diabhal

Irish

Alternative forms

• deabhal (Connacht)
• diabhar

Etymology

From Old Irish díabul, from Latin diabolus (“devil”), from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “slanderer”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈdʲiəl̪ˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈdʲauəlˠ/, /ˈdʲauəl̪ˠ/ (corresponding to the form deabhal)
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈdʲɨ̞wəlˠ/, /ˈdʲɨ̞wəl̪ˠ/; /ˈdʲɪwəlˠ/, /ˈdʲɪwəl̪ˠ/; (in oaths) /dʲuːlˠ/, /dʲuːl̪ˠ/

Noun

diabhal m (genitive singular diabhail, nominative plural diabhail)

1. devil

   Synonym: áibhirseoir

   Ní dual don diabhal bheith díomhaoin

   No rest for the wicked

   (literally, “It is not in the devil's nature to be idle”)

Declension

Declension of diabhal (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative diabhal diabhail vocative a dhiabhail a dhiabhala genitive diabhail diabhal dative diabhal diabhail forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an diabhal na diabhail genitive an diabhail na ndiabhal dative leis an diabhal don diabhal leis na diabhail

Derived terms

• crosdiabhal (“Devil’s imp, mischievous person”)
• diabhal Tasmánach (“Tasmanian devil”)
• diabhaldánacht f (“devilry, diabolic art”)
• diabhalta (“mischievous; very”, adjective)
• diabhlaí (“diabolic, devilish”, adjective)
• diabhlaíocht f (“devilry”)
• diabhlánach m (“mischievous person; rogue, rascal”)
• diabhlóir m (“wicked person; mischievous person”)

See also

• diucs (euphemism)

Determiner

diabhal

1. (colloquial) no, not a (emphatic)

   diabhal focal ― not a single word

   diabhal duine ― no one at all

Synonyms

• don deabhal (Connacht)
• don diabhal

Mutation

Mutated forms of diabhal

radical	lenition	eclipsis
diabhal	dhiabhal	ndiabhal

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), “diabhal”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish díabul, from Latin diabolus, from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “slanderer”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʲiəvəl̪ˠ/

Noun

diabhal m (genitive singular diabhail, plural diabhlan or diabhail)

1. devil

Derived terms

• ban-diabhal (“female devil, fury”)
• diabhal Tasmanach (“Tasmanian devil”)

Mutation

Mutation of diabhal

radical	lenition
diabhal	dhiabhal

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911), “diabhal”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN