colainn

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish colinn (“body, flesh, corpse”), from Proto-Celtic *kolanis, from Proto-Indo-European *kel(H)-, whence also Proto-Germanic *huldą (“corpse, carcass”).

Pronunciation

• (Waterford, Cork) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔl̪ˠɪɲ/
• (Kerry) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔl̪ˠənʲ/
• (Connacht, Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔlˠən̠ʲ/

Noun

colainn f (genitive singular colainne or colla, nominative plural colainneacha or colla)

1. body (especially but not exclusively living)

   Synonyms: cabhail, corp

2. flesh (human body as a physical entity; evil, sin, corruption)

   pléisiúir na colla ― pleasures of the flesh

Declension

Declension of colainn (second declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative colainn colainneacha vocative a cholainn a cholainneacha genitive colainne colainneacha dative colainn colainneacha forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an cholainn na colainneacha genitive na colainne na gcolainneacha dative leis an gcolainn don cholainn leis na colainneacha

Declension of colainn (second declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative colainn colla vocative a cholainn a cholla genitive colla colla dative colainn colla forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an cholainn na colla genitive na colla na gcolla dative leis an gcolainn don cholainn leis na colla

Derived terms

• collaí (“carnal”, adjective)

Descendants

• → Fingallian: culleen

Mutation

Mutated forms of colainn

radical	lenition	eclipsis
colainn	cholainn	gcolainn

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “colainn”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• “colainn”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2025

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʰɔl̪ˠəɲ/

Noun

colainn m

1. genitive singular of colann

Mutation

Mutation of colainn

radical	lenition
colainn	cholainn

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.