ubh

Irish

Alternative forms

• uibh (Ulster)

Etymology

From Old Irish og, from Proto-Celtic *āwyom, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ɞvˠ/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ɔvˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ɨ̞vʲ/, /ɨ̞fʲ/ (corresponding to the form uibh)

Noun

ubh f (genitive singular uibhe, nominative plural uibheacha) or
ubh m (genitive singular uibh, nominative plural uibhe)

1. (biology, zoology) egg

Usage notes

This word is normally feminine and follows the second declension, as shown in the first table below. The archaic masculine declension shown in the second table below is used especially in place names (e.g., Gort na nUbh (Gortnanuv), Co. Limerick, Munster).

Declension

Declension of ubh (second declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative ubh uibheacha vocative a ubh a uibheacha genitive uibhe uibheacha dative ubh uibh (archaic, dialectal) uibheacha forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an ubh na huibheacha genitive na huibhe na n-uibheacha dative leis an ubh leis an uibh (archaic, dialectal) don ubh don uibh (archaic, dialectal) leis na huibheacha

Archaic masculine declension

Declension of ubh (irregular)

bare forms case singular plural nominative ubh uibhe vocative a ubh a uibhe genitive uibh ubh dative ubh uibhe forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an t-ubh na huibhe genitive an uibh na n-ubh dative leis an ubh don ubh leis na huibhe

Derived terms

• blaosc uibhe f (“eggshell”)
• gealacán uibhe m (“egg white, albumen”)
• ubh Chásca (Easter egg)
• ubh-bheobhreitheach (“ovoviviparous”, adjective)
• ubh-bhreitheach (“oviparous”, adjective)
• ubhach (“oval”, adjective)
• ubhaducht m (“oviduct”)
• ubhagán m (“ovary”)
• ubhán m (“ovum”)
• ubhchruth m (“oval”)
• ubhchruthach (“egg-shaped, oval”, adjective)
• ubhchupán m (“egg-cup”)
• ubhlonnaitheoir m (“ovipositor”)
• ubhsceith (“ovulate”, verb)
• ubhsceitheadh m (“ovulation”)
• ubhthoradh m (“eggplant”)
• uibheagán m (“omelette”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of ubh

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
ubh	n-ubh	hubh	t-ubh

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) “ubh”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “ubh”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “ubh”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025

Scottish Gaelic

Noun

ubh m (genitive singular uibhe, plural uibhean)

1. Alternative spelling of ugh

Mutation

Mutation of ubh

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

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, The Illustrated Gaelic Dictionary, 1902, p. 989.