bacach

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish baccach (“lame; lame person”). By surface analysis, bac (“hindrance”) +‎ -ach.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /bˠəˈkɑx/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠakəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠaka(h)/

Adjective

bacach (genitive singular masculine bacaigh, genitive singular feminine bacaí, plural bacacha, comparative bacaí)

1. lame
2. halting

   Béarla bacach ― broken English

   Laidin bhacach ― dog Latin

Declension

Declension of bacach

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	bacach	bhacach	bacacha; bhacacha²
Vocative	bhacaigh		bacacha
Genitive		bacaí	bacacha	bacach
Dative	bacach; bhacach¹	bhacach; bhacaigh (archaic)	bacacha; bhacacha²
Comparative	níos bacaí
Superlative	is bacaí

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Derived terms

• bacachán m (“lame person or animal”)

Noun

bacach m (genitive singular bacaigh, nominative plural bacaigh)

1. lame person
2. beggar

   Synonym: sirtheoir

   Ná bac le mac an bhacaigh is ní bhacfaidh mac an bhacaigh leat. (tongue-twister)

   Don’t bother the beggar’s son and the beggar’s son won’t bother you.

Declension

Declension of bacach

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative bacach bacaigh Vocative a bhacaigh a bhacacha Genitive bacaigh bacach Dative bacach bacaigh

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an bacach na bacaigh Genitive an bhacaigh na mbacach Dative leis an mbacach don bhacach leis na bacaigh

Derived terms

• bacachas m (“(act of) begging, sponging”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
bacach	bhacach	mbacach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “bacach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “bacach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “bacach”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish baccach (“lame; lame person”). By surface analysis, bac (“hindrance”) +‎ -ach.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpaxkəx/

Adjective

bacach (genitive singular masculine bacaich, comparative bacaiche)

1. crippled, lame, limping
2. rugged

Declension

Declension of bacach (type I adjective)

	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	bacach	bhacach	bacach
Genitive	bhacaich	bacaiche, bacaich	bacach
Dative	bacach	bhacaich	bacach
Vocative	bhacaich	bhacach	bacach

Comparative/superlative: bacaiche

Noun

bacach m (genitive singular bacaich, plural bacaich)

1. a crippled person

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
bacach	bhacach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “bacach”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN