cathair

See also: cathaír

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkahɪɾʲ/
• (Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /kaːɾʲ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish cathair, from Proto-Celtic *katrixs (“fortification”).

Noun

cathair f (genitive singular cathrach or caithreach, nominative plural cathracha)

1. city
2. (historical) enclosed church establishment; monastic city
3. (archaeology) circular stone fort, a ringfort
4. dwelling(-place); bed, lair

Declension

Declension of cathair

Fifth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative cathair cathracha Vocative a chathair a chathracha Genitive cathrach cathracha Dative cathair cathraigh (archaic, dialectal) cathracha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an chathair na cathracha Genitive na cathrach na gcathracha Dative leis an gcathair leis an gcathraigh (archaic, dialectal) don chathair don chathraigh (archaic, dialectal) leis na cathracha

• Alternative genitive singular: caithreach

Derived terms

Terms derived from cathair

• An Chathair Thoirmiscthe (“the Forbidden City”)
• ardchathair (“capital city; metropolis”)
• Cathair Aidriain (“Adrianople”)
• Cathair Alastair (“Alexandria”)
• Cathair an Phápa (“Vatican City”, literally “City of the Pope”)

• cathair ardeaglaise (“cathedral city”)
• cathair bhardais (“municipality”)
• Cathair Chonstaintín (“Constantinople”)
• cathair ghríobháin (“labyrinth, maze”)
• Cathair Mheicsiceo (“Mexico City”)

• Cathair na Mart (“Westport”)
• Cathair Pheadair (“Saint Petersburg”)
• cathair seileán (“swarming-place of bees”)
• príomhchathair (“capital city”)

Etymology 2

Noun

cathair f (genitive singular caithre or caithreach)

1. Alternative form of caithir (“down, pubic hair”)

Declension

Declension of cathair

Second declension

Bare forms (no plural form of this noun) Case Singular Nominative cathair Vocative a chathair Genitive caithre Dative cathair

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an chathair Genitive na caithre Dative leis an gcathair don chathair

• Alternative genitive singular: caithreach

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
cathair	chathair	gcathair
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• "cathair" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• “1 cathair” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• “caṫair” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 2nd ed., 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
• Entries containing “cathair” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “cathair” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

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Old Irish

Alternative forms

• caithir, cathir

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *katrixs (“fortification”); possibly cognate with Old English hēaþor (“enclosure, prison”) or Serbo-Croatian kȍtar (“administrative unit, province”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkaθirʲ/

Noun

cathair f (genitive cathrach, nominative plural cathraig)

1. stone enclosure, fortress, castle; dwelling
2. monastic settlement, enclosure; monastery, convent
   • c. 800, Broccán’s Hymn, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. II, p. 328, ll. 9–10:

     Nī bo fri óigthea acher   cāinbói fri lobru trúagu:
     for maig arutacht cathir   dollaid rosnāde slúagu.

     She was not harsh to guests: gentle was she to the wretched sick:
     on a plain she built a convent: may it protect hosts into the Kingdom!

3. fortified city, city
   • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 13^b1:

     (do·adb)adar in taidbsiu hi siu tra do(naib) coic cetaib […] ro·bói isin chaithir isind aimsir sin

     this appearance, then, is manifested to the five hundred […] that was in the city at that time

Declension

Feminine k-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	cathairL	cathraigL, cathairL	cathraig
Vocative	cathairL	cathraigL, cathairL	cathrachaH
Accusative	cathraigN, cathairN	cathraigL, cathairL	cathrachaH
Genitive	cathrach	cathrachL	cathrachN
Dative	cathraigL, cathairL	cathrachaib	cathrachaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: cathair
• Manx: caayr
• Scottish Gaelic: cathair

Mutation

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

Further reading

• “1 cathair” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

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Scottish Gaelic

Etymology 1

From Old Irish cathaír (“chair”), from Latin cathēdra, from Ancient Greek καθέδρα (kathédra). Cognate with Irish cathaoir.

Noun

cathair f (genitive singular cathrach, plural cathraichean)

1. chair, seat, bench, throne

Derived terms

Terms derived from cathair

• àrd-chathair, breas-chathair, cathair-rìgh, cathair-rìoghail, rìgh-chathair, torr-chathair (“throne”)

• cathair ghàirdeanach (“armchair”)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish cathair.

Noun

cathair f (genitive singular cathrach, plural cathraichean)

1. town, city

Derived terms

• catharra (“civil; civic, public”, adjective)

Etymology 3

Noun

cathair f (genitive singular cathrach, plural cathraichean)

1. gig (two wheeled horse drawn carriage)
2. bed (of any garden stuff)
3. stock, colewort, cabbage
4. plot (of land)
5. (obsolete) guard, sentinel, warder

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
cathair	chathair
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Faclair Gàidhlig Dwelly Air Loidhne, Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• “cathaír” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• “1 cathair” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.