meánach

Irish

Alternative forms

meadhónach (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish medónach (compare Scottish Gaelic meadhanach); synchronically, meán (“middle; mean; medium; average”) +‎ -ach (adjectival suffix).

Pronunciation

(Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈmʲɑːnˠəx/
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈmʲæːnˠa(x)/

Adjective

meánach (genitive singular masculine meánaigh, genitive singular feminine meánaí, plural meánacha, comparative meánaí)

middle, intermediate, central, medial
medium, average; moderate
mean

Declension

Declension of meánach

Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Nominative	meánach	mheánach	meánacha; mheánacha²
Vocative	mheánaigh	mheánach	meánacha
Genitive	mheánaigh	meánaí	meánacha	meánach
Dative	meánach; mheánach¹	mheánach; mheánaigh (archaic)	meánacha; mheánacha²
Comparative	níos meánaí
Superlative	is meánaí

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Synonyms

(mean, medial, average, medium): meán-
(middle): lár

Derived terms

fomheánach (“submediant”, adjective)
neamh-mheánach (“immediate”)
néaróg mheánach f (“median nerve”)

Noun

meánach m (genitive singular meánaigh, nominative plural meánaigh)

(music) mediant

Declension

Declension of meánach

First declension

Bare forms:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	meánach	meánaigh
Vocative	a mheánaigh	a mheánacha
Genitive	meánaigh	meánach
Dative	meánach	meánaigh

Forms with the definite article:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an meánach	na meánaigh
Genitive	an mheánaigh	na meánach
Dative	leis an meánach don mheánach	leis na meánaigh

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
meánach	mheánach	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “meánach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “medónach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Entries containing “meánach” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
Entries containing “meánach” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.