cloch

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish cloch (compare Welsh clog).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klˠɔx/
• IPA^(key): /klˠʌx/

Noun

cloch f (genitive singular cloiche, nominative plural clocha)

1. stone
   1. stone (substance; small piece of stone)
   2. stone (central part of some fruits, consisting of the seed and a hard endocarp layer)
   3. (Christianity) bead (in a rosary)
   4. hard lump
   5. (anatomy) testicle

      Synonyms: caid, magairle, úirí

   6. stone (unit of mass)

      Synonym: cloch mheáchain

2. rocky shore
3. rocky island
4. (stone) castle

Declension

Declension of cloch

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative cloch clocha Vocative a chloch a chlocha Genitive cloiche cloch Dative cloch cloich (archaic, dialectal) clocha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an chloch na clocha Genitive na cloiche na gcloch Dative leis an gcloch leis an gcloich (archaic, dialectal) don chloch don chloich (archaic, dialectal) leis na clocha

Derived terms

• binse cloiche m (“ledge, shelf, of rock”)
• cloch a dhéanamh de rud (“to petrify something”)
• cloch adhmainte f (“lodestone”)
• cloch altóra f (“altar-stone”)
• cloch ancaire f, cloch róid f, cloch théide f (“anchor stone”)
• cloch aoil f (“limestone”)
• cloch bhoinn f (“foundation stone”)
• cloch bhró f, cloch mhuilinn f (“millstone”)
• cloch bhua f, cloch lómhar f, cloch luachmhar f, cloch uasal f (“precious stone”)
• cloch chairéil f (“quarry-stone”)
• cloch cheangail f, cloch ghreama f (“bond-stone”)
• cloch chinn f (“headstone”)
• cloch choirnéil f, cloch chúinne f (“corner-stone”)
• cloch chora f (“stepping-stone”)
• cloch chormaic f (“(type of) granite”)
• cloch chumaisc f (“pudding-stone”)
• cloch dhín f, cloch mhullaigh f, cloch phréacháin f, cloch spideoige f (“cope-stone”)
• cloch dhomlais f (“gall-stone”)
• cloch dhuáin f (“kidney-stone”)
• cloch dhuirlinge f (“rounded shore-pebble, cobble-stone”)
• cloch eibhir f (“granite”)
• cloch fhaobhair f, cloch líofa f (“whetstone, hone”)
• cloch fhorbháis f (“perched stone”)
• cloch ghabhála f (“fulcrum (stone)”)
• cloch ghainimh f (“sandstone”)
• cloch ghallúnaí f, cloch shópa f (“soap-stone”)
• cloch ghlas f (“greenstone; whinstone”)
• cloch ghorm f (“blue-stone”)
• cloch ghréine f, cloch scáil f (“quartz”)
• cloch ghualainne f, cloch nirt f (“heavy casting-stone”)
• cloch mhíle f (“milestone”)
• cloch phaidrín f (“bead of rosary”)
• cloch phluma f (“plum-stone”)
• cloch reatha f (“rolling stone”)
• cloch sceimhil f, cloch shileáin f (“drip-stone”)
• cloch shalainn f (“rock salt”)
• cloch shilín f (“cherry-stone”)
• cloch shneachta f (“hailstone”)
• cloch speile f (“scythe-stone”)
• cloch tharraingthe f (“light casting-stone”)
• cloch theampaill f (“churchyard stone; taciturn person”)
• cloch theorann f (“boundary stone”)
• cloch thine f (“flint”)
• clocha briste f pl (“broken stone, (road-)metal”)
• clocha cóirithe f pl (“dressed stone, ashlars”)
• clocha fuail f pl (“gravel”)
• clocha saoirseachta f pl (“building-stones”)
• obair chloiche f (“stone-work”)
• órchloch f (“philosopher’s stone”, literally “goldstone”)

 

Verb

cloch (present analytic clochann, future analytic clochfaidh, verbal noun clochadh, past participle clochta)

1. (transitive) stone

Conjugation

conjugation of cloch (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	clochaim	clochann tú; clochair†	clochann sé, sí	clochaimid	clochann sibh	clochann siad; clochaid†	a chlochann; a chlochas / a gclochann*; a gclochas*	clochtar
	past	chloch mé; chlochas	chloch tú; chlochais	chloch sé, sí	chlochamar; chloch muid	chloch sibh; chlochabhair	chloch siad; chlochadar	a chloch / ar chloch*	clochadh
	past habitual	chlochainn / gclochainn‡‡	chlochtá / gclochtᇇ	chlochadh sé, sí / gclochadh sé, s퇇	chlochaimis; chlochadh muid / gclochaimis‡‡; gclochadh muid‡‡	chlochadh sibh / gclochadh sibh‡‡	chlochaidís; chlochadh siad / gclochaidís‡‡; gclochadh siad‡‡	a chlochadh / a gclochadh*	chlochtaí / gclochta퇇
future		clochfaidh mé; clochfad	clochfaidh tú; clochfair†	clochfaidh sé, sí	clochfaimid; clochfaidh muid	clochfaidh sibh	clochfaidh siad; clochfaid†	a chlochfaidh; a chlochfas / a gclochfaidh*; a gclochfas*	clochfar
conditional		chlochfainn / gclochfainn‡‡	chlochfá / gclochfᇇ	chlochfadh sé, sí / gclochfadh sé, s퇇	chlochfaimis; chlochfadh muid / gclochfaimis‡‡; gclochfadh muid‡‡	chlochfadh sibh / gclochfadh sibh‡‡	chlochfaidís; chlochfadh siad / gclochfaidís‡‡; gclochfadh siad‡‡	a chlochfadh / a gclochfadh*	chlochfaí / gclochfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go gclocha mé; go gclochad†	go gclocha tú; go gclochair†	go gclocha sé, sí	go gclochaimid; go gclocha muid	go gclocha sibh	go gclocha siad; go gclochaid†	—	go gclochtar
	past	dá gclochainn	dá gclochtá	dá gclochadh sé, sí	dá gclochaimis; dá gclochadh muid	dá gclochadh sibh	dá gclochaidís; dá gclochadh siad	—	dá gclochtaí
imperative		clochaim	cloch	clochadh sé, sí	clochaimis	clochaigí; clochaidh†	clochaidís	—	clochtar
verbal noun		clochadh
past participle		clochta

