ulchabhán

Irish

ulchabhán

Alternative forms

• ulagán, ulcachán, ulchabhchán

Etymology

From Classical Gaelic ulchobc(h)án, ulchubc(h)án (“owl”). Might consist of ul- from Latin ulula (“owl”) + Classical Gaelic cobcan (some kind of bird), which is perhaps from Old English hafoc (“hawk”) + -án (diminutive suffix).

Noun

ulchabhán m (genitive singular ulchabháin, nominative plural ulchabháin)

1. owl

   Synonym: cailleach oíche

Declension

Declension of ulchabhán

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative ulchabhán ulchabháin Vocative a ulchabháin a ulchabhána Genitive ulchabháin ulchabhán Dative ulchabhán ulchabháin

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an t-ulchabhán na hulchabháin Genitive an ulchabháin na n-ulchabhán Dative leis an ulchabhán don ulchabhán leis na hulchabháin

Derived terms

• cearc ulchabháin f (“Jenny owl”)
• gearrcach ulchabháin m (“owlet”)
• mionulchabhán m (“Eurasian pygmy owl”)
• rí-ulchabhán m (“eagle owl”)
• ulchabhán beag m (“little owl”)
• ulchabhán donn m (“tawny owl”)
• ulchabhán mór m (“stock-owl”)
• ulchabhán réisc m (“short-eared owl”)
• ulchabhán scopach m (“scops(-owl)”)
• ulchabhán síofrach m (“elf owl”)
• ulchabhán sneachtúil m (“snowy owl”)

 

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
ulchabhán	n-ulchabhán	hulchabhán	t-ulchabhán
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “ulchabhán”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “ulchobc(h)án, ulchubc(h)án”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “ulchabhán”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “ulchabhán”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024