meall

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /mʲaul̪ˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /mʲaːl̪ˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /mʲal̪ˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish mell (“ball”), from Proto-Celtic *melsā (“knuckle”), from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (“limb, joint”), see also Ancient Greek μέλος (mélos), Transalpine Gaulish placename Melodunum.

Noun

meall m (genitive singular mill, nominative plural meallta)

1. ball
2. protuberance
3. tumour
4. lump, mass

Declension

Declension of meall (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative meall meallta vocative a mhill a mhealla genitive mill meall dative meall meallta forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an meall na meallta genitive an mhill na meall dative leis an meall don mheall leis na meallta

Derived terms

• an meall is mó ar deireadh (“last but not least”)
• cruinnmheall (“round mass; globe”)
• meall brád
• meall coise
• meall gorm
• meall guail
• meall mór
• meall na gréine
• meall sneachta
• meall súile

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish mell, from Old Irish meld, from Proto-Celtic *meldos.

Adjective

meall (genitive singular masculine mill, genitive singular feminine mille, plural mealla, comparative mille)

1. alternative form of meallach (“beguiling, pleasant, delightful”)

Declension

Declension of meall

Positive	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine	strong noun	weak noun
nominative	meall	mheall	mealla; mhealla2
vocative	mhill		mealla
genitive		mealle	mealla	meall
dative	meall; mheall1	mheall; mhill (archaic)	mealla; mhealla2
Comparative	níos mealle
Superlative	is mealle

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Etymology 3

From Middle Irish mellaid, from mell (“pleasant”) (compare etymology 2 above).

Verb

meall (present analytic meallann, future analytic meallfaidh, verbal noun mealladh, past participle meallta) (ambitransitive)

1. to beguile, charm
2. to entice
3. to disappoint

Conjugation

Conjugation of meall (first conjugation – A)

indicative	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present	meallaim	meallann tú; meallair†	meallann sé, sí	meallaimid; meallann muid	meallann sibh	meallann siad; meallaid†	a mheallann; a mheallas	mealltar
past	mheall mé; mheallas	mheall tú; mheallais	mheall sé, sí	mheallamar; mheall muid	mheall sibh; mheallabhair	mheall siad; mhealladar	a mheall	mealladh
past habitual	mheallainn / meallainn‡	mhealltá / mealltá‡	mhealladh sé, sí / mealladh sé, sí‡	mheallaimis; mhealladh muid / meallaimis‡; mealladh muid‡	mhealladh sibh / mealladh sibh‡	mheallaidís; mhealladh siad / meallaidís‡; mealladh siad‡	a mhealladh	mhealltaí / mealltaí‡
	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	meallfaidh mé; meallfad	meallfaidh tú; meallfair†	meallfaidh sé, sí	meallfaimid; meallfaidh muid	meallfaidh sibh	meallfaidh siad; meallfaid†	a mheallfaidh; a mheallfas	meallfar
conditional	mheallfainn / meallfainn‡	mheallfá / meallfá‡	mheallfadh sé, sí / meallfadh sé, sí‡	mheallfaimis; mheallfadh muid / meallfaimis‡; meallfadh muid‡	mheallfadh sibh / meallfadh sibh‡	mheallfaidís; mheallfadh siad / meallfaidís‡; meallfadh siad‡	a mheallfadh	mheallfaí / meallfaí‡
subjunctive	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present	go mealla mé; go meallad†	go mealla tú; go meallair†	go mealla sé, sí	go meallaimid; go mealla muid	go mealla sibh	go mealla siad; go meallaid†	—	go mealltar
past	dá meallainn	dá mealltá	dá mealladh sé, sí	dá meallaimis; dá mealladh muid	dá mealladh sibh	dá meallaidís; dá mealladh siad	—	dá mealltaí
imperative	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
—	meallaim	meall	mealladh sé, sí	meallaimis	meallaigí; meallaidh†	meallaidís	—	mealltar
past participle	meallta
verbal noun	mealladh

^† archaic or dialect form
^‡ dependent form

Derived terms

• mealltóir

Mutation

Mutated forms of meall

radical	lenition	eclipsis
meall	mheall	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

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927), “meall”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla [Irish and English Dictionary], 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 724; reprinted with additions 1996, →ISBN
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “meall”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• (Lewis, Harris) IPA^(key): /mjãũl̪ˠ/
• (Uist, Barra, Skye, Wester Ross, Colonsay) IPA^(key): /mɛ̃ũl̪ˠ/; (Colonsay) [mɛl̥ʷˑ]
• (Islay) IPA^(key): /mjal̪ˠ(ː)/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish mell (“ball”), from Proto-Celtic *melsā (“knuckle”), from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (“limb, joint”), see also Ancient Greek μέλος (mélos), Transalpine Gaulish placename Melodunum.

Noun

meall m (genitive singular mill, plural mill)

1. lump
2. hill
3. large number
4. (weather) shower (of rain)

Derived terms

• meallan
• meall-sgòrnain

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish mellaid, from mell (“pleasant”).

Verb

meall (past mheall, future meallaidh, verbal noun mealladh, past participle meallta)

1. deceive, trick, cheat
2. entice, beguile, inveigle
3. seduce, charm, tempt

Derived terms

• mealltach

Mutation

Mutation of meall

radical	lenition
meall	mheall

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

Further reading

• MacBain, Alexander; Mackay, Eneas (1911), “meall”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[2], Stirling, →ISBN