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

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
cloch	chloch	gcloch
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cloch”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cloch”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “cloch”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “cloch”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

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Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *klukā (“stone”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klox/

Noun

cloch f

1. stone, rock
2. stone (as material)
3. precious stone, gem
4. (Christianity) bead (in a rosary)
5. something built of stone, castle, fortress, stronghold

Inflection

Feminine ā-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative
Vocative
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Derived terms

• clochach (“stony, rocky”, adjective)
• clochaid (“stones; covers with stones”, verb)
• clochamail (“stony, unyielding”, adjective)
• clochán m (“paved road or causeway”)
• clochar m (“stony place”)
• clochda (“made of stone, stony”, adjective)

 

Descendants

• Irish: cloch
• Manx: clagh
• Scottish Gaelic: clach

Mutation

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

References

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cloch”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

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Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklot͡ʃ/ [ˈklot͡ʃ]

Noun

cloch m (plural cloches)

1. Alternative form of cloche

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Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *klokkos (“bell”) (compare Cornish clogh, Breton kloc'h, Old Irish cloc, Irish clog).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kloːχ/

Noun

cloch f (plural clych or clychau or clochau)

1. bell
   1. (figuratively) someone who praises or proclaims
   2. (figuratively) bell-shaped object, especially bubble
   3. (figuratively) bell-like sound or noise, vociferation
2. prize, feat
3. o'clock, of the clock

Derived terms

• cloch aberth (“sacring-bell”)
• cloch adarwr (“low-bell, bell used in fowling at night”)
• cloch Afi (“Avel-bell”)
• cloch angladd (“death-bell, passing-bell”)
• cloch (a)larwm (“alarm-bell, warning bell”)
• cloch alw (“alarm-bell, call-bell; Sanctus bell”)
• cloch (ar) ddwfr (“bubble”)
• cloch dân (“fire-alarm”)
• cloch drydan (“electric bell”)
• cloch dyn marw (“passing-bell, death-bell”)
• cloch enaid (“passing-bell”, literally “soul bell”)
• cloch fach yn y glust (“a ringing or tingling in the ear, believed in some parts to be a premonition of death in one's family”, literally “a little bell in the ear”)
• cloch fach, cloch bach (“sanctus bell”, literally “little bell”)
• cloch ginio (“dinner-bell”)
• cloch gnùl (“passing-bell, knell”)
• cloch hwyrol (“curfew bell”)
• cloch iâ (“icicle”)
• cloch las (“campanula; blue-bell, hare-bell”)
• cloch law (“hand-bell”)
• cloch maban (“snowdrop”)
• cloch offeren (“sacring-bell”)
• cloch osber (“vesper bell”)
• cloch rybudd (“alarm bell”)
• cloch soddi, cloch suddo (“diving-bell”)
• cloch wasanaeth (“church-bell summoning to divine service”)
• cloch (y) baban (“snowdrop”)
• cloch (y) drws (“door-bell”)
• cloch y ffair (“bell rung to announce the commencement of a fair or market”)
• cloch y llan (“church-bell”)
• cloch yr eglwys (“church-bell”)
• cloch (yr) eos (“hare-bells, wild hyacinth”)
• cloch yr ymadrodd (“the uvula, epiglottis”)
• clochau babis (“hare-bells; daffodils”)
• clych Enid (“lily of the valley, May-lily”)
• clych glaw (“rain drops, bubbles of rain”)
• clych tawch (“fog-bells”)
• clych y cerrig (“cup-lichen, cup-moss”)
• clych y march (“yellow rattle”)
• clych y perthi (“Canterbury bells, hedge-bells, hedge-bindweed”)
• clychau Bangor (“hare-bells”, literally “Bangor bells”)
• clychau Llundain (“Canterbury bells, bellflowers, throatwort”, literally “London bells”)
• clychau'r bugail (“hare-bells”, literally “shepherd's bells”)
• clychau'r gog (“blue-bells”)
• clychau'r tylwyth teg (“hare-bells, blue-bells”)

 

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
cloch	gloch	nghloch	chloch
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “cloch”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies