cuisle

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish cuisle (“pipe, tube”), from Old Irish cusle, of obscure origin. Possibly related to Proto-Germanic *husǭ (“outer covering”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover”). Not related to Latin pulsus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɪʃl̠ʲə/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈkʊʃl̠ʲə/

Noun

cuisle f (genitive singular cuisle or cuisleann, nominative plural cuislí or cuisleanna or cuisleacha)

1. pulse (regular beat felt when the arteries are depressed)
2. (chiefly figuratively) vein, blood vessel
3. forearm, wrist
4. (figuratively) channel
5. (geology) seam
6. (music) flute
7. (architecture) flute (groove in a column)

Declension

Declension of cuisle

Fourth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative cuisle cuislí Vocative a chuisle a chuislí Genitive cuisle cuislí Dative cuisle cuislí

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an chuisle na cuislí Genitive na cuisle na gcuislí Dative leis an gcuisle don chuisle leis na cuislí

• Alternative plural form: cuisleacha
• Archaic fifth-declension forms:

Declension of cuisle

Fifth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative cuisle cuisleanna Vocative a chuisle a chuisleanna Genitive cuisleann cuisleann Dative cuislinn cuisleanna

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an chuisle na cuisleanna Genitive na cuisleann na gcuisleann Dative leis an gcuislinn don chuislinn leis na cuisleanna

Synonyms

• (vein): féith (used of literal veins)
• (blood vessel): fuileadán (used of literal blood vessels)
• (forearm): rí
• (channel): géag, góilín
• (musical instrument): fliúit, feadóg mhór

Derived terms

• cuisleach (“veined”, adjective)
• cuisligh (“flow; flute; pipe”, verb)

Descendants

• → English: acushla (from vocative a chuisle)
• → English: macushla (from mo chuisle (literally “my pulse”))

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
cuisle	chuisle	gcuisle
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cuisle”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “cuisle”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 212
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cuisle”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “cuisle”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “cuisle”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Middle Irish cuisle (“pipe, tube”), from Old Irish cusle, of obscure origin. Possibly related to Proto-Germanic *husǭ (“outer covering”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kew- (“to cover”). Not related to Latin pulsus.

Noun

cuisle f (plural cuislean)

1. a vein or artery
2. pulse
3. stream
4. pipe

Mutation

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