Cliff Jones Jr.

Core Vocabulary in Irish #

What are the most basic concepts that virtually all languages express? I’ve done my best to answer this question with a list of 200 core vocabulary items, and this is part one of the Irish (Gaelic) version. To learn how I settled on these particular concepts and see what other languages have been added so far, check out “Core Vocabulary Across Languages.”

Abbreviations #

m = masculine gender

f = feminine gender

Nouns #

  1. name = ainm (m)
  2. water = uisce (m)
  3. blood = fuil (f)
  4. fire = tine (f)
  5. stone/rock = cloch (f), carraig (f)
  6. dog = madra (m)
  7. fish = iasc (m)
  8. louse/flea = míol cnis (m), dreancaid (f)
  9. hand/arm = lámh (f), géag (f)
  10. eye = súil (f)
  11. ear = cluas (f)
  12. nose = srón (f), gaosán (m)
  13. tongue = teanga (f)
  14. tooth = fiacail (f)
  15. bone = cnámh (f)
  16. horn = adharc (m)
  17. tail = eireaball (m)
  18. egg = ubh (f)
  19. leaf = duille (m), duilleog (f)
  20. night/evening = oíche (f), tráthnóna (m)
  21. star = réalta (f)
  22. sun = grian (f)
  23. moon = gealach (f)
  24. earth/soil = talamh (m), cré (f), ithir (f), úir (f)
  25. salt = salann (m)
  26. mountain = sliabh (m), cnoc (m)
  27. tree = crann (m)
  28. rain = fearthainn (f), báisteach (f)
  29. wind = gaoth (f)
  30. bird = éan (m)
  31. flesh/meat = feoil (f)
  32. liver = ae (m)
  33. skin/hide = craiceann (m), seithe (f)
  34. knee = glúin (f)
  35. breast/chest = cíoch (f), cliabh (m), brollach(m)
  36. person, human = duine (m)
  37. man = fear (m)
  38. woman = bean (f)
  39. child = leanbh (m), páiste (m)
  40. hair/fur = gruaig (f), folt (m), fionnadh (m)
  41. mouth = béal (m)
  42. neck = muineál (m)
  43. foot/leg = cos (f)
  44. feather = cleite (m)
  45. grease/fat = bealadh (m), saill (f), blonag (f)
  46. smoke = toit (f), deatach (m)
  47. ash/soot = luaith (f), súiche (m)
  48. sand = gaineamh (m)
  49. wood = adhmad (m), connadh (m)
  50. root = fréamh (f), rúta (m)
  51. rope/cord = téad (f), rópa (m)
  52. path/road = cosán (m), bóthar (m), bealach (m), slí (f)
  53. year = bliain (f)

Verbs #

  1. die = faigh bás
  2. see/look/watch = feic, féach, fóir
  3. hear/listen = clois, cluin, éist
  4. know = fhios a bheith agat
  5. drink = ól
  6. give = tabhair
  7. come = tar
  8. stand = seas
  9. sit/set = suigh
  10. lie/lay = luigh
  11. fly = eitil
  12. eat = ith
  13. bite = cailg
  14. burn = dóigh
  15. kill = maraigh
  16. say/tell/speak/talk = abair, inis, can
  17. laugh = gáir

Adjectives #

  1. new = nua
  2. full = lán
  3. good = maith
  4. long = fada
  5. red = rua, dearg
  6. black = dubh
  7. white = bán
  8. green = glas, uaine
  9. yellow = buí
  10. small/little = beag
  11. big/large = mór
  12. wide/broad = leathan
  13. heavy = trom
  14. old = sean
  15. dry = tirim

Other #

  1. I/me = mé/mise
  2. you = tú/tusa, sibh/sibhse
  3. what/which = cad, céard, cén
  4. who/whom = cé, a
  5. one = aon, duine
  6. two = dó, beirt, dís
  7. not/no = ní, níl, níor, cha
  8. this/these = seo, é/í/iad seo
  9. we/us = sinn/sinne, muid/muidne
  10. all/everything/everyone = uile, gach uile, gach aon rud, cách