céad mháta

Irish

Etymology

Calque of English first mate.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ciːad̪ˠ ˈvˠɑːt̪ˠə/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ceːd̪ˠ ˈwɑːt̪ˠə/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ceːd̪ˠ ˈwæːt̪ˠə/

Noun

céad mháta m (genitive singular céad mháta, nominative plural céad mhátaí)

1. (nautical) first mate

   Synonym: ardmháta

   • 1919, Séamus Ó hAodha, An Branar, page 146:

     Do chur a ghníomh ana-mhisneach sa chuid eile: agus bhíodar ag teacht saor ón luing ’na nduine is ’na nduine go dtí an chéad mháta.

     His act gave great courage to the rest: and they were coming free from the ship as men and as men to the first mate.

   • 1939, Peig Sayers, “Inghean an Cheannaidhe”, in Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Description d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études; 270) (overall work in French), Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, page 194:

     Bhí an chéad mháta a bhí ar an luing anamhór leis an gcaptaen.

     The first mate who was on the ship was very friendly with the captain.

Declension

Declension of céad mháta

Fourth declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative céad mháta céad mhátaí Vocative a chéad mháta a chéad mhátaí Genitive céad mháta céad mhátaí Dative céad mháta céad mhátaí

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an chéad mháta na chéad mhátaí Genitive an chéad mháta na chéad mhátaí Dative leis an gcéad mháta don chéad mháta leis na chéad mhátaí

• Like the adjective céad (“first”) itself, this term always undergoes lenition after the definite article, both singular and plural, except in the dative singular where eclipsis may be found.

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
céad mháta	chéad mháta	gcéad mháta
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.