biatach

Irish

Alternative forms

• biadhtach, biathtach (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle Irish bíatach. By surface analysis, bia (“food”) +‎ -ach

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲiət̪ˠəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲiət̪ˠa(x)/

Noun

biatach m (genitive singular biataigh, nominative plural biataigh)

1. victualler
2. (historical) hospitaller
3. feeder of the poor, someone generous with food

Declension

Declension of biatach

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative biatach biataigh Vocative a bhiataigh a bhiatacha Genitive biataigh biatach Dative biatach biataigh

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an biatach na biataigh Genitive an bhiataigh na mbiatach Dative leis an mbiatach don bhiatach leis na biataigh

Descendants

• → English: betagh

Adjective

biatach (genitive singular masculine biataigh, genitive singular feminine biataí, plural biatacha, not comparable)

1. providing food

Declension

Declension of biatach

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	biatach	bhiatach	biatacha; bhiatacha²
Vocative	bhiataigh		biatacha
Genitive		biataí	biatacha	biatach
Dative	biatach; bhiatach¹	bhiatach; bhiataigh (archaic)	biatacha; bhiatacha²
Comparative	(not comparable)
Superlative	(not comparable)

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

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
biatach	bhiatach	mbiatach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• “biatach”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 bíattach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 bíattach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “biaḋtaċ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 65
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “biatach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 62