Old Irish edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Old English heafoc. The change of initial consonant is due to a reinterpretation of /h/ as the lenited equivalent of /s/.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

sebac m

  1. hawk

Inflection edit

Masculine o-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative sebac sebacL sebaicL
Vocative sebaic sebacL sebcuH
Accusative sebacN sebacL sebcuH
Genitive sebaicL sebac sebacN
Dative sebucL sebcaib sebcaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization

Descendants edit

  • Irish: seabhac
  • Manx: shawk
  • Scottish Gaelic: seabhag

Mutation edit

Old Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Nasalization
sebac ṡebac unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.