breac

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish brecc (“speckled, spotted; trout”), from Proto-Celtic *brikkos. Cognate with Breton breac’h and Welsh brych.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʲɾʲak/

Adjective

breac (genitive singular masculine bric, genitive singular feminine brice, plural breaca, comparative brice)

1. speckled, spotted

Declension

Declension of breac

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	breac	bhreac	breaca; bhreaca²
Vocative	bhric		breaca
Genitive		brice	breaca	breac
Dative	breac; bhreac¹	bhreac; bhric (archaic)	breaca; bhreaca²
Comparative	níos brice
Superlative	is brice

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

• alabhreac (“piebald; pied”, adjective)
• bairín breac m (“barmbrack”)
• capall alabhreac m (“pinto”)
• iarnbhreac (“ironshot”, adjective)

Verb

breac (present analytic breacann, future analytic breacfaidh, verbal noun breacadh, past participle breactha)

1. to speckle

Conjugation

conjugation of breac (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	breacaim	breacann tú; breacair†	breacann sé, sí	breacaimid	breacann sibh	breacann siad; breacaid†	a bhreacann; a bhreacas / a mbreacann*; a mbreacas*	breactar
	past	bhreac mé; bhreacas	bhreac tú; bhreacais	bhreac sé, sí	bhreacamar; bhreac muid	bhreac sibh; bhreacabhair	bhreac siad; bhreacadar	a bhreac / ar bhreac*	breacadh
	past habitual	bhreacainn / mbreacainn‡‡	bhreactá / mbreactᇇ	bhreacadh sé, sí / mbreacadh sé, s퇇	bhreacaimis; bhreacadh muid / mbreacaimis‡‡; mbreacadh muid‡‡	bhreacadh sibh / mbreacadh sibh‡‡	bhreacaidís; bhreacadh siad / mbreacaidís‡‡; mbreacadh siad‡‡	a bhreacadh / a mbreacadh*	bhreactaí / mbreacta퇇
future		breacfaidh mé; breacfad	breacfaidh tú; breacfair†	breacfaidh sé, sí	breacfaimid; breacfaidh muid	breacfaidh sibh	breacfaidh siad; breacfaid†	a bhreacfaidh; a bhreacfas / a mbreacfaidh*; a mbreacfas*	breacfar
conditional		bhreacfainn / mbreacfainn‡‡	bhreacfá / mbreacfᇇ	bhreacfadh sé, sí / mbreacfadh sé, s퇇	bhreacfaimis; bhreacfadh muid / mbreacfaimis‡‡; mbreacfadh muid‡‡	bhreacfadh sibh / mbreacfadh sibh‡‡	bhreacfaidís; bhreacfadh siad / mbreacfaidís‡‡; mbreacfadh siad‡‡	a bhreacfadh / a mbreacfadh*	bhreacfaí / mbreacfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go mbreaca mé; go mbreacad†	go mbreaca tú; go mbreacair†	go mbreaca sé, sí	go mbreacaimid; go mbreaca muid	go mbreaca sibh	go mbreaca siad; go mbreacaid†	—	go mbreactar
	past	dá mbreacainn	dá mbreactá	dá mbreacadh sé, sí	dá mbreacaimis; dá mbreacadh muid	dá mbreacadh sibh	dá mbreacaidís; dá mbreacadh siad	—	dá mbreactaí
imperative		breacaim	breac	breacadh sé, sí	breacaimis	breacaigí; breacaidh†	breacaidís	—	breactar
verbal noun		breacadh
past participle		breactha

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

Noun

breac m (genitive singular bric, nominative plural bric)

1. trout

Declension

Declension of breac

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative breac bric Vocative a bhric a bhreaca Genitive bric breac Dative breac bric

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an breac na bric Genitive an bhric na mbreac Dative leis an mbreac don bhreac leis na bric

Derived terms

• breac donn m (“brown trout”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
breac	bhreac	mbreac
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 brecc ‘speckled, spotted’”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 brecc ‘speckled, spotted thing; trout’”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “breccaid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “breac”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 82
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “breac”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 52
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 75

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾʲɛxk/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish brecc (“speckled, spotted, variegated”), from Proto-Celtic *brikkos.

