ailbhean

Scottish Gaelic

Ailbhean.

Alternative forms

• oileabhan, oillbheint, oilleabhaint

Etymology

From Middle Irish elifaint, borrowed from Old French olifant. Cognate with Irish eilifint.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛl̪ɛvan/
• Hyphenation: ail‧bhean

Noun

ailbhean m (genitive singular ailbhein, plural ailbheanan)

1. elephant

Declension

Declension of ailbhean (type I masculine noun)

Indefinite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	ailbhean	ailbheanan
Genitive	ailbhein	ailbheanan
Dative	ailbhean	ailbheanan; ailbheanaibh*
Definite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	(an) t-ailbhean	(na) h-ailbheanan
Genitive	(an) ailbhein	(nan) ailbheanan
Dative	(an) ailbhean	(na) h-ailbheanan; h-ailbheanaibh*
Vocative	(a) ailbhein	(a) ailbheanan

*obsolete form, was used until the 19th century

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
ailbhean	n-ailbhean	h-ailbhean	t-ailbhean
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• Colin Mark (2003) “ailbhean”, in The Gaelic-English dictionary, London: Routledge, →ISBN, page 16