sifín

Irish

Alternative forms

• seifín, seimhin, simhin, simhinn

Etymology

From Middle Irish simend, from Old Irish semend, altered by assimilation to the suffix -ín.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃɪfʲiːnʲ/

Noun

sifín m (genitive singular sifín, nominative plural sifíní)

1. blade (narrow leaf of a grass or cereal)
2. straw, stalk

   Ní fiú sifín cocháin é.

   It is not worth a straw.

   Ná bain taca as sifín.

   Don’t lean on a broken reed.

3. bulrush

Declension

Declension of sifín

Fourth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative sifín sifíní Vocative a shifín a shifíní Genitive sifín sifíní Dative sifín sifíní

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an sifín na sifíní Genitive an tsifín na sifíní Dative leis an sifín don sifín leis na sifíní

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
sifín	shifín after an, tsifín	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “síṫḃín”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 648
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927) “sifín”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “sifín”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN