-ach

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ach"

Chuukese

Suffix

-ach

(added to possessive nouns) our (inclusive)

Related terms

Chuukese possessive determiners
		small objects, concepts	large objects, living things	suffix
singular	first person	ai	nei	-ei
	second person	omw, om	noum	-om
	third person	an	noun	-an
plural	first person	äm (exclusive) ach (inclusive)	nöu̇m (exclusive) nöüch (inclusive)	-em (exclusive) -ach (inclusive)
	second person	ämi, ami	noumi	-emi
	third person	ar	nour	-er

Irish

Pronunciation

(Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /əx/
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ax/, /ah/, /a/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish -ach, from Proto-Celtic *-ākos, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂kos, *-eh₂ḱos, from a-stem suffix *-eh₂ + adjectival suffix *-kos, *-ḱos; compare Welsh -og. Doublet of -óg.

Alternative forms

-each (slender form)

Suffix

-ach m

Forms nouns from other nouns and adjectives with the sense of ‘person or thing connected or involved with, belonging to, having’.
‎Éire (“Ireland”) + ‎-ach → ‎Éireannach (“Irish (person)”)

‎Sasana (“England”) + ‎-ach → ‎Sasanach (“English (person)”)
Forms adjectives from other nouns and adjectives with the sense of ‘connected or involved with, belonging to, having’.
‎bunús (“basis”) + ‎-ach → ‎bunúsach (“basic”)

‎fearg (“anger”) + ‎-ach → ‎feargach (“angry”)

‎Éire (“Ireland”) + ‎-ach → ‎Éireannach (“Irish”)

‎Sasana (“England”) + ‎-ach → ‎Sasanach (“English”)

Declension

For nouns:

Declension of -ach (first declension)

bare forms
	singular	plural
nominative	-ach	-aigh
vocative	a -aigh	a -acha
genitive	-aigh	-ach
dative	-ach	-aigh

forms with the definite article
	singular	plural
nominative	an -ach	na -aigh
genitive	an -aigh	na -ach
dative	leis an -ach don -ach	leis na -aigh

For adjectives:

Declension of *-ach*
Positive	singular		plural
Positive	masculine	feminine	strong noun	weak noun
nominative	-ach	-ach	-acha
vocative	-aigh	-ach	-acha
genitive	-aigh	-aí	-acha	-ach
dative	-ach	-ach; -aigh (archaic)	-acha

Comparative	níos -aí
Superlative	is -aí

Derived terms

Irish nouns suffixed with -ach

Irish adjectives suffixed with -ach

Irish suffixes suffixed with -ach

Etymology 2

From Old Irish -ach, from Proto-Celtic *-Vkos (V standing for any vowel), the genitive singular ending of certain nouns ending in *-Vxs.

Suffix

-ach

forms the genitive singular of some fifth-declension nouns

Middle Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish -ach, from Proto-Celtic *-ākos, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂kos, *-eh₂ḱos, from a-stem suffix *-eh₂- + adjectival suffix *-kos, *-ḱos. Doublet of -óc.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /əx/

Suffix

-ach

Forms adjectives meaning "related to, having, characterised by, prone to".
Forms nouns meaning "person or thing connected or involved with, belonging to, having".

Usage notes

After a palatalised consonant, the suffix becomes -ech.

Derived terms

Descendants

Irish: -ach
Manx: -agh
Scottish Gaelic: -ach

Middle Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *-ox, with the vowel altered by influence from -af.

Suffix

-ach

forms a comparative adjective

Derived terms

Middle Welsh terms suffixed with -ach

amserach

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *-ākos, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂kos, *-eh₂ḱos, from a-stem suffix *-eh₂- + adjectival suffix *-kos, *-ḱos. Doublet of -óc.

Compare Latin -ācus, -icus.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ax/

Suffix

-ach

Forms adjectives meaning "related to, having, characterised by, prone to".
Forms nouns meaning "person or thing connected or involved with, belonging to, having".

Usage notes

After a palatalised consonant, the suffix becomes -ech.

Inflection

Adjective:

o/ā-stem
singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	-ach	-ach	-ach
vocative	-aig* -ach**	-ach
accusative	-ach	-aig
genitive	-aig	-aige	-aig
dative	-uch	-aig	-uch
plural	masculine	feminine/neuter
nominative	-aig	-acha
vocative	-achu -acha†
accusative	-achu -acha†
genitive	-ach
dative	-achaib

*modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative
**modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative
† not when substantivized

Noun:

Masculine o-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	-ach	-ach^L	-aig^L
vocative	-aig	-ach^L	-achu^H
accusative	-ach^N	-ach^L	-achu^H
genitive	-aig^L	-ach	-ach^N
dative	-uch^L	-achaib	-achaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

^H = triggers aspiration
^L = triggers lenition
^N = triggers nasalization

Derived terms

Descendants

Middle Irish: -ach
- Irish: -ach
- Manx: -agh
- Scottish Gaelic: -ach

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

-each (slender form)

Etymology

From Old Irish -ach, from Proto-Celtic *-ākos, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂kos, *-eh₂ḱos, from a-stem suffix *-eh₂- + adjectival suffix *-kos, *-ḱos; compare Welsh -og. Doublet of -ag.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ax]

Suffix

-ach (plural -aich or -aichean)

Forming nouns from nouns and adjectives with the sense of ‘person or thing connected or involved with, belonging to, having’.

Derived terms

Scottish Gaelic terms suffixed with -ach

Scottish Gaelic adjectives suffixed with -ach

Scottish Gaelic nouns suffixed with -ach

Tùsanach Aimeireaganach

Ungaireach

Welsh

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /aχ/

Etymology 1

From Middle Welsh -ach, from Proto-Brythonic *-ox, with the vowel altered by influence from -af.

Suffix

-ach

Forms a comparative adjective.
‎ifanc (“young”) + ‎-ach → ‎ifancach (“younger”)

‎pwysig (“important”) + ‎-ach → ‎pwysicach (“more important”)

‎tlawd (“poor”) + ‎-ach → ‎tlotach (“poorer”)

Usage notes

Triggers fortition of the final consonant of the adjectival stem.

Derived terms

Welsh terms suffixed with -ach (comparative adjective)

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

-iach

Suffix

-ach

pejorative suffix
‎cor (“dwarf”) + ‎-ach → ‎corrach (“dwarf, gnome”)

‎cawl (“soup”) + ‎-ach → ‎cawlach (“mess, hotchpotch”)

‎dillad (“clothes”) + ‎-ach → ‎dilladach (“old clothes, worthless clothing”)

Derived terms

Welsh terms suffixed with -ach (pejorative)

ceinach

corrach

pethach

Etymology 3

Suffix

-ach f

suffix forming abstract nouns and some verbnouns
‎cyfrin (“privy, cryptic”) + ‎-ach → ‎cyfrinach (“secret”)

‎cyfaill (“friend”) + ‎-ach → ‎cyfeillach (“fellowship, companionship”)

‎clinc (“clink, tinkle”) + ‎tarddu (“emerge, erupt”) + ‎-ach → ‎clindarddarch (“crackling; to crackle”)

Derived terms

Welsh terms suffixed with -ach (abstract noun)

cyfrinach

References

R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “-ach”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

-ach

Chuukese

Suffix

Related terms

Irish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

Suffix

Declension

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Suffix

Middle Irish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Suffix

Usage notes

Derived terms

Descendants

Middle Welsh

Etymology

Suffix

Derived terms

Old Irish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Suffix

Usage notes

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

Further reading

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Suffix

Derived terms

Welsh

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Suffix

Usage notes

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

Suffix

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Suffix

Derived terms

References