ceann

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Irish

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Etymology

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From Middle Irish cenn, from Old Irish cenn[1] (compare Manx kione), from Primitive Irish (attested in the personal names ᚉᚒᚅᚐ-ᚉᚓᚅᚅᚔ (cuna-cenni, literally dog's head) and ᚊᚓᚅᚑ-ᚃᚓᚅᚇᚐᚌᚅᚔ (qeno-vendagni, literally little fair-headed one)), from Proto-Celtic *kʷennom; compare Welsh pen, Breton penn.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ceann m (genitive singular cinn, nominative plural cinn)

  1. head
  2. head of cabbage, capitulum
  3. end, extremity
  4. roof
  5. one (modified by an adjective or demonstrative, referring to an object or animal)
    ceann dearg agam.
    I have a red one [e.g. chair].
    Feicim trí cinn ghlasa.
    I see three green ones [e.g. birds].
    Is mian liom an ceann sin.
    I want that one [e.g. toy].
  6. used as a dummy noun to support a number, referring to an object or animal
    ceann amháin agam.
    I have one [e.g. chair].
    Feicim trí cinn.
    I see three [e.g. birds].

Declension

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  • Alternative nominative/dative plural: ceanna (Cois Fharraige)
  • Alternative dative singular: cionn (archaic except in fixed expressions)

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Mutation

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Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
ceann cheann gceann
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

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  1. ^ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 cenn”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
  2. ^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 201, page 101
  3. ^ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 107, page 42

Further reading

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Scottish Gaelic

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Etymology

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From Middle Irish and Old Irish cenn (compare Manx kione), from Primitive Irish ᚉᚒᚅᚐ-ᚉᚓᚅᚅᚔ (cuna-cenni), from Proto-Celtic *kʷennom (compare Welsh pen, Breton penn).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ceann m (genitive singular cinn, plural cinn)

  1. head (of a body or a group of people)
  2. end (the extreme part of something)

Usage notes

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  • According to context the word can denote the farthest part of anything - top of a road, bottom of a stair, a promontory, hilt of a sword etc.
    ceann a' bhocsathe lid of the box
    ceann na creigethe top of the rock
  • Also frequently used figuratively.
    bho cheann gu ceannfrom end to end
    an ceann greiseafter a while

Declension

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Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ Oftedal, M. (1956) A linguistic survey of the Gaelic dialects of Scotland, Vol. III: The Gaelic of Leurbost, Isle of Lewis, Oslo: Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap
  2. ^ John MacPherson (1945) The Gaelic dialect of North Uist (Thesis)‎[1], Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh
  3. ^ Borgstrøm, Carl Hj. (1937) The dialect of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Oslo: Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap
  • Edward Dwelly (1911) “ceann”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎[2], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
  • Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 cenn”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language