aiteann

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish aiten m (“furze, gorse”), from Proto-Celtic *axtīnos (“furze, gorse”) (compare Welsh eithin), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱstis (compare Lithuanian akstìs (“thorn”), Russian ость (ostʹ, “awn, bristle”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”).

Pronunciation

• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈætʲən̪ˠ/

Noun

aiteann m (genitive singular aitinn, nominative plural aitinn) or
aiteann f (genitive singular aitinne) (feminine in Connacht and Ulster)

1. furze, gorse, whin
   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 31:

     tā æcn̥̄ ə fās sə ŋort šə.

     [Tá aiteann ag fás sa ngort seo.]

     Furze is growing in this field.

   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 31:

     dā jēŕ n̥ køln̄, tā æcn̥̄ xō ǵēŕ leš.

     [Dá ghéar an cuileann, tá aiteann ag chomh géar leis.]

     However sharp the holly is, furze is just as sharp.

Declension

Declension as masculine

Declension of aiteann

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative aiteann aitinn Vocative a aitinn a aiteanna Genitive aitinn aiteann Dative aiteann aitinn

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an t-aiteann na haitinn Genitive an aitinn na n-aiteann Dative leis an aiteann don aiteann leis na haitinn

Declension as feminine

Declension of aiteann

Second declension

Bare forms (no plural form of this noun) Case Singular Nominative aiteann Vocative a aiteann Genitive aitinne Dative aiteann

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an aiteann Genitive na haitinne Dative leis an aiteann don aiteann

Derived terms

• aiteann francach (“tall furze”)
• aiteann gaelach (“dwarf whin”)
• aiteann gallda (“tall furze”)
• aiteann mín (“dwarf whin”)
• aiteann Muire (“club moss”)
• aiteannach f (“furze, gorse, whins (collective)”)
• caislín aitinn (“whinchat”)
• scothán aitinn (“furze bush”)
• tom aitinn (“whin-bush”)
• tor aitinn (“whin-bush”)

 

Mutation

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

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “aiteann”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

• aitionn

Etymology

From Old Irish aiten m (“furze, gorse”), from Proto-Celtic *axtīnos (“furze, gorse”) (compare Welsh eithin), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱstis (compare Lithuanian akstìs (“thorn”), Russian ость (ostʹ, “awn, bristle”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”).

Noun

aiteann m (genitive singular aitinn, plural aitinn)

1. juniper

Mutation

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

References

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “aiteann”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “aittenn”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language