fortacht

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish fortacht, verbal noun of for·tét (“to help”), from Proto-Celtic *uɸortixtā.

Pronunciation

• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈfˠɔɾˠt̪əxt̪ˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈfˠɔɾˠt̪a(x)t̪ˠ/

Noun

fortacht f (genitive singular fortachta)

1. verbal noun of fortaigh

   Synonym: fortú

2. aid, succour; relief, comfort

Declension

Declension of fortacht

Third declension

Bare forms (no plural for this noun): Case Singular Nominative fortacht Vocative a fhortacht Genitive fortachta Dative fortacht

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Nominative an fhortacht Genitive na fortachta Dative leis an bhfortacht don fhortacht

Derived terms

• anfhortacht

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
fortacht	fhortacht	bhfortacht
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “fortacht”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “fortacht”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *uɸortixtā. By surface analysis, for- +‎ techt.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɸor.təxt/, [ˈɸortaxt]

Noun

fortacht f (genitive fortachtae or fortachtan)

1. verbal noun of for·tét
2. help, aid

Declension

Feminine ā-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	fortachtL	—	—
Vocative	fortachtL	—	—
Accusative	fortachtN	—	—
Genitive	fortachtaeH	—	—
Dative	fortachtL	—	—
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Feminine n-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	fortacht	—	—
Vocative	fortacht	—	—
Accusative	fortachtainN	—	—
Genitive	fortachton, fortachtan	—	—
Dative	fortachtainL, fortachtL	—	—
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Quotations

• c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 14^d17

  coní·árim-se peccad libsi uili, ꝉ ara·tart-sa fortacht dúibsi, arnap trom fuirib for n‑oínur

  so that I may not count sin with you all, or so that I may give you aid lest it be heavy on you by yourselves

• c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 40^b8

  cach la céin aisndís dïa thrógai, in céin n-aili aisṅdís dind ḟortacht du·rat Día dó ⁊ indas dund·rét

  at the one time a statement of his misery, at another time a statement of the help that God has given him and how he has protected him

Descendants

• Middle Irish: fortacht, furtacht
  • Irish: fortacht
  • Scottish Gaelic: furtachd

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
fortacht	ḟortacht	fortacht pronounced with /β(ʲ)-/
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), “fortacht”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language