talamh

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish talam, from Proto-Celtic *talamū, from Proto-Indo-European *tl̥h₂-mon-, root *telh₂- (compare Latin tellus (“earth”)).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈt̪ˠɑl̪ˠəvˠ/
• (Galway) IPA^(key): /ˈt̪ˠalˠə/, /ˈt̪ˠal̪ˠə/
• (Mayo) IPA^(key): /ˈt̪ˠalˠuː/, /ˈt̪ˠal̪ˠuː/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈt̪ˠalˠuː/, /ˈt̪ˠal̪ˠuː/; /ˈt̪ˠɔlˠuː/, /ˈt̪ˠɔl̪ˠuː/

Noun

talamh f or m (feminine genitive talún, masculine genitive talaimh, plural tailte)

1. earth, ground, land
3. earth
4. dry land
5. land, soil
6. solid base (for discussion, understanding)

Declension

Feminine declension

Declension of talamh (fifth declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative talamh tailte vocative a thalamh a thailte genitive talún tailte dative talamh talúin (archaic, dialectal) tailte forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an talamh na tailte genitive na talún na dtailte dative leis an talamh leis an talúin (archaic, dialectal) don talamh don talúin (archaic, dialectal) leis na tailte

Masculine declension

Declension of talamh (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative talamh tailte vocative a thalaimh a thailte genitive talaimh tailte dative talamh tailte forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an talamh na tailte genitive an talaimh na dtailte dative leis an talamh don talamh leis na tailte

• Alternative plural: taltaí (Cois Fharraige)

Derived terms

• arcán talún (“aardvark, anteater”)
• ardtalamh
• ceapach thalún (“plot of land”)
• cnó talún (“earth-nut”)
• droichead talún (“land bridge”)
• eidhneán talún m (“ground ivy”)
• maidhm thalún (“landslide”)
• ó thalamh (“fundamentally, thoroughly”)
• os cionn talún/talaimh (“above ground”)
• péist talún f (“earthworm”)
• Talamh an Éisc (“Newfoundland”)
• talamh ard (“high ground, upland”)
• talamh feirme (“farmland”)
• Talamh Naofa (“the Holy Land”)
• talamhchrith (“earthquake”)
• talamhiarrthach (“terricolous”, adjective)
• talamhiata (“landlocked”, adjective)
• talamhluas (“ground speed”)
• talmhaí (“agriculturist; earthly”)
• talmhaigh (“to earth”, verb)
• tiarna talún (“landlord”)

 

Mutation

Mutated forms of talamh

radical	lenition	eclipsis
talamh	thalamh	dtalamh

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) “talamh”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “talamh”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “talamh”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish talam, from Proto-Celtic *talamū, from Proto-Indo-European *tl̥-mon-, root *tel- (compare Latin tellus (“earth”)).

Pronunciation

• (Lewis) IPA^(key): /ˈt̪ʰal̪ˠu/, [ˈt̪ʰɑl̪ˠʊ]
• (Harris, much of Skye) IPA^(key): /ˈt̪ʰal̪ˠəv/
• (Uist) IPA^(key): /ˈt̪ʰal̪ˠu/
• (Barra) IPA^(key): [ˈt̪ʰɑl̪ˠu]

Noun

talamh m or f (genitive singular talmhainn, plural talamhan or talmhainnean)

2. (masculine only) Earth (planet)

   Synonym: cruinne-cè

3. earth, soil, ground

   Synonym: ùir

4. land, country, territory

   Synonym: tìr

Usage notes

• Primarily masculine but feminine in genitive singular.

Declension

Declension of talamh (type Vc masculine noun)

Indefinite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	talamh	talamhan
Genitive	talmhainn	thalamhan
Dative	talamh	talamhan
Definite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	(an) talamh	(na) talamhan
Genitive	(an) talmhainn	(nan) talamhan
Dative	(an) talamh	(na) talamhan
Vocative	thalamh	thalamhan

Declension of talamh (type Vc feminine noun)

Indefinite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	talamh	talamhan
Genitive	talmhainn	thalamhan
Dative	talamh	talamhan
Definite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	(an) talamh	(na) talamhan
Genitive	(na) talmhainn	(nan) talamhan
Dative	(an) talamh	(na) talamhan
Vocative	thalamh	thalamhan

• Alternative genitive singular: talmhainne, talmhana (South Uist, Barra)

Derived terms

• dè air thalamh?
• talamh àitich
• Talamh an Èisg
• talamh bàn

 

Mutation

Mutation of talamh

radical	lenition
talamh	thalamh

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

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “talamh”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[2], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “talam”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language