maorach

See also: Maorach

Irish

Etymology 1

From Old Irish maerach (“shellfish”), murach (“shellfish; murex, purple-fish”), possibly from Latin mūrex (“purple-fish”).

Noun

maorach f (genitive singular maoraí)

1. (edible part of) shellfish

Declension

Declension of maorach (second declension, no plural)

bare forms case singular nominative maorach vocative a mhaorach genitive maoraí dative maorach forms with the definite article case singular nominative an mhaorach genitive na maoraí dative leis an maorach don mhaorach

Adjective

maorach (genitive singular masculine maoraigh, genitive singular feminine maoraí, plural maoracha, not comparable)

1. edible (of shellfish, algae)

Declension

Declension of maorach

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	maorach	mhaorach	maoracha; mhaoracha2
vocative	mhaoraigh		maoracha
genitive		maoraí	maoracha	maorach
dative	maorach; mhaorach1	mhaorach; mhaoraigh (archaic)	maoracha; mhaoracha2
Comparative	níos maoraí
Superlative	is maoraí

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

Etymology 2

From maor (“supervisor; prefect”) +‎ -ach.

Adjective

maorach (genitive singular masculine maoraigh, genitive singular feminine maoraí, plural maoracha, not comparable)

1. supervisory; prefectorial

Declension

Declension of maorach

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	maorach	mhaorach	maoracha; mhaoracha2
vocative	mhaoraigh		maoracha
genitive		maoraí	maoracha	maorach
dative	maorach; mhaorach1	mhaorach; mhaoraigh (archaic)	maoracha; mhaoracha2
Comparative	níos maoraí
Superlative	is maoraí

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

Mutation

Mutated forms of maorach

radical	lenition	eclipsis
maorach	mhaorach	not applicable

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) “maorach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “maorach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish maerach (“shellfish”), murach (“shellfish; murex, purple-fish”), possibly from Latin mūrex (“purple-fish”).

Noun

maorach m (genitive singular maoraich, plural maoraich)

1. shellfish

Usage notes

• Can be used either as a singular or a collective noun.
• The plural maoraich usually means "more than one species of shellfish" (similarly to e.g. English peoples).

Derived terms

• buain am maorach nuair a tha an tràigh ann