baintreach

Irish

Alternative forms

baintreabhach (superseded)
baintreách

Etymology

PIE word
*gʷḗn

From Middle Irish baintrebthach f, originally “landlady”, from ban- (combining form of ben (“woman”)) + trebthach (“householder”), from treb (“farm, holding”), from Proto-Celtic *trebā (“settlement”) (compare Welsh tref (“town”)), from Proto-Indo-European *treb- (“settlement”) (compare Old English þorp (“village”), Lithuanian troba (“house”)). Replaced now archaic feadhbh, from Old Irish fedb.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbˠanʲtʲɾʲəx/
(Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲantʲɾʲəx/[1] (as if spelled beaintreach)
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠæn̠ʲtʲɾʲa(x)/

Noun

baintreach f (genitive singular baintrí, nominative plural baintreacha)

widow
Synonym: baintreach mná
Coordinate term: baintreach fir

Declension

Declension of baintreach

Second declension

Bare forms

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	baintreach	baintreacha
Vocative	a bhaintreach	a bhaintreacha
Genitive	baintrí	baintreach
Dative	baintreach baintrigh (archaic, dialectal)	baintreacha

Forms with the definite article

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an bhaintreach	na baintreacha
Genitive	na baintrí	na mbaintreach
Dative	leis an mbaintreach leis an mbaintrigh (archaic, dialectal) don bhaintreach don bhaintrigh (archaic, dialectal)	leis na baintreacha

Derived terms

baintreach an rí (“queen dowager”)
baintreachas m (“widowhood”)
baintreach dhuair (“dowager”)
baintreach dhubh (“black widow”)
cianóg na baintrí f (“the widow's mite”)
feisteas baintrí m (“weeds”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
baintreach	bhaintreach	mbaintreach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

Finck, F. N. (1899), Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, p. 39.

Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “baintreach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “baintrebthach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904), “baintreaḃaċ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 49
Entries containing “baintreach” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
Entries containing “baintreach” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.
Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 64

[1] Finck, F. N. (1899), Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, p. 39.