colbha

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish colba.

Pronunciation

• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔlˠəwə/, /ˈkɔl̪ˠəwə/

Noun

colbha m (genitive singular colbha, nominative plural colbhaí)

1. (outer) edge (sharp terminating border; a margin; extreme verge), brink, border

   Synonyms: broinne, ciumhais, imeall

   colbha cathrach ― the outer fringe of a city

2. surround (anything, such as a fence or border, that surrounds something)
3. outer edge of bed

   colbha leapa ― bedside

4. bedhead (vertical panel or board at the end of a bed where the pillow is placed; that end itself)
5. kerb (edge between pavement and roadway)

   colbha bóthair ― roadside, kerb (from the point of view of the road)

   colbha cosáin ― kerb (from the point of view of the pavement/sidewalk)

6. (obsolete) ridge (chain of mountains or hills)

   Synonyms: droim, mullach

7. (obsolete) sceptre

   Synonym: ríshlat

Declension

Declension of colbha

Third declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative colbha colbhaí Vocative a cholbha a cholbhaí Genitive colbhaí colbhaí Dative colbha colbhaí

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an colbha na colbhaí Genitive an cholbhaí na gcolbhaí Dative leis an gcolbha don cholbha leis na colbhaí

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
colbha	cholbha	gcolbha
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “colba”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “colḃa”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 170
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “colbha”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 54