Ériu

Middle Irish

Alternative forms

• Hériu

Etymology

From Old Irish Ériu, from Proto-Celtic *Φīweryū, from Proto-Indo-European *piHweryon-, from *piHwer- (“fat”).

Pronunciation

• (earlier) IPA^(key): /ˈeːrʲiu̯/, /ˈeːrʲu/
• (later) IPA^(key): /ˈeːrʲə/

Proper noun

Ériu f

1. Ireland
   • c. 1000, The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig, section 1, published in Irische Teste, vol. 1 (1880), edited by Ernst Windisch:

     Ailbe ainm in chon, ocus lan Heriu dia aurdarcus.

     Ailbe was the dog’s name, and Ireland was full of his fame.

     Is í sein int ṡeised bruiden ro·boi i n‑Herind in tan sin […]

     That is one of the six halls that were in Ireland at that time […]

     (literally, “That is the sixth hall that was […] ”)

Declension

• Accusative/dative singular: Érind, Érinn

Descendants

• Irish: Éire
• Manx: Nerin
• Scottish Gaelic: Èirinn

Mutation

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

Old Irish

Alternative forms

• Hériu

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *Φīweryū, from Proto-Indo-European *piHweryon-, from *piHwer- (“fat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeːrʲiu̯/

Proper noun

Ériu f

1. Ireland (a country and island in Europe)

   Synonyms: Banba, Elg, Fódla

Declension

Feminine n-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	Ériu	—	—
Vocative	Ériu	—	—
Accusative	ÉrinnN	—	—
Genitive	Érenn	—	—
Dative	ÉrinnL, ÉriuL	—	—
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Derived terms

• Érennach (“Irish”)

Descendants

• Middle Irish: Ériu, Hériu
  • Irish: Éire
  • Manx: Nerin
  • Scottish Gaelic: Èirinn

Mutation

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