slán

See also: Appendix:Variations of "slan"

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish slán, from Proto-Celtic *slānos, from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“whole”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /sˠl̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /sˠl̪ˠɑːnˠ/, /sˠl̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /sˠl̪ˠaːnˠ/, /sˠl̪ˠaːnˠ/

Adjective

slán (genitive singular masculine sláin, genitive singular feminine sláine, plural slána, comparative sláine)

1. healthy
2. safe
3. complete, intact

Declension

Declension of slán

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	slán	shlán	slána; shlána2
vocative	shláin		slána
genitive		sláine	slána	slán
dative	slán; shlán1	shlán; shláin (archaic)	slána; shlána2
Comparative	níos sláine
Superlative	is sláine

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

Related terms

• sláinte

Noun

slán m (genitive singular sláin, nominative plural slána)

1. healthy person
2. farewell
3. challenge
4. (literary) guarantee, surety

   Synonym: urra

Declension

Declension of slán (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative slán slána vocative a shláin a shlána genitive sláin slán dative slán slána forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an slán na slána genitive an tsláin na slán dative leis an slán don slán leis na slána

Derived terms

• fág slán (ag)
• slán a bheas tú

Interjection

slán!

1. goodbye!

Derived terms

• slán abhaile
• slán agat, slán agaibh
• slán leat, slán libh

Verb

slán (present analytic slánann, future analytic slánfaidh, verbal noun slánadh, past participle slánta)

1. Alternative form of slánaigh (“make whole, redeem, save; make amends; complete, attain; bring to a satisfactory conclusion; indemnify”)

Conjugation

conjugation of slán (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	slánaim	slánann tú; slánair†	slánann sé, sí	slánaimid	slánann sibh	slánann siad; slánaid†	a shlánann; a shlánas / a slánann*	slántar
	past	shlán mé; shlánas	shlán tú; shlánais	shlán sé, sí	shlánamar; shlán muid	shlán sibh; shlánabhair	shlán siad; shlánadar	a shlán / ar shlán*	slánadh
	past habitual	shlánainn / slánainn‡‡	shlántá / slántᇇ	shlánadh sé, sí / slánadh sé, s퇇	shlánaimis; shlánadh muid / slánaimis‡‡; slánadh muid‡‡	shlánadh sibh / slánadh sibh‡‡	shlánaidís; shlánadh siad / slánaidís‡‡; slánadh siad‡‡	a shlánadh / a slánadh*	shlántaí / slánta퇇
future		slánfaidh mé; slánfad	slánfaidh tú; slánfair†	slánfaidh sé, sí	slánfaimid; slánfaidh muid	slánfaidh sibh	slánfaidh siad; slánfaid†	a shlánfaidh; a shlánfas / a slánfaidh*	slánfar
conditional		shlánfainn / slánfainn‡‡	shlánfá / slánfᇇ	shlánfadh sé, sí / slánfadh sé, s퇇	shlánfaimis; shlánfadh muid / slánfaimis‡‡; slánfadh muid‡‡	shlánfadh sibh / slánfadh sibh‡‡	shlánfaidís; shlánfadh siad / slánfaidís‡‡; slánfadh siad‡‡	a shlánfadh / a slánfadh*	shlánfaí / slánfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go slána mé; go slánad†	go slána tú; go slánair†	go slána sé, sí	go slánaimid; go slána muid	go slána sibh	go slána siad; go slánaid†	—	go slántar
	past	dá slánainn	dá slántá	dá slánadh sé, sí	dá slánaimis; dá slánadh muid	dá slánadh sibh	dá slánaidís; dá slánadh siad	—	dá slántaí
imperative		slánaim	slán	slánadh sé, sí	slánaimis	slánaigí; slánaidh†	slánaidís	—	slántar
verbal noun		slánadh
past participle		slánta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation

Mutated forms of slán

radical	lenition	eclipsis
slán	shlán after an, tslán	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) “slán”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “slán”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “slán”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “slán”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 79
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish Dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 42

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *slānos, from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“whole”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sl͈aːn/

Adjective

slán

1. healthy, sound
2. safe
3. whole

Inflection

o/ā-stem
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	slán	slán	slán
Vocative	sláin* slán**
Accusative	slán	sláin
Genitive	sláin	sláine	sláin
Dative	slán	sláin	slán
Plural	Masculine	Feminine/neuter
Nominative	sláin	slána
Vocative	slánu slána†
Accusative	slánu slána†
Genitive	slán
Dative	slánaib
Notes	*modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative **modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative † not when substantivized

Derived terms

• sláinte
• slántu

Descendants

• Irish: slán
• Manx: slane
• Scottish Gaelic: slàn

Noun

slán n

1. challenge, defiance
2. immunity, safety
3. wholeness, completeness, health
4. security, guarantee
5. indemnity, compensation

Inflection

Neuter o-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	slánN	slánN	slánL, slána
Vocative	slánN	slánN	slánL, slána
Accusative	slánN	slánN	slánL, slána
Genitive	sláinL	slán	slánN
Dative	slánL	slánaib	slánaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Noun

slán m

1. sound person

Inflection

Masculine o-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	slán	slánL	sláinL
Vocative	sláin	slánL	slánuH
Accusative	slánN	slánL	slánuH
Genitive	sláinL	slán	slánN
Dative	slánL	slánaib	slánaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Mutation

Mutation of slán

radical	lenition	nasalization
slán	ṡlán	unchanged

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

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “slán”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language