-igh

See also: 'igh

Irish

Alternative forms

• -aigh (broad version)

Etymology

From Old Irish -igidir (whence also Scottish Gaelic -ich), originally a denominative verb formative, from Proto-Celtic *-sagyetor; compare Welsh -hau.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ɪɟ/ (post-consonantal)
• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ɟ/ (post-vocalic)
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /iː/ (post-consonantal)
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /i/ (post-consonantal)
• (Ulster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /j/ (post-vocalic)

Suffix

-igh

1. Suffix used to form verbs from nouns; semi-productive in modern Irish.

Usage notes

• Affixed verbs ending in -igh form a sizeable number of second-conjugation verbs. Many monosyllabic verbs in Irish (which historically are not from affixes), however, are of the first conjugation.

  First-conjugation verbs (which are not a result of affixation):

  léigh (“read”)

  ligh (“lick”)

  nigh (“wash”)

  dóigh (“burn”)

  suigh (“sit”) (originally suidh)

  súigh (“suck”)

Derived terms

► Irish words suffixed with -igh

See also

• -áil