sliogán

Irish

Alternative forms

• sligeán

Etymology

From Middle Irish *slicén, in origin a diminutive of slice (“shell”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ʃlʲəˈɡɑ̃ːn̪ˠ/, /ʃlʲɨˈɡɑ̃ːn̪ˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈʃl̠ʲiɟaːnˠ/ (corresponding to the form sligeán)
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈʃl̠ʲiɟanˠ/ (corresponding to the form sligeán)

Noun

sliogán m (genitive singular sliogáin, nominative plural sliogáin)

1. shell (hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of many invertebrates; casing of an artillery projectile; hollow usually spherical or cylindrical projectile fired from a mortar or a cannon)
2. seashell, conch

Declension

Declension of sliogán (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative sliogán sliogáin vocative a shliogáin a shliogána genitive sliogáin sliogán dative sliogán sliogáin forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an sliogán na sliogáin genitive an tsliogáin na sliogán dative leis an sliogán don sliogán leis na sliogáin

Derived terms

• aol sliogán (“shell-lime”)
• sliogán bó leid (“sea-bean, tropical drift seed”)
• sliogán dubh (“mussel”)
• sliogán mara (“scallop; seashell”)
• sliogán trá (“seashell”)
• sliogánach (“testacean; shelled, testaceous”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of sliogán

radical	lenition	eclipsis
sliogán	shliogán after an, tsliogán	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) “sliogán”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “sliogán”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “sliogán”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025