dún

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word dún. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word dún, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say dún in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word dún you have here. The definition of the word dún will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofdún, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
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* 		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* 		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

Mutated forms of dún
radical lenition eclipsis
dún dhún ndún

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

Further reading

Old Irish

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

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

Further reading

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Pronoun

dún

  1. Alternative spelling of dúnn
    • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 56a18
      ind roisc du·n-écomnacht-su dún, a Dǽ
      of the eye that you sg have given (to) us, O God

Mutation

Mutation of dún
radical lenition nasalization
dún dún
pronounced with /ð(ʲ)-/ 		ndún

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

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
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia