caibe

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

Closely resembles Welsh caib (“mattock”), but deriving the -b- in both Gaelic and Welsh from a common inherited source is difficult. Given that the Gaelic word is not found in Irish, it is possible to postulate that the Gaelic word is a borrowing from a Brittonic substrate language.

Noun

caibe m (genitive singular caibe, plural caibeannan or caibeachan)

1. spade, mattock
2. the iron part of a cas-chrom or of any delving instrument
3. blade of a spade or turf-cutter

Derived terms

• caibe-làir/caibe-sgrath
• caibe-sìth