gearrcach

Irish

Alternative forms

• geárcach, geárrcach (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle Irish gerrcach, from the root of gearr (“short”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈɟɑːɾˠkəx/

Noun

gearrcach m (genitive singular gearrcaigh, nominative plural gearrcaigh)

1. nestling, fledgling (young bird)
2. (figurative) infant

   Synonyms: naíonán, leanbh

Declension

Declension of gearrcach

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative gearrcach gearrcaigh Vocative a ghearrcaigh a ghearrcacha Genitive gearrcaigh gearrcach Dative gearrcach gearrcaigh

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an gearrcach na gearrcaigh Genitive an ghearrcaigh na ngearrcach Dative leis an ngearrcach don ghearrcach leis na gearrcaigh

Derived terms

• gearrcach dearg (“a very young/unfledged nestling, a very young infant”)
• gearrcach bhéal neide (“a pet (nestling)”)
• is geal leis an bhfiach dubh a ghearrcach féin (“beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, literally “the raven considers its own fledgling white”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
gearrcach	ghearrcach	ngearrcach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “gearrcaċ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 357
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “gearrcach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN