ionga

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish inga (compare Scottish Gaelic ìne, Manx ingin), from Old Irish ingen, from Proto-Celtic *angʷīnā (compare Welsh ewin, Breton ivin), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃nṓgʰs (“nail”) (compare Latin unguis, English nail, Ancient Greek ὄνυξ (ónux), Russian но́готь (nógotʹ)).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈuːŋ(ɡ)ə/, [ˈũːŋ(ɡ)ə]
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈɔŋə/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈɨ̞ŋə/

Noun

ionga f (genitive singular iongan, nominative plural ingne)

1. nail; claw, talon
2. hoof
3. clove (of garlic, etc.)

Declension

Declension of ionga (fifth declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative ionga ingne vocative a ionga a ingne genitive iongan ingne dative ionga iongain (archaic, dialectal) ingne forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an ionga na hingne genitive na hiongan na n-ingne dative leis an ionga leis an iongain (archaic, dialectal) don ionga don iongain (archaic, dialectal) leis na hingne

Derived terms

• ionga coise f (“toenail”)
• ionga laidhre f (“toenail”)
• scuab ingne f (“nailbrush”)
• siosúr ingne m (“nail-scissors”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of ionga

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
ionga	n-ionga	hionga	not applicable

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

Scottish Gaelic

Noun

ionga f (genitive singular ingne, plural ìngnean or ionganan or ìnean)

1. alternative form of ìne (“nail”)