Adjective

breac (comparative brice)

1. speckled, spotted, piebald
2. embossed
3. chequered

Declension

Declension of breac (type I adjective)

	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	breac	bhreac	breaca
Genitive	bhric	brice	breaca
Dative	breac	bhric	breaca
Vocative	bhric	bhreac	breaca

Derived terms

• am fiabhras breac
• fòghnan-breac
• iolair-bhreac

Verb

breac (past bhreac, future breacaidh, verbal noun breacadh, past participle breacte)

1. speckle
2. sprinkle, scatter

Conjugation

Conjugation of breac (regular)

		singular			plural			impersonal
		first	second	third m/f	first	second	third
independent	past	bhreac mi	bhreac thu	bhreac e/i	bhreac sinn	bhreac sibh	bhreac iad	bhreacadh
	future	breacaidh mi	breacaidh tu	breacaidh e/i	breacaidh sinn	breacaidh sibh	breacaidh iad	breacar breactar
	conditional	bhreacainn	bhreacadh tu	bhreacadh e/i	bhreacamaid bhreacadh sinn	bhreacadh sibh	bhreacadh iad	bhreactadh bhreacaist(e)1
negative	past	cha do bhreac mi	cha do bhreac thu	cha do bhreac e/i	cha do bhreac sinn	cha do bhreac sibh	cha do bhreac iad	cha do bhreacadh
	future	cha bhreac mi	cha bhreac thu	cha bhreac e/i	cha bhreac sinn	cha bhreac sibh	cha bhreac iad	cha bhreacar cha bhreactar
	conditional	cha bhreacainn	cha bhreacadh tu	cha bhreacadh e/i	cha bhreacamaid cha bhreacadh sinn	cha bhreacadh sibh	cha bhreacadh iad	cha bhreactadh cha bhreacaist(e)1
affirmative interrogative	past	an do bhreac mi?	an do bhreac thu?	an do bhreac e/i?	an do bhreac sinn?	an do bhreac sibh?	an do bhreac iad?	an do bhreacadh?
	future	am breac mi?	am breac thu?	am breac e/i?	am breac sinn?	am breac sibh?	am breac iad?	am breacar? am breactar?
	conditional	am breacainn?	am breacadh tu?	am breacadh e/i?	am breacamaid? am breacadh sinn?	am breacadh sibh?	am breacadh iad?	am breactadh? am breacaist(e)1?
negative interrogative	past	nach do bhreac mi?	nach do bhreac thu?	nach do bhreac e/i?	nach do bhreac sinn?	nach do bhreac sibh?	nach do bhreac iad?	nach do bhreacadh?
	future	nach breac mi?	nach breac thu?	nach breac e/i?	nach breac sinn?	nach breac sibh?	nach breac iad?	nach breacar? nach breactar?
	conditional	nach breacainn?	nach breacadh tu?	nach breacadh e/i?	nach breacamaid? nach breacadh sinn?	nach breacadh sibh?	nach breacadh iad?	nach breactadh? nach breacaist(e)1?
relative future	affirmative	(ma) bhreacas mi	(ma) bhreacas thu	(ma) bhreacas e/i	(ma) bhreacas sinn	(ma) bhreacas sibh	(ma) bhreacas iad	(ma) bhreacar
	negative	(mur) breac mi	(mur) breac thu	(mur) breac e/i	(mur) breac sinn	(mur) breac sibh	(mur) breac iad	(mur) breacar (mur) breactar
imperative		breacam	breac	breacadh e/i	breacamaid	breacaibh	breacadh iad	breacar breactar
stem		breac
verbal noun		breacadh
past participle		breacta

¹ Lewis dialect form

Etymology 2

From Old Irish brecc (“trout”).

Noun

breac m (genitive singular bric, plural bric)

1. trout, brown trout
2. (dialect) salmon

Mutation

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

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “breac”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 brecc”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 brecc”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language