cruach

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɾˠuəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /kɾˠɔx/ (when unstressed in the phrase cruach fhéir (“hayrick”) /kɾˠɔxˈeiɾʲ/)

Etymology 1

From crua (“hard”) +‎ -ach.

Alternative forms

• cruaidh (Munster)
• cruaidhe (Ulster)
• cruadhach (obsolete)

Noun

cruach f (genitive singular cruach)

1. steel (metal alloy)

Declension

Declension of cruach

Fourth declension

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative cruach Vocative a chruach Genitive cruach Dative cruach

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an chruach Genitive na cruach Dative leis an gcruach don chruach

Derived terms

• cruach charbóin (“carbon steel”)
• giotár cruach (“steel guitar”)

 

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish crúach, Old Irish crúach (“stack; mountain, hill”), from Proto-Celtic *krowkos (“heap”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *krewH- (“to heap up”), shared with Proto-Germanic *hraukaz (“heap”), Lithuanian kruvà (“heap”).

Noun

cruach f (genitive singular cruaiche, nominative plural cruacha)

1. stack (of corn or hay), pile
2. (geography) hill, mountain

Declension

Declension of cruach

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative cruach cruacha Vocative a chruach a chruacha Genitive cruaiche cruach Dative cruach cruaich (archaic, dialectal) cruacha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an chruach na cruacha Genitive na cruaiche na gcruach Dative leis an gcruach leis an gcruaich (archaic, dialectal) don chruach don chruaich (archaic, dialectal) leis na cruacha

Verb

cruach (present analytic cruachann, future analytic cruachfaidh, verbal noun cruachadh, past participle cruachta)

1. (transitive) stack; pile

Conjugation

conjugation of cruach (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	cruachaim	cruachann tú; cruachair†	cruachann sé, sí	cruachaimid	cruachann sibh	cruachann siad; cruachaid†	a chruachann; a chruachas / a gcruachann*; a gcruachas*	cruachtar
	past	chruach mé; chruachas	chruach tú; chruachais	chruach sé, sí	chruachamar; chruach muid	chruach sibh; chruachabhair	chruach siad; chruachadar	a chruach / ar chruach*	cruachadh
	past habitual	chruachainn / gcruachainn‡‡	chruachtá / gcruachtᇇ	chruachadh sé, sí / gcruachadh sé, s퇇	chruachaimis; chruachadh muid / gcruachaimis‡‡; gcruachadh muid‡‡	chruachadh sibh / gcruachadh sibh‡‡	chruachaidís; chruachadh siad / gcruachaidís‡‡; gcruachadh siad‡‡	a chruachadh / a gcruachadh*	chruachtaí / gcruachta퇇
	future	cruachfaidh mé; cruachfad	cruachfaidh tú; cruachfair†	cruachfaidh sé, sí	cruachfaimid; cruachfaidh muid	cruachfaidh sibh	cruachfaidh siad; cruachfaid†	a chruachfaidh; a chruachfas / a gcruachfaidh*; a gcruachfas*	cruachfar
conditional		chruachfainn / gcruachfainn‡‡	chruachfá / gcruachfᇇ	chruachfadh sé, sí / gcruachfadh sé, s퇇	chruachfaimis; chruachfadh muid / gcruachfaimis‡‡; gcruachfadh muid‡‡	chruachfadh sibh / gcruachfadh sibh‡‡	chruachfaidís; chruachfadh siad / gcruachfaidís‡‡; gcruachfadh siad‡‡	a chruachfadh / a gcruachfadh*	chruachfaí / gcruachfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go gcruacha mé; go gcruachad†	go gcruacha tú; go gcruachair†	go gcruacha sé, sí	go gcruachaimid; go gcruacha muid	go gcruacha sibh	go gcruacha siad; go gcruachaid†	—	go gcruachtar
	past	dá gcruachainn	dá gcruachtá	dá gcruachadh sé, sí	dá gcruachaimis; dá gcruachadh muid	dá gcruachadh sibh	dá gcruachaidís; dá gcruachadh siad	—	dá gcruachtaí
imperative		cruachaim	cruach	cruachadh sé, sí	cruachaimis	cruachaigí; cruachaidh†	cruachaidís	—	cruachtar
verbal noun		cruachadh
past participle		cruachta

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

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
cruach	chruach	gcruach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Descendants

• → English: croagh
• →⇒ Yola: kurkeen

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “cruach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 crúach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Entries containing “cruach” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “cruach” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 59

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology 1

From Old Irish crúach (“stack of corn; rick; heap, conical pile; mountain, hill”), from Proto-Celtic *krowko- (“heap”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *krā(u)- (“to heap up”), shared with Proto-Germanic *hraukaz (“heap”), Lithuanian krûvà (“heap”).

Noun

cruach f (genitive singular cruaiche, plural cruachan)

1. pile, heap, stack

Derived terms

• cho seasgair ri luchag ann an cruach (“snug as a bug in a rug”, literally “snug as a mouse in a haystack”)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish crúachaid (“heaps, piles”), from crúach (“heap, pile”).

Verb

cruach (past chruach, future cruachaidh, verbal noun cruachadh, past participle cruachte)

1. pile or heap up
2. make into a stack

Mutation

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