bacach
Irish
Etymology
From Old Irish baccach (“lame; lame person”), from bacc (“angle, bend; hindrance, act of hindering”) + -ach.
Pronunciation
- (Munster) IPA(key): /bˠəˈkɑx/
- (Connacht) IPA(key): /ˈbˠakəx/
- (Ulster) IPA(key): /ˈbˠaka(h)/
Adjective
bacach (genitive singular masculine bacaigh, genitive singular feminine bacaí, plural bacacha, comparative bacaí)
- lame
- halting, imperfect
Declension
Singular | Plural (m/f) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Positive | Masculine | Feminine | (strong noun) | (weak noun) |
Nominative | bacach | bhacach | bacacha; bhacacha² | |
Vocative | bhacaigh | bacacha | ||
Genitive | bacaí | bacacha | bacach | |
Dative | bacach; bhacach¹ | bhacach; bhacaigh (archaic) | bacacha; bhacacha² | |
Comparative | níos bacaí | |||
Superlative | is bacaí |
¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.
Derived terms
- bacachán m (“lame person or animal”)
- Laidin bhacach f (“dog-Latin”)
Noun
bacach m (genitive singular bacaigh, nominative plural bacaigh)
- lame person
- beggar
- Ná bac le mac an bhacaigh is ní bhacfaidh mac an bhacaigh leat. ― Don’t bother the beggar’s son and the beggar’s son won’t bother you.
- Synonym: sirtheoir
- mean person, sponger
- despicable person
Declension
First declension
Bare forms:
| Forms with the definite article:
|
Derived terms
- bacachas m (“(act of) begging, sponging”)
Mutation
Irish mutation | ||
---|---|---|
Radical | Lenition | Eclipsis |
bacach | bhacach | mbacach |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Further reading
- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “bacach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “baccach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- Entries containing “bacach” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
- Entries containing “bacach” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.
- Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 20
Scottish Gaelic
Etymology
From Old Irish baccach (“lame; lame person”), from bacc (“angle, bend; hindrance, act of hindering”) + -ach.
Adjective
bacach (genitive singular masculine bacaich, comparative bacaiche)
- crippled, lame, limping
- rugged
Declension
First declension; forms of the positive degree:
Case | Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Plural |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative | bacach | bhacach | bacach |
Vocative | bhacaich | bhacaich | bacach |
Genitive | bhacaich | bhacaich/bacaich | bacach |
Dative | bhacach | bhacaich | bacach |
Comparative/superlative: bacaiche
Noun
bacach m (genitive singular bacaich, plural bacaich)
- a crippled person
Mutation
Scottish Gaelic mutation | |
---|---|
Radical | Lenition |
bacach | bhacach |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Further reading
- Edward Dwelly (1911), “bacach”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “baccach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language