uaigneach

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish úaignech, derived from the root of Old Irish úathad (“a small number, singleness”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈuəɟɪnʲəx/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈuəɟnʲəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈuəɟnʲa(x)/

Adjective

uaigneach (genitive singular masculine uaignigh, genitive singular feminine uaigní, plural uaigneacha, comparative uaigní)

1. lonely

Declension

Declension of uaigneach

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	uaigneach	uaigneach	uaigneacha
vocative	uaignigh		uaigneacha
genitive		uaigní	uaigneacha	uaigneach
dative	uaigneach	uaigneach; uaignigh (archaic)	uaigneacha
Comparative	níos uaigní
Superlative	is uaigní

Mutation

Mutated forms of uaigneach

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
uaigneach	n-uaigneach	huaigneach	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) “uaigneach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Middle Irish úaignech, derived from the root of Old Irish úathad (“a small number, singleness”). According to MacBain, it is cognate with Old Norse auðr (“desolate, empty”) and Latin ōtium (“leisure, idleness, peace and quiet”), which makes it derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈuəkʲɲəx/

Adjective

uaigneach

1. lonely, lonesome (person)

   Synonym: aonaranach

2. solitary, deserted, secluded, remote (place)

   Synonym: aonaranach

3. private, privy, secret (especially about a place)

   Synonyms: dìomhair, prìobhaideach

4. dismal

Derived terms

• seòmar-uaigneach

Mutation

Mutation of uaigneach

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
uaigneach	n-uaigneach	h-uaigneach	t-uaigneach

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), “úaignech, uaingech”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “uaigneach”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[1], Stirling, →ISBN