cathach

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑhəx/, /ˈkahəx/
• IPA^(key): /kɑːx/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish cathach (“relic, reliquary”).

Noun

cathach m or f (genitive singular cathaigh or cathaí)

1. battle reliquary

Declension

Declension of cathach (first declension, no plural)

bare forms singular nominative cathach vocative a chathaigh genitive cathaigh dative cathach forms with the definite article singular nominative an cathach genitive an chathaigh dative leis an gcathach don chathach

Alternative declension

Declension of cathach (second declension, no plural)

bare forms singular nominative cathach vocative a chathach genitive cathaí dative cathach cathaigh (archaic, dialectal) forms with the definite article singular nominative an chathach genitive na cathaí dative leis an gcathach leis an gcathaigh (archaic, dialectal) don chathach don chathaigh (archaic, dialectal)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish cathach (“bellicose”). By surface analysis, cath (“battle”) +‎ -ach (adjectival suffix).

Adjective

cathach (genitive singular masculine cathaigh, genitive singular feminine cathaí, plural cathacha, comparative cathaí)

1. battling, warlike

Declension

Declension of cathach

Positive	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine	strong noun	weak noun
nominative	cathach	chathach	cathacha; chathacha2
vocative	chathaigh		cathacha
genitive		cathaí	cathacha	cathach
dative	cathach; chathach1	chathach; chathaigh (archaic)	cathacha; chathacha2
Comparative	níos cathaí
Superlative	is cathaí

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

Alternative forms

• cathaitheach

Etymology 3

Adjective

cathach (genitive singular masculine cathaigh, genitive singular feminine cathaí, plural cathacha, comparative cathaí)

1. alternative form of cathaitheach (“tempting; regretful, sorrowful”)

Declension

Declension of cathach

Positive	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine	strong noun	weak noun
nominative	cathach	chathach	cathacha; chathacha2
vocative	chathaigh		cathacha
genitive		cathaí	cathacha	cathach
dative	cathach; chathach1	chathach; chathaigh (archaic)	cathacha; chathacha2
Comparative	níos cathaí
Superlative	is cathaí

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

Mutation

Mutated forms of cathach

radical	lenition	eclipsis
cathach	chathach	gcathach

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), “cathach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Old Irish

Etymology

From cath (“battle”) +‎ -ach.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈka.θəx/
  • (Blasse) [ˈka.θax]
  • (Griffith) [ˈka.θəx]

Adjective

cathach

1. bellicose, warlike
2. vehement, forceful

Inflection

o/ā-stem

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	cathach	cathach	cathach
vocative	cathaig* cathach**
accusative	cathach	cathaig
genitive	cathaig	cathaige	cathaig
dative	cathuch	cathaig	cathuch
plural	masculine	feminine/neuter
nominative	cathaig	cathacha
vocative	cathachu cathacha†
accusative	cathachu cathacha†
genitive	cathach
dative	cathachaib

*modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative
**modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative
† not when substantivized

Derived terms

• cathaige (“warlike spirit”)

Descendants

• Irish: cathach

Noun

cathach f (genitive cathaige, nominative plural cathacha)

1. relic, reliquary (from the use of relics in battle to ensure victory)

Inflection

Feminine ā-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	cathachL	cathaigL	cathachaH
vocative	cathachL	cathaigL	cathachaH
accusative	cathaigN	cathaigL	cathachaH
genitive	cathaigeH	cathachL	cathachN
dative	cathaigL	cathachaib	cathachaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

• ^H = triggers aspiration
• ^L = triggers lenition
• ^N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: cathach

Mutation

Mutation of cathach

radical	lenition	nasalization
cathach	chathach	cathach pronounced with /ɡ-/

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 cathach (‘bellicose’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 cathach (‘relic’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language