capall

Irish

Capall

Etymology

From Old Irish capall, related to Welsh ceffyl and Latin caballus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkapˠəl̪ˠ/

Noun

capall m (genitive singular capaill, nominative plural capaill)

1. horse (large hoofed animal)

   Synonym: each

   Is minic a rinne bromach gioblach capall cumasach. (proverb)

   Many a ragged colt made a noble horse.

2. (Ulster) mare

   Synonym: láir

3. (genitive singular as attributive adjective) large, coarse (species of something)

Declension

Declension of capall

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative capall capaill Vocative a chapaill a chapalla Genitive capaill capall Dative capall capaill

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an capall na capaill Genitive an chapaill na gcapall Dative leis an gcapall don chapall leis na capaill

• Alternative plural: caiple (Cois Fharraige)

Hyponyms

• bromach (“colt”)
• cairiún (“gelding”)
• cliobóg (“filly”)
• gearrán (“gelding”)
• láir (“mare”)
• láireog (“filly”)
• searrach (“foal”)
• stail (“stallion”)

 

Derived terms

• ar chapall (“on horseback”, adverb)
• ar muin capaill (“on horseback”, adverb)
• athchapall m (“remount”)
• beach chapaill f (“wasp”)
• beithíoch capaill (“horse”)
• buaic capaill (“crest of horse”)
• capaill bhána m pl (“white horses, crested waves”)
• capaillín m (“pony”)
• capall ardfhola m (“thorough-bred horse”)
• capall ardualaigh m (“pack-horse”)
• capall cogaidh m (“charger”)
• capall coille m (“capercaillie”)
• capall cóiste m (“coach-horse”)
• capall diallaite m (“saddle-horse”)
• capall fiaigh m (“hunter”)
• capall folaíochta m (“thoroughbred horse”)
• capall luascáin m (“rocking-horse”)
• capall maide m (“hobby-horse”)
• capall marcaíochta m (“hackney”)
• capall marclaigh m (“pack-horse”)
• capall rása m (“racehorse”)
• capall sáiteach m (“borer”)
• capall sealaíochta m (“relay horse”)
• capall seilge m (“hunter”)
• capall tarlaithe m (“draught-horse”)
• capall tarraingthe m (“draught-horse”)
• capall ualaigh m (“pack-horse”)
• capallach (“equine”, adjective)
• cíor chapaill f (“curry-comb”)
• cnó capaill m (“horse-chestnut”)
• coiléar capaill m (“horse-collar”)
• coirb capaill (“withers”)
• cruimh chapaill f (“grub of tiger moth”)
• eireaball capaill (“horsetail”)
• faocha chapaill f (“whelk”)
• féar capaill m (“cat’s-tail grass”)
• feoil chapaill f (“horsemeat”)
• fia-chapall m (“wild horse”)
• gearrchapall m (“pony”)
• giolla capaill m (“horse-boy”)
• leathchapall m (“medium-sized horse, cob”)
• pana capaill (“horse-cloth, housing”)
• péist chapaill f (“large caterpillar”)
• rás capall (“horse race”)
• rásaíocht chapall f (“horse-racing”)
• scothchapall m (“medium-sized horse”)
• seamair chapaill f (“red clover”)
• seangán capaill m (“black ant”)
• sos capall (“relay of horses”)

 

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
capall	chapall	gcapall
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “capall”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “capall”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “capall”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Old Irish

Etymology

Uncertain. The Old Irish /p/ and the /f/ in Welsh ceffyl suggest an earlier *pp, making it impossible to be directly related to Gaulish Caballo-, which occurs in proper nouns. A common source of the Irish and Welsh words could be a hypothetical Vulgar Latin *cappillus, some kind of contamination of caballus (“horse”) and capellus (“small goat”). Latin caballus is assumed to be a borrowing from Gaulish. This might in turn be a Wanderwort originating in Asia, compare Ancient Greek καβάλλης (kabállēs, “a nag”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkapal͈]

Noun

capall m (genitive capaill, nominative plural capaill)

1. horse

Inflection

Masculine o-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	capall	capallL	capaillL
Vocative	capaill	capallL	caipliuH
Accusative	capallN	capallL	caipliuH
Genitive	capaillL	capall	capallN
Dative	capullL	caiplib	caiplib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: capall
• Manx: cabbyl
• Scottish Gaelic: capall
• → Old Norse: kapall
  • Icelandic: kapall

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
capall	chapall	capall pronounced with /ɡ(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), “capall”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish capall (“horse”), related to Welsh ceffyl and Latin caballus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʰahpəl̪ˠ/

Noun

capall m (genitive singular capaill, plural capaill)

1. colt
2. mare (female horse)

Usage notes

• Even when meaning "mare", retains masculine gender.

Derived terms

• capall-aibhne (“hippopotamus”)
• capall-coille (“capercaillie”)
• capall-lìn (“flax beater”)
• capall-mara (“seahorse”)
• capall-uallaich (“packhorse”)

Mutation

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

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “capall”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “capall”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language