dabhach

Irish

FWOTD – 27 December 2022

Alternative forms

• dabhaich, dumhach
• dabhaigh (Ulster)

Etymology

From Old Irish dabach (“large tub or vat”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠauəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠauwi/ (corresponding to the spelling dabhaigh)

Noun

dabhach f (genitive singular daibhche, nominative plural dabhcha or dabhacha) or
dabhach f (genitive singular dabhcha, nominative plural dabhchanna or daibhcheanna)

1. vat, tub
   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 62:

     tā n dauəx l̄ān lē fĭōl.

     [Tá an dabhach lán le feoil.]

     The vat is full of meat.

2. deep waterhole; pool, pond
3. holy well
   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 62:

     xøniḱ myȷ nə šȧxt cȧmpĺ̥, cȧmpl̥̄ viḱ duəx, agəs dauəx ēnə.

     [Chonaic muid na seacht teampaill, teampall Mhic Duach agus dabhach Éanna.]

     We saw the seven churches, Mac Duagh’s church and Enda’s well.

Declension

Declension of dabhach

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative dabhach dabhcha Vocative a dhabhach a dhabhcha Genitive daibhche dabhcha Dative dabhach dabhaigh (archaic, dialectal) dabhcha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an dabhach na dabhcha Genitive na daibhche na ndabhcha Dative leis an dabhach leis an dabhaigh (archaic, dialectal) don dabhach don dabhaigh (archaic, dialectal) leis na dabhcha

Declension of dabhach

Third declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative dabhach dabhchanna Vocative a dhabhach a dhabhchanna Genitive dabhcha dabhchanna Dative dabhach dabhchanna

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an dabhach na dabhchanna Genitive na dabhcha na ndabhchanna Dative leis an dabhach don dabhach leis na dabhchanna

Alternative plurals: dabhacha, daibhcheanna

Derived terms

• dabhach éisc (“fish-pond”)
• dabhach fholctha
• dabhach lín (“flax-pond”)
• dabhach tine (“round low-built fire”)
• dabhchach
• daibhchín

 

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
dabhach	dhabhach	ndabhach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “dabhach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN