bábhún

Irish

Alternative forms

• bán, bódhún
• bábhdhún, badhbhdhún, badhún, bádhún (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle Irish badún, possibly a compound of ba (“cows”) + dún (“fortress”)

Pronunciation

• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠaːwənˠ/, /ˈbˠaːwən̪ˠ/

Noun

bábhún m (genitive singular bábhúin, nominative plural bábhúin)

1. walled enclosure
2. defensive wall, bawn, bulwark, bailey
3. breakwater (construction in or around a harbour)

   Synonym: tonnchosc

Declension

Declension of bábhún

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative bábhún bábhúin Vocative a bhábhúin a bhábhúna Genitive bábhúin bábhún Dative bábhún bábhúin

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an bábhún na bábhúin Genitive an bhábhúin na mbábhún Dative leis an mbábhún don bhábhún leis na bábhúin

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
bábhún	bhábhún	mbábhún
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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