caoch

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish cáech (“blind in one eye; a person blind in one eye”), from Proto-Celtic *kaikos (compare Welsh coeg (“empty, vain, one-eyed, blind”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ikos (“one-eyed”) (compare Latin caecus (“blind”)).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /keːx/, [këːə̯x]
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /kiːx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /kiːx/, (older) /kɯːx/

Noun

caoch m (genitive singular caoich, nominative plural caocha)

1. blind, purblind person, creature

Declension

Declension of caoch (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative caoch caocha vocative a chaoich a chaocha genitive caoich caoch dative caoch caocha forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an caoch na caocha genitive an chaoich na gcaoch dative leis an gcaoch don chaoch leis na caocha

Derived terms

• caoch láibe (“mole”)

Adjective

caoch (genitive singular masculine caoich, genitive singular feminine caoiche, plural caocha, comparative caoiche)

1. blind, purblind (of creature)
2. blind, empty; (of place) blind, closed up (of seed-vessel)
3. (card games) nontrump

Declension

Declension of caoch

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	caoch	chaoch	caocha; chaocha2
vocative	chaoch		caocha
genitive		caoiche	caocha	caoch
dative	caoch; chaoch1	chaoch	caocha; chaocha2
Comparative	níos caoiche
Superlative	is caoiche

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

Derived terms

• caochneantóg (“deadnettle”)

Verb

caoch (present analytic caochann, future analytic caochfaidh, verbal noun caochadh, past participle caochta)

1. (transitive) blind; daze, dazzle
2. (intransitive, of seed-vessel) become empty, wither
3. (intransitive) close, become blocked
4. (intransitive) wink [with ar ‘at’]; flicker

Conjugation

conjugation of caoch (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	caochaim	caochann tú; caochair†	caochann sé, sí	caochaimid	caochann sibh	caochann siad; caochaid†	a chaochann; a chaochas / a gcaochann*	caochtar
	past	chaoch mé; chaochas	chaoch tú; chaochais	chaoch sé, sí	chaochamar; chaoch muid	chaoch sibh; chaochabhair	chaoch siad; chaochadar	a chaoch / ar chaoch*	caochadh
	past habitual	chaochainn / gcaochainn‡‡	chaochtá / gcaochtᇇ	chaochadh sé, sí / gcaochadh sé, s퇇	chaochaimis; chaochadh muid / gcaochaimis‡‡; gcaochadh muid‡‡	chaochadh sibh / gcaochadh sibh‡‡	chaochaidís; chaochadh siad / gcaochaidís‡‡; gcaochadh siad‡‡	a chaochadh / a gcaochadh*	chaochtaí / gcaochta퇇
future		caochfaidh mé; caochfad	caochfaidh tú; caochfair†	caochfaidh sé, sí	caochfaimid; caochfaidh muid	caochfaidh sibh	caochfaidh siad; caochfaid†	a chaochfaidh; a chaochfas / a gcaochfaidh*	caochfar
conditional		chaochfainn / gcaochfainn‡‡	chaochfá / gcaochfᇇ	chaochfadh sé, sí / gcaochfadh sé, s퇇	chaochfaimis; chaochfadh muid / gcaochfaimis‡‡; gcaochfadh muid‡‡	chaochfadh sibh / gcaochfadh sibh‡‡	chaochfaidís; chaochfadh siad / gcaochfaidís‡‡; gcaochfadh siad‡‡	a chaochfadh / a gcaochfadh*	chaochfaí / gcaochfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go gcaocha mé; go gcaochad†	go gcaocha tú; go gcaochair†	go gcaocha sé, sí	go gcaochaimid; go gcaocha muid	go gcaocha sibh	go gcaocha siad; go gcaochaid†	—	go gcaochtar
	past	dá gcaochainn	dá gcaochtá	dá gcaochadh sé, sí	dá gcaochaimis; dá gcaochadh muid	dá gcaochadh sibh	dá gcaochaidís; dá gcaochadh siad	—	dá gcaochtaí
imperative		caochaim	caoch	caochadh sé, sí	caochaimis	caochaigí; caochaidh†	caochaidís	—	caochtar
verbal noun		caochadh
past participle		caochta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation

Mutated forms of caoch

radical	lenition	eclipsis
caoch	chaoch	gcaoch

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) “caoch”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cáech”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

• coech

Etymology

From Old Irish cáech (“blind in one eye; a person blind in one eye”), from Proto-Celtic *kaikos, from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ikos (“one-eyed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʰɯːx/

Adjective

caoch (genitive singular feminine caoiche)

1. empty
2. blind
3. hollow
4. blasted
5. one-eyed

Noun

caoch m

1. grampus
2. mole
3. blind beast

Mutation

Mutation of caoch

radical	lenition
caoch	chaoch

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) “caoch”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cáech”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language