ach

See also: ách, -ach, and ACH

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English ache, from Old 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.

Derived terms

• lovage
• smallage

Etymology 2

Interjection

ach

1. An expression of annoyance.
   • 1958, Anthony Burgess, The Enemy in the Blanket (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972:

     "Ach." Auntie frowned hugely. "That is all nonsense."

Etymology 3

Interjection

ach

1. Alternative form of och

Anagrams

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

---

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

---

Cimbrian

Alternative forms

• òich (plural you only)

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronoun

ach

1. (Sette Comuni) accusative of iart: you (plural; polite singular)

See also

Cimbrian personal pronouns

		nominative	accusative	dative
1st person singular		ich	mich	miar
2nd person singular	familiar	du	dich	diar
	polite	iart	ach	òich
3rd person singular	m	èar, ar	in, en	iime
	f	zi, ze		iar
	n	es, is	es, 's	iime
1st person plural		bar, bandare	zich	izandarn
2nd person plural		iart, artandare, iart-andare	òich, ach	ogandarn
3rd person plural		ze, zòi, zandare	zich	innandarn

References

• “ach” in Martalar, Umberto Martello; Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo

---

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑx/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ach
• Rhymes: -ɑx

Interjection

ach

1. oh, expresses compassion, surprise and dismay

Descendants

• Afrikaans: ag

---

Esperanto

Interjection

ach

1. H-system spelling of aĉ

---

German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ax/

• Audio

  (file)

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

---

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.
• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “acht”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• 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.

---

Middle Low German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑx/, [ax], [ɑχ]

Interjection

ach

1. oh (an expression of grievance or displeasure)

---

North Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian acht. Compare West Frisian acht.

Numeral

ach

1. (Heligoland) eight

---

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

• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “acht”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

---

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

Derived terms

• achres (“genealogical table”)
• achydd (“genealogist”)
• achyddiaeth (“genealogy”)
• achyddol (“genealogical”)

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.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950-), “ach”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies