ualach

Irish

Etymology

Uncertain. Perhaps from the rare and obsolete uala (“shoulder”), apparently a byform of guala (now gualainn).This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

(Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈuəl̪ˠəx/
(Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈuəl̪ˠəx/, /ˈuəlˠəx/
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈuəl̪ˠa(x)/, /ˈuəlˠa(x)/

Noun

ualach m (genitive singular ualaigh, nominative plural ualaí)

a burden, load
- 2007 February 8, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, “Sláinte”, in Irish Aid‎, retrieved 2012-10-02:
  Is ar na bochtáin, go háirithe i dtíortha ina bhfuil daoine ar ioncam íseal, atá an t-ualach is mó maidir le breoiteacht agus le drochshláinte, agus is acusan atá an rochtain is lú ar sheirbhísí cúraim shláinte agus is lú atá in ann déileáil le tionchar an tinnis agus teacht as.
  The poor, and especially those in low-income countries, bear the highest burden of sickness and ill health, have the least access to health care services, and are least equipped to cope with and recover from the impact of illness. (original from which above was translated)

Declension

Declension of ualach

First declension

Bare forms:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	ualach	ualaí
Vocative	a ualaigh	a ualaí
Genitive	ualaigh	ualaí
Dative	ualach	ualaí

Forms with the definite article:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an t-ualach	na hualaí
Genitive	an ualaigh	na n-ualaí
Dative	leis an ualach don ualach	leis na hualaí

Mutation

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