gealán

Irish

Alternative forms

• dealán, diolán

Etymology

From Middle Irish gelán. By surface analysis, geal (“bright”) +‎ -án.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ɟɪˈl̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈɟɛlɑːn/
• (Connemara, Mayo) IPA^(key): /ˈɟalˠɑːnˠ/, /ˈɟal̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈɟalˠanˠ/, /ˈɟal̪ˠan̪ˠ/

Noun

gealán m (genitive singular gealáin, nominative plural gealáin)

1. gleam (indistinct, small or short-lived appearance of light; indistinct sign of something), flash

   gealán dóchais ― gleam of hope

2. aurora
3. whiting (fine white chalk)
4. (art, photography) highlight (strongly illuminated area; hair dyed a different color)
5. (dated) brightness
6. (literary) lightning

   saighead gealáin ― flash of lightning

7. white (of an egg, of the eye)

Declension

Declension of gealán

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative gealán gealáin Vocative a ghealáin a ghealána Genitive gealáin gealán Dative gealán gealáin

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an gealán na gealáin Genitive an ghealáin na ngealán Dative leis an ngealán don ghealán leis na gealáin

Synonyms

• (gleam): léas
• (brightness): gile
• (lightning): tintreach
• (white of egg/eye): gealacán

Derived terms

• cith gealáin (“sunny shower”)
• cith is gealán (“shower and sunshine (alternating)”)
• Gealáin Theas (“aurora australis, southern lights”)
• Gealáin Thuaidh (“aurora borealis, northern lights”)
• gealán gréine (“spell of sunshine”)
• tine ghealáin (“will o' the wisp, lightning, phosphorescence”)

 

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
gealán	ghealán	ngealán
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “gealán”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “gealán”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “gealán”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024