caoch

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish cáech (“blind in one eye; a person blind in one eye”), from Proto-Celtic *kaikos (compare Welsh coeg (“empty, vain, one-eyed, blind”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ikos (“one-eyed”) (compare Latin caecus (“blind”)).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /keːx/, [këːə̯x]
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /kiːx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /kiːx/, (older) /kɯːx/

Noun

caoch m (genitive singular caoich, nominative plural caocha)

1. blind, purblind person, creature

Declension

Declension of caoch

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative caoch caocha Vocative a chaoich a chaocha Genitive caoich caoch Dative caoch caocha

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an caoch na caocha Genitive an chaoich na gcaoch Dative leis an gcaoch don chaoch leis na caocha

Derived terms

• caoch láibe (“mole”)

Adjective

caoch (genitive singular masculine caoich, genitive singular feminine caoiche, plural caocha, comparative caoiche)

1. blind, purblind (of creature)
2. blind, empty; (of place) blind, closed up (of seed-vessel)
3. (card games) nontrump

Declension

Declension of caoch

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	caoch	chaoch	caocha; chaocha²
Vocative	chaoch		caocha
Genitive		caoiche	caocha	caoch
Dative	caoch; chaoch¹	chaoch	caocha; chaocha²
Comparative	níos caoiche
Superlative	is caoiche

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

• caochneantóg (“deadnettle”)

Verb

caoch (present analytic caochann, future analytic caochfaidh, verbal noun caochadh, past participle caochta)

1. (transitive) blind; daze, dazzle
2. (intransitive, of seed-vessel) become empty, wither
3. (intransitive) close, become blocked
4. (intransitive) wink [+ ar (object) = at]; flicker

Conjugation

conjugation of caoch (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	caochaim	caochann tú; caochair†	caochann sé, sí	caochaimid	caochann sibh	caochann siad; caochaid†	a chaochann; a chaochas / a gcaochann*; a gcaochas*	caochtar
	past	chaoch mé; chaochas	chaoch tú; chaochais	chaoch sé, sí	chaochamar; chaoch muid	chaoch sibh; chaochabhair	chaoch siad; chaochadar	a chaoch / ar chaoch*	caochadh
	past habitual	chaochainn / gcaochainn‡‡	chaochtá / gcaochtᇇ	chaochadh sé, sí / gcaochadh sé, s퇇	chaochaimis; chaochadh muid / gcaochaimis‡‡; gcaochadh muid‡‡	chaochadh sibh / gcaochadh sibh‡‡	chaochaidís; chaochadh siad / gcaochaidís‡‡; gcaochadh siad‡‡	a chaochadh / a gcaochadh*	chaochtaí / gcaochta퇇
future		caochfaidh mé; caochfad	caochfaidh tú; caochfair†	caochfaidh sé, sí	caochfaimid; caochfaidh muid	caochfaidh sibh	caochfaidh siad; caochfaid†	a chaochfaidh; a chaochfas / a gcaochfaidh*; a gcaochfas*	caochfar
conditional		chaochfainn / gcaochfainn‡‡	chaochfá / gcaochfᇇ	chaochfadh sé, sí / gcaochfadh sé, s퇇	chaochfaimis; chaochfadh muid / gcaochfaimis‡‡; gcaochfadh muid‡‡	chaochfadh sibh / gcaochfadh sibh‡‡	chaochfaidís; chaochfadh siad / gcaochfaidís‡‡; gcaochfadh siad‡‡	a chaochfadh / a gcaochfadh*	chaochfaí / gcaochfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go gcaocha mé; go gcaochad†	go gcaocha tú; go gcaochair†	go gcaocha sé, sí	go gcaochaimid; go gcaocha muid	go gcaocha sibh	go gcaocha siad; go gcaochaid†	—	go gcaochtar
	past	dá gcaochainn	dá gcaochtá	dá gcaochadh sé, sí	dá gcaochaimis; dá gcaochadh muid	dá gcaochadh sibh	dá gcaochaidís; dá gcaochadh siad	—	dá gcaochtaí
imperative		caochaim	caoch	caochadh sé, sí	caochaimis	caochaigí; caochaidh†	caochaidís	—	caochtar
verbal noun		caochadh
past participle		caochta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
caoch	chaoch	gcaoch
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “caoch”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “cáech”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 56

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

• coech

Etymology

From Old Irish cáech (“blind in one eye; a person blind in one eye”), from Proto-Celtic *kaikos, from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ikos (“one-eyed”).

Adjective

caoch (genitive singular feminine caoiche)

1. empty
2. blind
3. hollow
4. blasted
5. one-eyed

Noun

caoch m

1. grampus
2. mole
3. blind beast

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
caoch	chaoch
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “caoch”, 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), “cáech”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language