cáel

See also: cael and Cael

Old Irish

Alternative forms

• cóel

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *koilos (“thin”), from Proto-Indo-European *koyHlo- (Latvian kails (“bare, naked”)). Compare Cornish and Welsh cul.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /koːi̯l/, /kaːi̯l/

Adjective

cáel (equative caílithir)

1. thin, slender, narrow
2. fine, delicate

Inflection

o/ā-stem
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	cáel	cáel	cáel
Vocative	caíl* cáel**
Accusative	cáel	caíl
Genitive	caíl	caíle	caíl
Dative	cáel	caíl	cáel
Plural	Masculine	Feminine/neuter
Nominative	caíl	cáela
Vocative	cáelu cáela†
Accusative	cáelu cáela†
Genitive	cáel
Dative	cáelaib
Notes	*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

• cáelán
• coíle

 

Descendants

• Irish: caol
• Manx: keyl
• Scottish Gaelic: caol
  • → English: kyle
• ⇒ Middle Irish: cáelach
• ⇒ Middle Irish: *cáelas
  • Irish: caolas
  • Manx: keyllys
  • Scottish Gaelic: caolas

Noun

cáel m

1. narrow
2. strait

Inflection

Masculine o-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	cáel	cáelL	caílL
Vocative	caíl	cáelL	cáeluH
Accusative	cáelN	cáelL	cáeluH
Genitive	caílL	cáel	cáelN
Dative	cáelL	cáelaib	cáelaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: caol
• Scottish Gaelic: caol

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
cáel	cháel	cáel pronounced with /ɡ(ʲ)-/
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “cáel”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language