Irish: cúach
  • Irish: cuach
  • Scottish Gaelic: cuach
    • → Scots: quaich
      • → English: quaich

Etymology 2

Noun

cuach f

1. Alternative spelling of cúach

Mutation

Mutation of cuach

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

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʰuəx/

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish cúach, from Old Irish cuäch (“cup, goblet, bowl”), from Proto-Celtic *kaɸukos (“cup”), from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to seize, hold”).

Noun

cuach f (genitive singular cuaich, plural cuachan)

1. bowl

   Synonym: bobhla

2. goblet, quaich

Descendants

• → Scots: quaich
  • → English: quaich

Etymology 2

From Old Irish cúach (“fastener, hook, buckle for cloak, hair, etc.; lock of hair, tress; hair”), from the root of sense 1.

Noun

cuach f (genitive singular cuaich, plural cuachan)

1. curl, ringlet

Etymology 3

From Old Irish caí, cúach (“cuckoo”), caí (“act of weeping; wailing, lamentation”).

Noun

cuach f (genitive singular cuaich, plural cuachan)

1. cuckoo

   Synonym: cuthag

Mutation

Mutation of cuach

radical	lenition
cuach	chuach

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

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cuäch”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 cúach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 caí”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 cúach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language