beathach

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲaːx/, /ˈbʲæːx/

Etymology 1

beatha +‎ -ach

Adjective

beathach

1. only used in beo beathach (“alive and kicking”)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲaːx/

Noun

beathach m (genitive singular beathaigh, nominative plural beathaigh)

1. Ulster form of beithíoch (“beast”)

Declension

Declension of beathach (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative beathach beathaigh vocative a bheathaigh a bheathacha genitive beathaigh beathach dative beathach beathaigh forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an beathach na beathaigh genitive an bheathaigh na mbeathach dative leis an mbeathach don bheathach leis na beathaigh

Etymology 3

Adjective

beathach (genitive singular masculine beathaigh, genitive singular feminine beathaí, plural beathacha, not comparable)

1. alternative form of beitheach (“planted with birches”)

Declension

Declension of beathach

Positive	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine	strong noun	weak noun
nominative	beathach	bheathach	beathacha; bheathacha2
vocative	bheathaigh		beathacha
genitive		beathaí	beathacha	beathach
dative	beathach; bheathach1	bheathach; bheathaigh (archaic)	beathacha; bheathacha2
Comparative	(not comparable)
Superlative	(not comparable)

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Mutation

Mutated forms of beathach

radical	lenition	eclipsis
beathach	bheathach	mbeathach

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

• beòthach, beothach, beitheach

Etymology

From Old Irish bethach, a variant of bethadach (“animal; creature”) (whence Irish beithíoch), from bethu, Middle Irish betha (“life”) + -ach.

Pronunciation

• (Lewis, Coigach) IPA^(key): /ˈb̥ehəx/, /ˈb̥ehax/
• (Uist, Strath) IPA^(key): /ˈb̥e̯o.əx/, /ˈb̥ɛ̯o.əx/, /ˈb̥ɛ̯ohəx/ (corresponding to the form beothach)
• (Barra, much of Skye, Tiree, Mull) IPA^(key): /ˈb̥ehux/
• (Wester Ross) IPA^(key): /ˈb̥ehɔx/, /ˈb̥ehux/
• (South Argyll) IPA^(key): /ˈb̥ɛ.ɑx/, [ˈb̥ɛʔɑx]

Noun

beathach m (genitive singular beathaich, plural beathaichean)

1. beast, brute, animal

   Synonym: ainmhidh

Related terms

• beatha

Mutation

Mutation of beathach

radical	lenition
beathach	bheathach

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 bethach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language