dúshlán

Irish

Alternative forms

• dubhshlán, dubh-shlán (obsolete)

Etymology

From dú- +‎ slán.

Pronunciation

• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠuːl̪ˠanˠ/, /ˈd̪ˠuːl̪ˠan̪ˠ/

Noun

dúshlán m (genitive singular dúshláin, nominative plural dúshláin)

1. challenge (that which encourages someone to do something they otherwise would not), dare

   dúshlán a fhreagairt ― to respond to/take up a challenge

   dúshlán a thabhairt ― to challenge, dare, brave, call out

2. defiance

   mo dhúshlán fút ― I defy you

   dúshlán Dé a thabhairt ― to fly in the face of God, to tempt providence

3. bravado

   Synonyms: gaisce, gaisciúlacht

   as dúshlán ― through bravado

Declension

Declension of dúshlán (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative dúshlán dúshláin vocative a dhúshláin a dhúshlána genitive dúshláin dúshlán dative dúshlán dúshláin forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an dúshlán na dúshláin genitive an dúshláin na ndúshlán dative leis an dúshlán don dúshlán leis na dúshláin

Derived terms

• cuir dúshlán faoi (“to challenge, throw down the gauntlet to”)
• is é do dhúshlán é (“it is as much as one can do”)
• do dhúshlán! (“I dare you!”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of dúshlán

radical	lenition	eclipsis
dúshlán	dhúshlán	ndúshlán

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

Further reading

• “dúshlán”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “dub”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “duḃṡlán”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 267
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “dúshlán”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 79