mèirleach

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish meirlech (“a robber, a bandit”). By surface analysis, mèirle +‎ -ach.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛːrˠləx/, /ˈmʲaːrˠləx/

Noun

mèirleach m (genitive singular mèirlich, plural mèirlich)

1. thief

   Synonym: gadaiche

Declension

Declension of mèirleach (type I masculine noun)

Indefinite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	mèirleach	mèirlich
Genitive	mèirlich	mhèirleach
Dative	mèirleach	mèirlich; mèirleachaibh*
Definite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	(am) mèirleach	(na) mèirlich
Genitive	(a') mhèirlich	(nam) mèirleach
Dative	(a') mhèirleach	(na) mèirlich; mèirleachaibh*
Vocative	(a) mhèirlich	(a) mhèirleacha

*obsolete form, was used until the 19th century

Derived terms

• frìth-mhèirleach

Mutation

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

Further reading

• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 meirlech”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language