cailín
Irish
editEtymology
editFrom caile (“maid”) + -ín (diminutive suffix).
Pronunciation
edit- (Munster) IPA(key): /kaˈlʲiːnʲ/[1]
- (Connacht) IPA(key): /ˈkalʲiːnʲ/
- (Ulster) IPA(key): /ˈkælʲinʲ/[2]
Noun
editcailín m (genitive singular cailín, nominative plural cailíní)
- girl; young, unmarried woman
- Synonyms: gearrchaile, girseach
- girlfriend
- Synonym: girseach
- female servant, maid
- useful thing (referring to a feminine noun)
- Is í an druil an cailín chun na hoibre.
- The drill is the right tool for the job.
Usage notes
edit- Cailín is masculine because of the suffix -ín. Nevertheless, the feminine pronouns sí and í are used to refer to it.
Declension
editDeclension of cailín
Bare forms
|
Forms with the definite article
|
Coordinate terms
editDerived terms
edit- cailín aimsire (“servant-girl”)
- cailín báire (“tomboy”)
- cailín bán (“stoat”)
- cailín bláthanna (“flower-girl”)
- cailín coimhdeachta (“bridesmaid”)
- cailín dearg (“tongue”)
- cailín freastail (“waitress”)
- cailín óg (“young girl; bride”)
- cailín oibre (“work-girl”)
- cailín scoile (“schoolgirl”)
- cailín siopa (“shop-girl”)
- cailín tí (“housemaid”)
Descendants
editMutation
editIrish mutation | ||
---|---|---|
Radical | Lenition | Eclipsis |
cailín | chailín | gcailín |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
References
edit- ^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 78
- ^ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 45
Further reading
edit- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cailín”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
- de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “cailín”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
- “cailín”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024