bliain

Irish

Alternative forms

• bliadhain (dated)

Etymology

From Old Irish blíadain, from Proto-Celtic *blēdanī (“year”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʲlʲiənʲ/

Noun

bliain f (genitive singular bliana, nominative plural blianta)

1. year

Usage notes

• Bliain has the irregular count plural bliana:
  • trí bliana ― three years
  • seacht mbliana ― seven years
  • ceithre bliana déag ― fourteen years

Declension

Declension of bliain

Third declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative bliain blianta Vocative a bhliain a bhlianta Genitive bliana blianta Dative bliain blianta

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an bhliain na blianta Genitive na bliana na mblianta Dative leis an mbliain don bhliain leis na blianta

Derived terms

• athbhliain (“new year”)
• blianacht (“annuity”)
• bliantúil (“annual”)
• i mbliana (“this year”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
bliain	bhliain	mbliain
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “bliadain”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “bliaḋain”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 71
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “bliain”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “bliain”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “bliain”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024
• “bliain”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy