uisce beatha

Irish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From uisce (“water”) + beatha (“life”), in origin a calque of Latin aqua vītae (“water of life”). Compare Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha.

Pronunciation[edit]

IPA^(key): /ˈɪʃcɪ ˈbʲahə/

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Noun[edit]

uisce beatha m (genitive singular uisce bheatha)

whiskey
Synonyms: beathuisce, fuisce

Derived terms[edit]

uisce beatha Albanach (“Scotch whisky”)
uisce beatha braiche (“malt whiskey”)
uisce beatha seagail (“rye whiskey”)
uisce beatha te (“hot whiskey”)

Descendants[edit]

→ Yola: usquebaugh, usbaugh

Mutation[edit]

Irish mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
uisce beatha	n-uisce beatha	huisce beatha	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading[edit]

Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “uisce”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
Entries containing “uisce beatha” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
Entries containing “uisce beatha” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.