gealán

Irish

Alternative forms

• dealán, diolán

Etymology

From Middle Irish gelán. By surface analysis, geal (“bright”) +‎ -án.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ɟɪˈl̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈɟɛlɑːn/
• (Connemara, Mayo) IPA^(key): /ˈɟalˠɑːnˠ/, /ˈɟal̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈɟalˠanˠ/, /ˈɟal̪ˠan̪ˠ/

Noun

gealán m (genitive singular gealáin, nominative plural gealáin)

1. gleam (indistinct, small or short-lived appearance of light; indistinct sign of something), flash

   gealán dóchais ― gleam of hope

2. aurora
3. whiting (fine white chalk)
4. (art, photography) highlight (strongly illuminated area; hair dyed a different color)
5. (dated) brightness
6. (literary) lightning

   saighead gealáin ― flash of lightning

7. white (of an egg, of the eye)

Declension

Declension of gealán (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative gealán gealáin vocative a ghealáin a ghealána genitive gealáin gealán dative gealán gealáin forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an gealán na gealáin genitive an ghealáin na ngealán dative leis an ngealán don ghealán leis na gealáin

Synonyms

• (gleam): léas
• (brightness): gile
• (lightning): tintreach
• (white of egg/eye): gealacán

Derived terms

• cith gealáin (“sunny shower”)
• cith is gealán (“shower and sunshine (alternating)”)
• Gealáin Theas (“aurora australis, southern lights”)
• Gealáin Thuaidh (“aurora borealis, northern lights”)
• gealán gréine (“spell of sunshine”)
• tine ghealáin (“will o' the wisp, lightning, phosphorescence”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of gealán

radical	lenition	eclipsis
gealán	ghealán	ngealán

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