dún

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "dun"

Icelandic

Noun

dún

  1. indefinite accusative singular of dúnn

Irish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Old Irish dún, from Proto-Celtic *dūnom (“stronghold”).

Noun

dún m (genitive singular dúin or dúna, nominative plural dúnta or dúna or dúinte)

  1. fort; fortress
  2. place of refuge, haven
  3. (secure) residence, house
  4. promontory fort; bluff
Declension
Declension of dún

First declension

Bare forms:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative dún dúnta
Vocative a dhúin a dhúnta
Genitive dúin dúnta
Dative dún dúnta

Forms with the definite article:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative an dún na dúnta
Genitive an dúin na ndúnta
Dative leis an dún

don dún

leis na dúnta

Alternative declension
Declension of dún

Third declension

Bare forms:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative dún dúna
Vocative a dhún a dhúna
Genitive dúna dún
Dative dún dúna

Forms with the definite article:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative an dún na dúna
Genitive an dúna na ndún
Dative leis an dún

don dún

leis na dúna

Alternative plural: dúinte

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Old Irish dúnaid, dúinid (“shuts, closes; blocks, obstructs; joins, clasps; closes, ends”).

Verb

dún (present analytic dúnann, future analytic dúnfaidh, verbal noun dúnadh, past participle dúnta)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) close, shut
    Synonym: (Ulster) druid
  2. (transitive, intransitive) draw together; secure, fasten
Conjugation
conjugation of dún (first conjugation – A)
singular plural relative autonomous
first second third first second third
indicative present dúnaim dúnann tú;
dúnair† 		dúnann sé, sí dúnaimid dúnann sibh dúnann siad;
dúnaid† 		a dhúnann; a dhúnas /
a ndúnann*; a ndúnas* 		dúntar
past dhún mé; dhúnas dhún tú; dhúnais dhún sé, sí dhúnamar; dhún muid dhún sibh; dhúnabhair dhún siad; dhúnadar a dhún /
ar dhún* 		dúnadh
past habitual dhúnainn / ndúnainn‡‡ dhúntá / ndúntᇇ dhúnadh sé, sí / ndúnadh sé, s퇇 dhúnaimis; dhúnadh muid / ndúnaimis‡‡; ndúnadh muid‡‡ dhúnadh sibh / ndúnadh sibh‡‡ dhúnaidís; dhúnadh siad / ndúnaidís‡‡; ndúnadh siad‡‡ a dhúnadh /
a ndúnadh* 		dhúntaí / ndúnta퇇
future dúnfaidh mé;
dúnfad 		dúnfaidh tú;
dúnfair† 		dúnfaidh sé, sí dúnfaimid;
dúnfaidh muid 		dúnfaidh sibh dúnfaidh siad;
dúnfaid† 		a dhúnfaidh; a dhúnfas /
a ndúnfaidh*; a ndúnfas* 		dúnfar
conditional dhúnfainn / ndúnfainn‡‡ dhúnfá / ndúnfᇇ dhúnfadh sé, sí / ndúnfadh sé, s퇇 dhúnfaimis; dhúnfadh muid / ndúnfaimis‡‡; ndúnfadh muid‡‡ dhúnfadh sibh / ndúnfadh sibh‡‡ dhúnfaidís; dhúnfadh siad / ndúnfaidís‡‡; ndúnfadh siad‡‡ a dhúnfadh /
a ndúnfadh* 		dhúnfaí / ndúnfa퇇
subjunctive present go ndúna mé;
go ndúnad† 		go ndúna tú;
go ndúnair† 		go ndúna sé, sí go ndúnaimid;
go ndúna muid 		go ndúna sibh go ndúna siad;
go ndúnaid† 		— go ndúntar
past dá ndúnainn dá ndúntá dá ndúnadh sé, sí dá ndúnaimis;
dá ndúnadh muid 		dá ndúnadh sibh dá ndúnaidís;
dá ndúnadh siad 		— dá ndúntaí
imperative dúnaim dún dúnadh sé, sí dúnaimis dúnaigí;
dúnaidh† 		dúnaidís — dúntar
verbal noun dúnadh
past participle dúnta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Alternative forms

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
dún dhún ndún
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

Old Irish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *dūnom (“stronghold”).

Noun

dún n (genitive dúin or dúine, nominative plural dúna or dúine)

  1. fort
  2. fortress
Inflection
Neuter o-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative dúnN dúnN dúnL, dúna
Vocative dúnN dúnN dúnL, dúna
Accusative dúnN dúnN dúnL, dúna
Genitive dúinL dún dúnN
Dative dúnL dúnaib dúnaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization
Neuter s-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative dúnN dúnN dúineL
Vocative dúnN dúnN dúineL
Accusative dúnN dúnN dúineL
Genitive dúineL dúine dúineN
Dative dúinL dúinib dúinib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization
Descendants
  • Irish: dún
  • Manx: doon
  • Scottish Gaelic: dùn

Etymology 2

From do + sinn.

Pronoun

dún

  1. Alternative spelling of dúnn

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Nasalization
dún dún
pronounced with /ð(ʲ)-/ 		ndún
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian *dūn, dūne, borrowed from Middle Dutch dune, from Old Dutch dūn, dūno, from Proto-West Germanic *dūnā.

Noun

dún c (plural dunen, diminutive dúntsje)

  1. dune

Further reading

  • “dún (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011
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