dearfach

Irish

Alternative forms

• dearbhthach (obsolete)

Etymology

PIE word
*dóru

From dearfa +‎ -ach.

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈdʲaɾˠəfˠəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈdʲaɾˠəfˠa(x)/

Adjective

dearfach (genitive singular masculine dearfaigh, genitive singular feminine dearfaí, plural dearfacha, comparative dearfaí)

1. affirmative, positive

Declension

Declension of dearfach

Positive	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine
nominative	dearfach	dhearfach	dearfacha; dhearfacha2
vocative	dhearfaigh		dearfacha
genitive		dearfaí	strong noun	weak noun
			dearfacha	dearfach
dative	dearfach; dhearfach1	dhearfach; dhearfaigh (archaic)	dearfacha; dhearfacha2
Comparative	níos dearfaí
Superlative	is dearfaí

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

Related terms

• dearfa
• dearfacht

Mutation

Mutated forms of dearfach

radical	lenition	eclipsis
dearfach	dhearfach	ndearfach

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