Espáin

Middle Irish

Alternative forms

• Espán

Etymology

From Old French Espaigne, from Latin Hispānia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈespaːnʲ/

Proper noun

Espáin f (genitive Espáine)

1. Spain (a country in Europe)

Derived terms

• Espáinech

Descendants

• Irish: An Spáinn
• Manx: Yn Spaainey
• Scottish Gaelic: An Spàinn

However, the lack of initial E(a)- in the modern words suggests they may have been re-borrowed from (Middle) English rather than inherited from this form.

Mutation

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

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “Espáin, Espán”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language