bodach
English
Noun
bodach (plural bodachs)
- A trickster or bogeyman figure in Gaelic folklore.
Irish
Pronunciation
- (Connacht) IPA(key): /ˈbˠɔd̪ˠəx/
- (Ulster) IPA(key): /ˈbˠʌd̪ˠa(h)/
Etymology 1
bod (“penis”) + -ach (adjectival suffix)
Adjective
bodach (genitive singular masculine bodaigh, genitive singular feminine bodaí, plural bodacha, comparative bodaí)
- (archaic) lusty, virile
Declension
Declension of bodach
Singular | Plural (m/f) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Positive | Masculine | Feminine | (strong noun) | (weak noun) |
Nominative | bodach | bhodach | bodacha; bhodacha² | |
Vocative | bhodaigh | bodacha | ||
Genitive | bodaí | bodacha | bodach | |
Dative | bodach; bhodach¹ | bhodach; bhodaigh (archaic) | bodacha; bhodacha² | |
Comparative | níos bodaí | |||
Superlative | is bodaí |
¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.
Etymology 2
From Middle Irish botach (“serf, rustic, peasant”).
Noun
bodach m (genitive singular bodaigh, nominative plural bodaigh)
- boor, churl, lout
- Proverb: Tabhair rogha don bhodach agus tógfaidh sé an díogha. ― Give a beggar a horse and he will ride to the devil.
- male crab
Declension
Declension of bodach
First declension
Bare forms:
| Forms with the definite article:
|
Derived terms
- An Bodach (“Orion”)
- bodachán (“snipe; measure”)
- bodach bóthair (“vagrant, tramp”)
- bodach buí (“pollock”)
- bodach donn, bodach rua (“cod”)
- bodach gliogair (“yellow rattle”)
- bodach gorm (“field scabious”)
- bodach mór (“ling; bigwig”)
- garbhán bodaigh (“coarse, wild, kale”)
Mutation
Irish mutation | ||
---|---|---|
Radical | Lenition | Eclipsis |
bodach | bhodach | mbodach |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Further reading
- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “bodach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “botach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- Finck, F. N. (1899), Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, p. 47.
Scots
Etymology
Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic bodach.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbɔ.dəx/
Noun
bodach (plural bodachs)
- (dialectal) old man
Scottish Gaelic
Etymology
From Middle Irish botach (“serf, rustic, peasant”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpɔt̪əx/
Noun
bodach m (genitive singular bodaich, plural bodaich)
- old man
Derived terms
- Bodach na Nollaige (“Father Christmas, Santa Claus”)
- bodach ròcais (“scarecrow”)
- bodach-sneachda (“snowman”)
See also
- cailleach
Further reading
- Edward Dwelly (1911), “bodach”, 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), “botach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language