gearrcach

Irish

Alternative forms

• geárcach, geárrcach (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle Irish gerrcach, from the root of gearr (“short”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈɟɑːɾˠkəx/

Noun

gearrcach m (genitive singular gearrcaigh, nominative plural gearrcaigh)

1. nestling, fledgling (young bird)
2. (figurative) infant

   Synonyms: naíonán, leanbh

Declension

Declension of gearrcach (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative gearrcach gearrcaigh vocative a ghearrcaigh a ghearrcacha genitive gearrcaigh gearrcach dative gearrcach gearrcaigh forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an gearrcach na gearrcaigh genitive an ghearrcaigh na ngearrcach dative leis an ngearrcach don ghearrcach leis na gearrcaigh

Derived terms

• gearrcach dearg (“a very young/unfledged nestling, a very young infant”)
• gearrcach bhéal neide (“a pet (nestling)”)
• is geal leis an bhfiach dubh a ghearrcach féin (“beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, literally “the raven considers its own fledgling white”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of gearrcach

radical	lenition	eclipsis
gearrcach	ghearrcach	ngearrcach

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

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “gearrcaċ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 357
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “gearrcach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN