bodach

English

Noun

bodach (plural bodachs)

1. 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)

1. (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)

1. 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.

2. male crab

Declension

Declension of bodach

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative bodach bodaigh Vocative a bhodaigh a bhodacha Genitive bodaigh bodach Dative bodach bodaigh

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an bodach na bodaigh Genitive an bhodaigh na mbodach Dative leis an mbodach don bhodach leis na bodaigh

Derived terms

• An Bodach (“Orion”)
• bodach bóthair (“vagrant, tramp”)
• bodach buí (“pollock”)
• bodach donn, bodach rua (“cod”)
• bodach gliogair (“yellow rattle”)
• bodach gorm (“field scabious”)
• bodach mór (“ling; bigwig”)
• bodachán (“snipe; measure”)
• 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 (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 47

Scots

Etymology

Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic bodach.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɔ.dəx/

Noun

bodach (plural bodachs)

1. (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)

1. 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]‎^[1], 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