caifeach

Irish

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

caifeach f (genitive singular caifí, nominative plural caifeacha)

1. woman wearing coif
2. small-faced woman

Declension

Declension of caifeach

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative caifeach caifeacha Vocative a chaifeach a chaifeacha Genitive caifí caifeach Dative caifeach caifeacha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an chaifeach na caifeacha Genitive na caifí na gcaifeach Dative leis an gcaifeach don chaifeach leis na caifeacha

Related terms

• beannán, caidhp (“coif”)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish caithmech (“lavish, generous”), from caithem. By surface analysis, caitheamh +‎ -ach.

Adjective

caifeach (genitive singular masculine caifigh, genitive singular feminine caifí, plural caifeacha, comparative caifí)

1. given to spending; prodigal, wasteful

Declension

Declension of caifeach

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	caifeach	chaifeach	caifeacha; chaifeacha²
Vocative	chaifigh		caifeacha
Genitive		caifí	caifeacha	caifeach
Dative	caifeach; chaifeach¹	chaifeach; chaifigh (archaic)	caifeacha; chaifeacha²
Comparative	níos caifí
Superlative	is caifí

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

Alternative forms

• caitheamhach

Derived terms

• baothchaifeach (“prodigal, profligate”)
• caifeachán m (“prodigal, profligate, squanderer”)
• caifeachas m (“prodigality, wastefulness”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
caifeach	chaifeach	gcaifeach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “caifeach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “caithmech”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “caifeach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “caifeach”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024