alpaire

Irish

Alternative forms

• ailpéir m
• alpachán m

Etymology

From alp (“swallow whole, devour; grab”, verb) +‎ -aire (agent suffix).

Noun

alpaire m (genitive singular alpaire, nominative plural alpairí)

1. voracious eater

   Synonyms: airceachán, gainéan, gionachán, peasánach, slamaire

2. grabber

   Synonyms: antlachán, cantálaí, cúblálaí, glámaire, grabálaí, scramaire

3. large stone

   Synonym: alpaire cloiche

Declension

Declension of alpaire

Fourth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative alpaire alpairí Vocative a alpaire a alpairí Genitive alpaire alpairí Dative alpaire alpairí

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an t-alpaire na halpairí Genitive an alpaire na n-alpairí Dative leis an alpaire don alpaire leis na halpairí

Derived terms

• alpaire seangán m (“anteater”)
• alpaireacht f (“(act of) bolting food; voracious eating; (act of) grabbing”)

 

Related terms

• alpartha (“greedy; stout, burly”, adjective)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
alpaire	n-alpaire	halpaire	t-alpaire
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “alpaire”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Entries containing “alpaire” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “alpaire” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.