borb

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish borb (“foolish, ignorant”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠɞɾˠəbˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠoɾˠəbˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠɔɾˠəbˠ/, /ˈbˠaɾˠəbˠ/

Adjective

borb (genitive singular masculine boirb, genitive singular feminine boirbe, plural borba, comparative boirbe)

1. brusque, gruff, abrupt; rude

   Synonym: drochmhúinte

2. pungent

Declension

Declension of borb

Positive	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine	strong noun	weak noun
nominative	borb	bhorb	borba; bhorba2
vocative	bhoirb		borba
genitive		boirbe	borba	borb
dative	borb; bhorb1	bhorb; bhoirb (archaic)	borba; bhorba2
Comparative	níos boirbe
Superlative	is boirbe

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

Related terms

• boirbe f (“gruffness, rudeness”)

Verb

borb (present analytic borbann, future analytic borbfaidh, verbal noun borbadh, past participle borbtha)

1. (intransitive) alternative form of borbaigh (“get angry, rude”)

Conjugation

Conjugation of borb (first conjugation – A)

indicative	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present	borbaim	borbann tú; borbair†	borbann sé, sí	borbaimid; borbann muid	borbann sibh	borbann siad; borbaid†	a bhorbann; a bhorbas	borbtar
past	bhorb mé; bhorbas	bhorb tú; bhorbais	bhorb sé, sí	bhorbamar; bhorb muid	bhorb sibh; bhorbabhair	bhorb siad; bhorbadar	a bhorb	borbadh
past habitual	bhorbainn / borbainn‡	bhorbtá / borbtá‡	bhorbadh sé, sí / borbadh sé, sí‡	bhorbaimis; bhorbadh muid / borbaimis‡; borbadh muid‡	bhorbadh sibh / borbadh sibh‡	bhorbaidís; bhorbadh siad / borbaidís‡; borbadh siad‡	a bhorbadh	bhorbtaí / borbtaí‡
	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	borbfaidh mé; borbfad	borbfaidh tú; borbfair†	borbfaidh sé, sí	borbfaimid; borbfaidh muid	borbfaidh sibh	borbfaidh siad; borbfaid†	a bhorbfaidh; a bhorbfas	borbfar
conditional	bhorbfainn / borbfainn‡	bhorbfá / borbfá‡	bhorbfadh sé, sí / borbfadh sé, sí‡	bhorbfaimis; bhorbfadh muid / borbfaimis‡; borbfadh muid‡	bhorbfadh sibh / borbfadh sibh‡	bhorbfaidís; bhorbfadh siad / borbfaidís‡; borbfadh siad‡	a bhorbfadh	bhorbfaí / borbfaí‡
subjunctive	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present	go mborba mé; go mborbad†	go mborba tú; go mborbair†	go mborba sé, sí	go mborbaimid; go mborba muid	go mborba sibh	go mborba siad; go mborbaid†	—	go mborbtar
past	dá mborbainn	dá mborbtá	dá mborbadh sé, sí	dá mborbaimis; dá mborbadh muid	dá mborbadh sibh	dá mborbaidís; dá mborbadh siad	—	dá mborbtaí
imperative	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
—	borbaim	borb	borbadh sé, sí	borbaimis	borbaigí; borbaidh†	borbaidís	—	borbtar
past participle	borbtha
verbal noun	borbadh

^† archaic or dialect form
^‡ dependent form

Mutation

Mutated forms of borb

radical	lenition	eclipsis
borb	bhorb	mborb

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

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “borb”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904), “borb”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla [Irish and English Dictionary], 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 77
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “borb”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “borb”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026

Old Irish

Alternative forms

• borp

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈboɾb/

Adjective

borb

1. foolish, silly, senseless; stupid, ignorant, unlearned; rude, uncouth
2. fierce, rough, rude, violent, harsh; arrogant

Declension

o/ā-stem

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	borb	borb	borb
vocative	buirb* borb**
accusative	borb	buirb
genitive	buirb	buirbe	buirb
dative	burb	buirb	burb
plural	masculine	feminine/neuter
nominative	buirb	borba
vocative	burbu borba†
accusative	burbu borba†
genitive	borb
dative	borbaib

*modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative
**modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative
† not when substantivized

Derived terms

• burbae

Descendants

• Irish: borb
• Scottish Gaelic: borb
• Manx: barb

Mutation

Mutation of borb

radical	lenition	nasalization
borb	borb pronounced with /β-/	mborb

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

Further reading

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

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish borb (“foolish, silly, senseless; stupid, ignorant, unlearned; rude, uncouth; fierce, rough, rude, violent, harsh; arrogant”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɔrɔp/

Adjective

borb (comparative nas buirbe, superlative as buirbe)

1. barbaric, barbarous
2. boisterous
3. brusque
4. brutish, crude
5. cruel, savage, fierce
6. harsh
7. knockabout
8. rabid

Mutation

Mutation of borb

radical	lenition
borb	bhorb

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

References

• Edward Dwelly (1911), “borb”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “borb”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language