baintreach

Irish

Alternative forms

• baintreabhach (superseded)
• baintreách

Etymology

PIE word
*gʷḗn

From Middle Irish baintrebthach f, originally “landlady”, from ban- (combining form of ben (“woman”)) + trebthach (“householder”), from Old Irish treb (“farm, holding”), from Proto-Celtic *trebā (“settlement”) (compare Welsh tref (“town”)), from Proto-Indo-European *treb- (“settlement”) (compare Old English þorp (“village”), Lithuanian troba (“house”)). Replaced now archaic feadhbh, from Old Irish fedb.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠɑinʲtʲəɾʲəx/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲantʲɾʲəx/ (as if spelled beaintreach)
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠæn̠ʲtʲɾʲa(x)/

Noun

baintreach f (genitive singular baintrí, nominative plural baintreacha)

1. widow

   Synonym: baintreach mná

   Coordinate term: baintreach fir

Declension

Declension of baintreach

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative baintreach baintreacha Vocative a bhaintreach a bhaintreacha Genitive baintrí baintreach Dative baintreach baintrigh (archaic, dialectal) baintreacha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an bhaintreach na baintreacha Genitive na baintrí na mbaintreach Dative leis an mbaintreach leis an mbaintrigh (archaic, dialectal) don bhaintreach don bhaintrigh (archaic, dialectal) leis na baintreacha

Derived terms

• baintreach an rí (“queen dowager”)
• baintreach dhuair (“dowager”)
• baintreach dhubh (“black widow”)
• baintreachas m (“widowhood”)
• cianóg na baintrí f (“the widow's mite”)
• feisteas baintrí m (“weeds”)

 

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
baintreach	bhaintreach	mbaintreach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “baintreach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “baintreaḃaċ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 49
• Entries containing “baintreach” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “baintreach” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.