seanscéal

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish senscél. By surface analysis, sean (“old”) +‎ scéal (“story”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ʃan̪ˠˈʃcial̪ˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈʃanˠʃceːlˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈʃanˠʃcelˠ/

Noun

seanscéal m (genitive singular seanscéil, nominative plural seanscéalta)

1. legend, folktale
   • 1894 March, Peadar Mac Fionnlaoigh, “An rí nach robh le fagháil bháis”, in Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge, volume 1:5, Dublin: Gaelic Union, pages 185–88:

     Bhí rí ann i bhfad ó shoin ⁊ bhí sé le bheith beó ariam go n‑innseóchadh a mhac féin sean-sgéal do.

     There was long ago a king who was to be alive ever till his own son should tell him an old story (a wonder or romance).

2. chestnut (old, worn out joke or story)

Declension

Declension of seanscéal

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative seanscéal seanscéalta Vocative a sheanscéil a sheanscéalta Genitive seanscéil seanscéalta Dative seanscéal seanscéalta

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an seanscéal na seanscéalta Genitive an tseanscéil na seanscéalta Dative leis an seanscéal don seanscéal leis na seanscéalta

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
seanscéal	sheanscéal after an, tseanscéal	not applicable
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 sen”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• “seanscéal”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “seanscéal”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 629
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “seanscéal”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• “seanscéal”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024