riabhach

Irish

Cat riabhach

Riabhach san Íoslainn

Alternative forms

• riach

Etymology

From Middle Irish ríabach, from Proto-Celtic *rēbākos. By surface analysis, riabh +‎ -ach.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈɾˠiəx/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈɾˠiəwəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈɾˠeːwa(x)/, (older) /ˈɾˠɤːwa(x)/
• Homophone: riach (Munster)

Adjective

riabhach (genitive singular masculine riabhaigh, genitive singular feminine riabhaí, plural riabhacha, not comparable)

1. brindled
2. striped, streaked
3. dun, gray, swarthy
4. tabby (cat)
5. (nominalized, feminine) brindled cow

Declension

Declension of riabhach

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	riabhach	riabhach	riabhacha
Vocative	riabhaigh		riabhacha
Genitive		riabhaí	riabhacha	riabhach
Dative	riabhach	riabhach; riabhaigh (archaic)	riabhacha
Comparative	(not comparable)
Superlative	(not comparable)

Derived terms

• laethanta na riabhaí (“borrowing days”)

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “riaḃaċ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 567
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “riabhach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Middle Irish ríabach, from Proto-Celtic *rēbākos, from a Proto-Indo-European root shared with Latvian raibs (“multicolored”), Albanian rrebe (“caprice”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrˠiəvəx/

Adjective

riabhach

1. brindled, speckled, streaked

Derived terms

• riabhag-choille