ach

See also: ách, -ach, and ACH

English

Etymology 1

From French ache, from Latin apium (“parsley”).

Alternative forms

• ache

Noun

ach (plural achs)

1. (obsolete) Any of several species of plants, such as smallage, wild celery, parsley.

Etymology 2

Interjection

ach

1. Alternative form of och

Anagrams

• -cha, CAH, CHA, Cha, HAC, HCA, cah, cha

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Chuukese

Determiner

ach

1. First-person plural inclusive general possessive; our (inclusive)

Related terms

Chuukese possessive determiners

		Small objects, concepts	Large objects, living things	Suffix
Singular	First person	ai	nei	-ei
	Second person	omw, om	noum	-om
	Third person	an	noun	-an
Plural	First person	äm (exclusive) ach (inclusive)	nöu̇m (exclusive) nöüch (inclusive)	-em (exclusive) -ach (inclusive)
	Second person	ämi, ami	noumi	-emi
	Third person	ar	nour	-er

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑx
• IPA^(key): /ɑx/

Interjection

ach

1. oh, expresses compassion, surprise and dismay

Descendants

• Afrikaans: ag

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German

Etymology

From Middle High German ach, from Old High German ah.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ax/

Interjection

ach

1. oh (expressing surprise, wonder, amazement, or awe)
2. oh (expressing sorrow)
3. oh (expressing understanding, recognition, or realization)
4. oh (preceding an offhand or annoyed remark)
5. oh (preceding an invocation or address, but rarely a solemn one)

Derived terms

• ach du liebe Güte
• ach du lieber Gott
• ach je
• ächzen

 

Further reading

• ach in Duden online
• ach in Kluge's Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, 1891

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Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Aran) IPA^(key): /ɑx/
• (Connemara, Mayo, Ulster) IPA^(key): /ax/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish acht (“but, except”), from Proto-Celtic *ektos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs.

Alternative forms

• acht (obsolete)

Conjunction

ach

1. but

Preposition

ach (plus nominative, triggers no mutation)

1. except, but

Derived terms

• ach oiread (“as well”) (after a negative)

Adverb

ach

1. but, only, merely

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

Alternative forms

• ách

Interjection

ach!

1. ah! och! ugh!

Further reading

• "ach" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• “acht” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• Entries containing “ach” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “ach” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

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Middle Low German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑx/, [ax], [ɑχ]

Interjection

ach

1. oh (an expression of grievance or displeasure)

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North Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian acht. Compare West Frisian acht.

Numeral

ach

1. (Heligoland) eight

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Scottish Gaelic

Etymology 1

From Old Irish acht (“but, except”), from Proto-Celtic *ektos, from Proto-Indo-European *eghs.

Conjunction

ach

1. but

   Thèid mise ach cha tèid thusa. ― I'll go but you won't [go].

2. except, only

   Cha robh ann ach trì daoine. ― There were only three people (literally "there was not there but/except for three people").

Etymology 2

Shortened form of feuch.

Conjunction

ach

1. so that

   Dh'aontaich e ach am biodh adhartas air choireigin ann. ― He agreed so that there would be some progress.

References

• “acht” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

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Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *akkā, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekkeh₂ (compare Latin Acca (Larentia), a Roman goddess, Ancient Greek Ἀκκώ (Akkṓ, “nurse of Demeter”), Sanskrit अक्का (akkā, “mother”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aːχ/

Noun

ach f (plural achau or achoedd)

1. kinship
2. pedigree, ancestry
3. (plural) lineage
4. (plural) genealogy, family roots

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
ach	unchanged	unchanged	hach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.