sliabh

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish slíab, from Proto-Celtic *sleibos.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ʃlʲiəvˠ/
• (Galway) IPA^(key): /ʃl̠ʲiəvˠ/
• (Mayo, Ulster) IPA^(key): /ʃl̠ʲiəw/

Noun

sliabh m (genitive singular sléibhe, nominative plural sléibhte)

1. mountain
2. (geography) moor
3. Used in minced oaths.

   Dar sliabh! ― By Jove!

   M'anam don sliabh! ― I declare to goodness!

Declension

Declension of sliabh (second declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative sliabh sléibhte vocative a shliabh a shléibhte genitive sléibhe sléibhte dative sliabh sléibh (archaic, dialectal) sléibhte forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an sliabh na sléibhte genitive an tsléibhe na sléibhte dative leis an sliabh leis an sléibh (archaic, dialectal) don sliabh don sléibh (archaic, dialectal) leis na sléibhte

Derived terms

• anua sléibhe m (“mountain anoa”)
• bongó sléibhe m (“mountain bongo”)
• easóg shléibhe f (“mountain weasel”)
• feadóg shléibhe f (“golden plover”)
• giolcach shléibhe f (“broom (Fabaceae shrub)”)
• gleoiseach sléibhe m (“mountain linnet”)
• iúr sléibhe (“wood-sage”)
• Lá an tSléibhe (“judgment day, doomsday”)
• Luan an tSléibhe (“judgment day, doomsday”)
• maidhm shléibhe f (“avalanche”)
• rothar sléibhe m (“mountain bike”)
• sléibhín m (“blackheaded gull”)
• sléibhteánach m (“mountain dweller”)
• sléibhteoir m (“mountaineer”)
• sléibhtiúil (“mountainous; mountainy, hilly; moorish”, adjective)
• Sliabh Luachra m
• sliabhraon m (“mountain range”)

Related terms

• sléibhteoireacht f (“(act of) climbing mountains, mountaineering”)
• sléibhtiúlacht f (“hilliness”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of sliabh

radical	lenition	eclipsis
sliabh	shliabh after an, tsliabh	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) “sliabh”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “slíab”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “sliaḃ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 654
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “sliabh”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “sliabh”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 61
• 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 31

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish slíab, from Proto-Celtic *sleibos.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃʎiəv/

Noun

sliabh m (genitive singular slèibh, plural slèibhtean)

1. moor, moorland

   Synonyms: monadh, mòinteach

2. hill, mountain

   Synonyms: beinn, cnoc

Related terms

• sleamhainn

Mutation

Mutation of sliabh

radical	lenition
sliabh	shliabh after "an", t-sliabh

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

Further reading

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