gabhar

See also: Gabhar

Irish

gabhar

Etymology

From Old Irish gabor (“goat, horse”), from Proto-Celtic *gabros (“he-goat”), from Proto-Indo-European *kápros (“male hooved animal”). Cognate with Latin caper (“goat”) and Ancient Greek κάπρος (kápros, “wild boar”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ɡɑuɾˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɑuəɾˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ɡoːɾˠ/

Noun

gabhar m (genitive singular gabhair, nominative plural gabhair)

1. goat

   Cuir (culaith) s(h)íoda, ar ghabhar agus is gabhar i gcónaí é. (proverb)

   You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

   (literally, “Put silk (clothes) on a goat, and it's still a goat.”)

   Mura mbeadh agat ach gabhar bí i lár an aonaigh leis. (proverb)

   Don't hide your light under a bushel.

   (literally, “If all you have is a goat, be in the middle of the fair with it.”)

   Is doiligh olann a bhaint de ghabhar. (proverb)

   One can't get blood out of a stone.

   (literally, “It's difficult to get wool from a goat.”)

2. scad, horse-mackerel

   Synonyms: bolmán, bolmán Atlantach

Declension

Declension of gabhar (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative gabhar gabhair vocative a ghabhair a ghabhara genitive gabhair gabhar dative gabhar gabhair forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an gabhar na gabhair genitive an ghabhair na ngabhar dative leis an ngabhar don ghabhar leis na gabhair

Derived terms

• An Gabhar (“Capricorn”)
• aoire gabhar (“goatherd”)
• beach ghabhair (“wasp”, literally “goat bee”)
• cluimhreach gabhair (“mare's-tail”)
• craiceann gabhair (“goatskin”)
• fiaghabhar (“wild goat, chamois”)
• gabhar angóra (“angora”)
• gabhar deorach (“male snipe”)
• gabhar fia (“wild goat, chamois”)
• gabhar fiáin (“wild goat, chamois”)
• gabhar reo (“male snipe”)
• gabhar sléibhe (“mountain goat”)
• gabhar tiomanta (“scapegoat”)
• pocaide gabhair (“billygoat”)
• sceilpín gabhair (“stooge”)
• tréadaí gabhar (“goatherd”)

Noun

gabhar f or m (genitive singular gabhra, nominative plural gabhra)

1. (literary) (white) horse

Declension

Declension of gabhar (third declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative gabhar gabhra vocative a ghabhar a ghabhra genitive gabhra gabhra dative gabhar gabhra forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an ghabhar na gabhra genitive na gabhra na ngabhra dative leis an ngabhar don ghabhar leis na gabhra

Alternative declension

Declension of gabhar (third declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative gabhar gabhra vocative a ghabhar a ghabhra genitive gabhra gabhar dative gabhar gabhra forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an gabhar na gabhra genitive an ghabhra na ngabhar dative leis an ngabhar don ghabhar leis na gabhra

Derived terms

• gabhra lir (“white-crested waves”)
• gabhra réin (“white-crested waves”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of gabhar

radical	lenition	eclipsis
gabhar	ghabhar	ngabhar

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