cànan

See also: Canan and cǎn'àn

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

Derived from a long vowel form of cainnt.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʰaːnan/

Noun

cànan m (genitive singular cànain, plural cànain or cànanan)

1. language
   • 1986, Aonghas MacNeacail, “Thug Thu Dhomh Samhradh”, in The Avoiding And Other Poems; republished as An Aghaidh Na Sìorraidheachd / In The Face Of Eternity, 1991, page 124:

     ach m' aideachd àigheach-sa
     anns gach cànan a labhras daoine bidh
     d'ainm air gach teanga, pròiseil, prìseil
     's tu mo chànan bheag sheang

     but I proclaim exultantly
     in all the languages of men,
     your name will be on every tongue, proud, priceless
     you are my small slender language

Declension

Declension of cànan (type I masculine noun)

Indefinite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	cànan	cànain
Genitive	cànain	chànan
Dative	cànan	cànain; cànanaibh*
Definite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	(an) cànan	(na) cànain
Genitive	(a') chànain	(nan) cànan
Dative	(a') chànan	(na) cànain; cànanaibh*
Vocative	(a) chànain	(a) chànana

*obsolete form, was used until the 19th century

Declension of cànan (type I masculine noun)

Indefinite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	cànan	cànanan
Genitive	cànain	chànanan
Dative	cànan	cànanan; cànanaibh*
Definite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	(an) cànan	(na) cànanan
Genitive	(a') chànain	(nan) cànanan
Dative	(a') chànan	(na) cànanan; cànanaibh*
Vocative	(a) chànain	(a) chànanan

*obsolete form, was used until the 19th century

Synonyms

• cainnt
• teanga

Derived terms

• cànan balbhachd
• cànan céin
• cànan clasaigeach
• cànan coimhearsnachd
• cànan màthaireil
• cànan na bodhaige
• cànan prògramachaid
• cànan sgriobtaidh
• cànan targaid
• cànan-eòlas
• cànan-soidhnidh
• cànanach
• cànanachas
• cànanaiche
• cànanas
• cnap-starra cànain
• ioma-chànaineach
• ioma-chànanach
• Là Eadar-nàiseanta nan Cànan Màthaireil
• mion-chànan

 

Mutation

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

References

MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “cànan”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[1], Stirling, →ISBN