balach

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Middle Irish bachlach (“clown, churl”). Cognate with Rathlin Irish bachlach.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpal̪ˠəx/
• Hyphenation: ba‧lach

Noun

balach m (genitive singular balaich, plural balaich)

1. boy, lad
2. (card games) jack

Declension

Declension of balach (type I masculine noun)

Indefinite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	balach	balaich
Genitive	balaich	bhalach
Dative	balach	balaich; balachaibh*
Definite
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	(am) balach	(na) balaich
Genitive	(a') bhalaich	(nam) balach
Dative	(a') bhalach	(na) balaich; balachaibh*
Vocative	(a) bhalaich	(a) bhalacha

*obsolete form, was used until the 19th century

Synonyms

• (boy): gille

Hyponyms

• (boy): See hyponyms under gille.

Derived terms

• balachail
• balachan
• balachan-sgoile

 

Mutation

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

Further reading

• Colin Mark (2003) “balach”, in The Gaelic-English dictionary, London: Routledge, →ISBN, page 57