cailín

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Irish

Etymology

caile (“maid”) +‎ -ín (diminutive suffix)

Pronunciation

(Munster) IPA^(key): /kaˈlʲiːnʲ/
(Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈkalʲiːnʲ/
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈkælʲinʲ/

Noun

cailín m (genitive singular cailín, nominative plural cailíní)

girl; young, unmarried woman
Synonyms: gearrchaile, girseach
girlfriend
Synonym: girseach
female servant, maid
useful thing (referring to a feminine noun)
Is í an druil an cailín chun na hoibre.
The drill is the right tool for the job.

Usage notes

Cailín is masculine because of the suffix -ín. Nevertheless, the feminine pronouns sí and í are used to refer to it.

Declension

Declension of cailín

Fourth declension

Bare forms

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	cailín	cailíní
Vocative	a chailín	a chailíní
Genitive	cailín	cailíní
Dative	cailín	cailíní

Forms with the definite article

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an cailín	na cailíní
Genitive	an chailín	na gcailíní
Dative	leis an gcailín don chailín	leis na cailíní

Coordinate terms

bean (“woman”)
buachaill (“boy, unmarried young man”)
fear (“man”)

Derived terms

cailín aimsire (“servant-girl”)
cailín báire (“tomboy”)
cailín bán (“stoat”)
cailín bláthanna (“flower-girl”)
cailín coimhdeachta (“bridesmaid”)
cailín dearg (“tongue”)
cailín freastail (“waitress”)
cailín óg (“young girl; bride”)
cailín oibre (“work-girl”)
cailín scoile (“schoolgirl”)
cailín siopa (“shop-girl”)
cailín tí (“housemaid”)

Descendants

→ English: colleen
Shelta: lakeen

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
cailín	chailín	gcailín
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 78
^ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 45

Further reading

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

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