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Irish
Etymology
From Old Irish cáin (“law, rule, fine, tax, tribute”). The verb is from Middle Irish cáinid (“revile, rail at, reproach”), from the noun.
Pronunciation
Noun
cáin f (genitive singular cánach or cána, nominative plural cánacha)
- (literary)
- law, rule, regulation, set of laws or rules or regulations
- due, tribute
- fine, penalty
- Synonym: fíneáil
- impost, tax, taxation
Declension
Standard inflection (fifth declension):
Alternative inflection (third declension):
Derived terms
Verb
cáin (present analytic cáineann, future analytic cáinfidh, verbal noun cáineadh, past participle cáinte) (transitive, intransitive)
- fine (issue a fine as punishment)
- criticise, condemn, censure
Conjugation
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singular
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plural
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relative
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autonomous
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first
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second
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third
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first
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second
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third
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indicative
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present
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cáinim
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cáineann tú; cáinir†
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cáineann sé, sí
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cáinimid
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cáineann sibh
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cáineann siad; cáinid†
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a cháineann; a cháineas / a gcáineann*; a gcáineas*
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cáintear
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past
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cháin mé; cháineas
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cháin tú; cháinis
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cháin sé, sí
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cháineamar; cháin muid
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cháin sibh; cháineabhair
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cháin siad; cháineadar
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a cháin / ar cháin*
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cáineadh
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past habitual
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cháininn / gcáininn‡‡
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cháinteá / gcáinteᇇ
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cháineadh sé, sí / gcáineadh sé, s퇇
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cháinimis; cháineadh muid / gcáinimis‡‡; gcáineadh muid‡‡
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cháineadh sibh / gcáineadh sibh‡‡
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cháinidís; cháineadh siad / gcáinidís‡‡; gcáineadh siad‡‡
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a cháineadh / a gcáineadh*
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cháintí / gcáint퇇
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future
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cáinfidh mé; cáinfead
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cáinfidh tú; cáinfir†
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cáinfidh sé, sí
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cáinfimid; cáinfidh muid
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cáinfidh sibh
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cáinfidh siad; cáinfid†
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a cháinfidh; a cháinfeas / a gcáinfidh*; a gcáinfeas*
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cáinfear
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conditional
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cháinfinn / gcáinfinn‡‡
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cháinfeá / gcáinfeᇇ
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cháinfeadh sé, sí / gcáinfeadh sé, s퇇
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cháinfimis; cháinfeadh muid / gcáinfimis‡‡; gcáinfeadh muid‡‡
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cháinfeadh sibh / gcáinfeadh sibh‡‡
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cháinfidís; cháinfeadh siad / gcáinfidís‡‡; gcáinfeadh siad‡‡
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a cháinfeadh / a gcáinfeadh*
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cháinfí / gcáinf퇇
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subjunctive
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present
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go gcáine mé; go gcáinead†
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go gcáine tú; go gcáinir†
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go gcáine sé, sí
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go gcáinimid; go gcáine muid
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go gcáine sibh
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go gcáine siad; go gcáinid†
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—
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go gcáintear
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past
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dá gcáininn
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dá gcáinteá
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dá gcáineadh sé, sí
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dá gcáinimis; dá gcáineadh muid
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dá gcáineadh sibh
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dá gcáinidís; dá gcáineadh siad
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—
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dá gcáintí
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imperative
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cáinim
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cáin
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cáineadh sé, sí
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cáinimis
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cáinigí; cáinidh†
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cáinidís
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—
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cáintear
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verbal noun
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cáineadh
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past participle
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cáinte
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* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis
Alternative conjugation:
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singular
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plural
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relative
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autonomous
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first
|
second
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third
|
first
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second
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third
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indicative
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present
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cánaim
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cánann tú; cánair†
|
cánann sé, sí
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cánaimid
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cánann sibh
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cánann siad; cánaid†
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a chánann; a chánas / a gcánann*; a gcánas*
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cántar
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past
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cháin mé; chánas
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cháin tú; chánais
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cháin sé, sí
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chánamar; cháin muid
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cháin sibh; chánabhair
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cháin siad; chánadar
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a cháin / ar cháin*
|
cánadh
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past habitual
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chánainn / gcánainn‡‡
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chántá / gcántᇇ
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chánadh sé, sí / gcánadh sé, s퇇
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chánaimis; chánadh muid / gcánaimis‡‡; gcánadh muid‡‡
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chánadh sibh / gcánadh sibh‡‡
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chánaidís; chánadh siad / gcánaidís‡‡; gcánadh siad‡‡
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a chánadh / a gcánadh*
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chántaí / gcánta퇇
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future
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cánfaidh mé; cánfad
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cánfaidh tú; cánfair†
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cánfaidh sé, sí
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cánfaimid; cánfaidh muid
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cánfaidh sibh
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cánfaidh siad; cánfaid†
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a chánfaidh; a chánfas / a gcánfaidh*; a gcánfas*
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cánfar
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conditional
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chánfainn / gcánfainn‡‡
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chánfá / gcánfᇇ
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chánfadh sé, sí / gcánfadh sé, s퇇
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chánfaimis; chánfadh muid / gcánfaimis‡‡; gcánfadh muid‡‡
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chánfadh sibh / gcánfadh sibh‡‡
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chánfaidís; chánfadh siad / gcánfaidís‡‡; gcánfadh siad‡‡
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a chánfadh / a gcánfadh*
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chánfaí / gcánfa퇇
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subjunctive
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present
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go gcána mé; go gcánad†
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go gcána tú; go gcánair†
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go gcána sé, sí
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go gcánaimid; go gcána muid
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go gcána sibh
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go gcána siad; go gcánaid†
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—
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go gcántar
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past
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dá gcánainn
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dá gcántá
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dá gcánadh sé, sí
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dá gcánaimis; dá gcánadh muid
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dá gcánadh sibh
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dá gcánaidís; dá gcánadh siad
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—
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dá gcántaí
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imperative
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cánaim
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cáin
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cánadh sé, sí
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cánaimis
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cánaigí; cánaidh†
|
cánaidís
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—
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cántar
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verbal noun
|
cánadh
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past participle
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cánta
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* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis
Mutation
Irish mutation
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Radical
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Lenition
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Eclipsis
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cáin
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cháin
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gcáin
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Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.
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Further reading
- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cáin”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
- Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “cáin”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 106
- Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cáin”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cáinid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Old Irish
Etymology
From Proto-Celtic *ká(g)ni- (“tribute, law”).
Pronunciation
Noun
cáin f
- law (system, set of regulations), regulation, rule
- legal due, fine, tax, tribute
Inflection
Feminine i-stem
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Singular
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Dual
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Plural
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Nominative
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cáin
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cáinL
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cánaiH
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Vocative
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cáin
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cáinL
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cánaiH
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Accusative
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cáinN
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cáinL
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cánaiH
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Genitive
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cánoH, cánaH
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cánoH, cánaH
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cánaeN
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Dative
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cáinL
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cánaib
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cánaib
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Initial mutations of a following adjective:
- H = triggers aspiration
- L = triggers lenition
- N = triggers nasalization
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Derived terms
Descendants
Mutation
Old Irish mutation
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Radical |
Lenition |
Nasalization
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cáin
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cháin
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cáin pronounced with /ɡ(ʲ)-/
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Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.
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Further reading