fochlae

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *uɸokliyom (“north”), a derivative of *kliyos (“left”) (whence clé (“left”), hence synchronically analyzable as fo- +‎ clé). Cognate with Welsh gogledd (“north”). In Matasović's words, "the development from ‘left’ to ‘north’ lies in the fact that the north is on the left side when one is facing the east (the rising sun)."

Noun

fochlae n (genitive fochlai)

1. the north (especially of Ireland)

   Antonym: faitse

2. seat of honor

Inflection

Neuter io-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	fochlaeN	fochlaeL	fochlaeL
Vocative	fochlaeN	fochlaeL	fochlaeL
Accusative	fochlaeN	fochlaeL	fochlaeL
Genitive	fochlaiL	fochlaeL	fochlaeN
Dative	fochluL	fochlaib	fochlaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Middle Irish: fochla

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
fochlae	ḟochlae	fochlae pronounced with /β(ʲ)-/
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), “1 fochla”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language