cleas

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /clʲasˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish cles (“feat”). Perhaps ultimately related to cluiche (“joke, game”).

Noun

cleas m (genitive singular clis or cleasa, nominative plural cleasa or cleasanna)

1. trick
   • 27 June 2015, Alan Titley, "Caimléireacht scrúdaithe", The Irish Times

     Is é an cleas is fearr, gan amhras, ná go mbeadh an obair déanta, […]

     The best trick, of course, is that the work is done, […]

2. feat
3. knack
4. act

Declension

Declension of cleas

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative cleas cleasa Vocative a chlis a chleasa Genitive clis cleas Dative cleas cleasa

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an cleas na cleasa Genitive an chlis na gcleas Dative leis an gcleas don chleas leis na cleasa

Alternative declension:

Declension of cleas

Third declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative cleas cleasanna Vocative a chleas a chleasanna Genitive cleasa cleasanna Dative cleas cleasanna

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an cleas na cleasanna Genitive an chleasa na gcleasanna Dative leis an gcleas don chleas leis na cleasanna

Derived terms

• cleasach (“playful, tricky”)
• cleasaí (“joker”)
• lúthchleas (“athletics”)

Etymology 2

From English class.

Noun

cleas m (genitive singular cleas, nominative plural cleasanna)

1. (derogatory) class (of persons), gang

Declension

Declension of cleas

Fourth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative cleas cleasanna Vocative a chleas a chleasanna Genitive cleas cleasanna Dative cleas cleasanna

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an cleas na cleasanna Genitive an chleas na gcleasanna Dative leis an gcleas don chleas leis na cleasanna

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
cleas	chleas	gcleas
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), “cles”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “cleas”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 146
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cleas”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “cleas”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “cleas”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish cles (“feat”). Perhaps ultimately related to cluich (“joke, game”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʰles/

Noun

cleas m (genitive singular cleasa, plural cleasan)

1. prank, joke
2. (dated) act, feat, exploit
3. trick, stunt, device

Derived terms

• cleasachd f (“play, playing; recreation; juggling; conjuring”)
• cleasaich (“play”, verb)