fleascach

Irish

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish flescach (“lad under 17, whose weapon was a rod or wand rather than a spear”). By surface analysis, fleasc (“wand”) +‎ -ach. Cognate with Scottish Gaelic fleasgach.

Alternative forms

• fleascachán, fleascánach
• fleasgach, fleasgachán, fleasgánach (superseded)

Noun

fleascach m (genitive singular fleascaigh, nominative plural fleascaigh)

1. stripling, youth
2. rascal

Declension

Declension of fleascach

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative fleascach fleascaigh Vocative a fhleascaigh a fhleascacha Genitive fleascaigh fleascach Dative fleascach fleascaigh

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an fleascach na fleascaigh Genitive an fhleascaigh na bhfleascach Dative leis an bhfleascach don fhleascach leis na fleascaigh

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish flescach (“abounding in shoot or branches; youthful”). By surface analysis, fleasc (“wand”) +‎ -ach.

Alternative forms

• fleascúil
• fleascamhail, fleasgach, fleasgamhail (superseded)

Adjective

fleascach (genitive singular masculine fleascaigh, genitive singular feminine fleascaí, plural fleascacha, comparative fleascaí)

1. youthful
2. wreathed

Declension

Declension of fleascach

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	fleascach	fhleascach	fleascacha; fhleascacha²
Vocative	fhleascaigh		fleascacha
Genitive		fleascaí	fleascacha	fleascach
Dative	fleascach; fhleascach¹	fhleascach; fhleascaigh (archaic)	fleascacha; fhleascacha²
Comparative	níos fleascaí
Superlative	is fleascaí

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

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
fleascach	fhleascach	bhfleascach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “fleascaċ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 320
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927) “fleascaċ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “fleascach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN