toísech

Old Irish

Etymology

From Primitive Irish ᚈᚑᚃᚔᚄᚐᚉᚔ (tovisaci, genitive), from Proto-Celtic *towissākos (“leader”) (compare Welsh tywysog (“prince”)), from either Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- (“lead”) or Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“know, see”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtoːi̯sʲəx/, [ˈtoːi̯sʲex]

Noun

toísech m (genitive toísig, nominative plural toísig)

1. leader, chief
   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 63^b5

     Essu rubu thoisech hisuidiu

     [it was] Joshua who was the leader in this

2. first-mentioned thing or person

Declension

Masculine o-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	toísech	toísechL	toísigL
Vocative	toísig	toísechL	toísechuH
Accusative	toísechN	toísechL	toísechuH
Genitive	toísigL	toísech	toísechN
Dative	toísechL	toísechaib	toísechaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: taoiseach, Taoiseach
  • → English: Taoiseach
• Scottish Gaelic: tòiseach

Adjective

toísech (comparative toísigiu, superlative toísechem)

1. first
   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 128^d17

     isind salm toisech

     in the first psalm

2. most important
   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 14^c6

     .i. nochis honaib dib són .i. hires foirbthe 7 gnímai sainemlae .i. is hires as toisech hi-suidib

     that is of these two, i.e., perfect faith and excellent deeds, i.e. it is faith that is chief among them.

3. (in the comparative) sooner
   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 112^b12

     Is déniu ad·ciam húa ṡúlib risíu ro·cloammar in fogur húa chluasaib, ut est is toísigiu ad·ciam teilciud in béla resíu ro·cloammar a guth sidi.

     We see more quickly with the eyes before we hear the sound with the ears, ut est we see the throwing of the axe sooner before we hear the sound of this.

Declension

o/ā-stem
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	toísech	toísech	toísech
Vocative	toísig* toísech**
Accusative	toísech	toísig
Genitive	toísig	toísige	toísig
Dative	toísuch	toísig	toísuch
Plural	Masculine	Feminine/neuter
Nominative	toísig	toísecha
Vocative	toísechu toísecha†
Accusative	toísechu toísecha†
Genitive	toísech
Dative	toísechaib
Notes	*modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative **modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative † not when substantivized

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
toísech	thoísech	toísech pronounced with /d(ʲ)-/
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.