cáil

See also: cail and càil

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /kɑːlʲ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /kæːlʲ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish cáil, from Latin quālitās.

Noun

cáil f (genitive singular cáile, nominative plural cáileanna)

1. reputation
2. quality
3. amount, portion

Declension

Declension of cáil

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative cáil cáileanna Vocative a cháil a cháileanna Genitive cáile cáileanna Dative cáil cáileanna

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an cháil na cáileanna Genitive na cáile na gcáileanna Dative leis an gcáil don cháil leis na cáileanna

Derived terms

Terms derived from cáil

• cáiligh (“qualify”, verb)
• cáiliúil (“celebrated for quality, famous; of medium quality, middling”, adjective)
• cáilmheas m (“goodwill”)

• dea-cháil f (“good reputation, fame; good quality”)
• droch-cháil f (“bad reputation, ill repute; bad quality”)

Etymology 2

Noun

cáil m

1. inflection of cál (“kale; cabbage”):
   1. vocative and genitive singular
   2. nominative and dative plural

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
cáil	cháil	gcáil
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• "cáil" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• Entries containing “cáil” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “cáil” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.