dearg

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish derg, from Proto-Celtic *dergos (“red, crimson”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (“to dim, darken”); compare Old English deorc (“dark”) and Tocharian A tärkär/B tarkär (“cloud”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdʲaɾˠəɡ/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈdʲaɾˠək/
• (Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /ˈdʲæɾˠəɡ/

Adjective

dearg (genitive singular masculine deirg, genitive singular feminine deirge, plural dearga, comparative deirge)

1. red
2. live (being in a state of ignition; burning)
3. extreme, tremendous, utter

   dithneas dearg ― a tearing hurry

Declension

Declension of dearg

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	dearg	dhearg	dearga; dhearga²
Vocative	dheirg		dearga
Genitive		deirge	dearga	dearg
Dative	dearg; dhearg¹	dhearg; dheirg (archaic)	dearga; dhearga²
Comparative	níos deirge
Superlative	is deirge

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Synonyms

• rua
• (being in a state of ignition; burning): beo

Derived terms

• aibhleog dhearg (“ember”)
• broinndearg (“redbreast”)
• cailín dearg (“tongue”)
• deargach (“red, communist”)
• dearglach (“red glow”)
• dearg­náire (“utter shame”)
• scothdhearg (“reddish”)

 

Verb

dearg (present analytic deargann, future analytic deargfaidh, verbal noun deargadh, past participle deargtha)

1. (transitive) to redden
2. (transitive) to light (cigarette, pipe, etc.)

Conjugation

conjugation of dearg (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	deargaim	deargann tú; deargair†	deargann sé, sí	deargaimid	deargann sibh	deargann siad; deargaid†	a dheargann; a dheargas / a ndeargann*	deargtar
	past	dhearg mé; dheargas	dhearg tú; dheargais	dhearg sé, sí	dheargamar; dhearg muid	dhearg sibh; dheargabhair	dhearg siad; dheargadar	a dhearg / ar dhearg*	deargadh
	past habitual	dheargainn / ndeargainn‡‡	dheargtá / ndeargtᇇ	dheargadh sé, sí / ndeargadh sé, s퇇	dheargaimis; dheargadh muid / ndeargaimis‡‡; ndeargadh muid‡‡	dheargadh sibh / ndeargadh sibh‡‡	dheargaidís; dheargadh siad / ndeargaidís‡‡; ndeargadh siad‡‡	a dheargadh / a ndeargadh*	dheargtaí / ndeargta퇇
future		deargfaidh mé; deargfad	deargfaidh tú; deargfair†	deargfaidh sé, sí	deargfaimid; deargfaidh muid	deargfaidh sibh	deargfaidh siad; deargfaid†	a dheargfaidh; a dheargfas / a ndeargfaidh*	deargfar
conditional		dheargfainn / ndeargfainn‡‡	dheargfá / ndeargfᇇ	dheargfadh sé, sí / ndeargfadh sé, s퇇	dheargfaimis; dheargfadh muid / ndeargfaimis‡‡; ndeargfadh muid‡‡	dheargfadh sibh / ndeargfadh sibh‡‡	dheargfaidís; dheargfadh siad / ndeargfaidís‡‡; ndeargfadh siad‡‡	a dheargfadh / a ndeargfadh*	dheargfaí / ndeargfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go ndearga mé; go ndeargad†	go ndearga tú; go ndeargair†	go ndearga sé, sí	go ndeargaimid; go ndearga muid	go ndearga sibh	go ndearga siad; go ndeargaid†	—	go ndeargtar
	past	dá ndeargainn	dá ndeargtá	dá ndeargadh sé, sí	dá ndeargaimis; dá ndeargadh muid	dá ndeargadh sibh	dá ndeargaidís; dá ndeargadh siad	—	dá ndeargtaí
imperative		deargaim	dearg	deargadh sé, sí	deargaimis	deargaigí; deargaidh†	deargaidís	—	deargtar
verbal noun		deargadh
past participle		deargtha

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Alternative forms

• deargaigh

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
dearg	dhearg	ndearg
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

See also

Colors in Irish · dathanna (layout · text)

bán	liath	dubh
dearg; corcairdhearg	oráiste, flannbhuí; donn	buí; bánbhuí
líoma-ghlas, glas líoma	glas, uaine	dath an mhiontais
cian	gormghlas, spéirghorm	gorm
corcairghorm; indeagó	maigeanta; corcra	bándearg

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “derg”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “dergaid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “dearg”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 231
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “deargaim”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 231
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “dearg”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “dearg”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “dearg”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 54
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 44

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish derg, from Proto-Celtic *dergos (“red, crimson”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (“to dim, darken”); compare Old English deorc (“dark”) and Tocharian A tärkär/B tarkär (“cloud”).

Pronunciation

• (Lewis) IPA^(key): /ˈd̥ʲaɾaɡ̥/
• (Uist) IPA^(key): /ˈd̥ʲɛɾaɡ̥/

Noun

dearg m (genitive singular deirg)

1. red

Adjective

dearg (genitive singular masculine deirg, genitive singular feminine deirge, nominative plural dearga, comparative deirge)

1. red
2. reddish (forming compounds with other colours)
3. complete, utter (as intensifier)

Declension

Declension of dearg (type I adjective)

	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	dearg	dhearg	dearga
Genitive	dheirg	deirge	dearga
Dative	dearg	dheirg	dearga
Vocative	dheirg	dhearg	dearga

Derived terms

• brù-dhearg (“robin redbreast”)
• deocan-dearga (“red clover”)
• fiabhras-dearg (“scarlet fever”)
• fo-dhearg (“infrared”)

 

Adverb

dearg

1. completely, utterly

See also

Colors in Scottish Gaelic · dathan (layout · text)

bàn, geal	glas	dubh
dearg; ruadh	orains; donn	buidhe; donn
uaine	uaine	gorm
liath; glas	liath	gorm
purpaidh; guirmean	pinc; purpaidh	pinc

Mutation

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

References

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “dearg”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “derg”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language