uncail

Irish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwh₂os

Latin avunculus

Old French unclebor.

Middle English uncle

English unclebor.

Irish uncail

From English uncle, from Anglo-Norman uncle, from Old French oncle, from Latin avunculus (“mother's brother”, literally “little grandfather”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwh₂os (“grandfather, adult male relative other than one's father”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʊŋkəlʲ/
• (Connemara) IPA^(key): /ˈuːŋkəlʲ/

Noun

uncail m (genitive singular uncail, nominative plural uncailí or uncaileacha)

1. uncle (brother of one's parent)

   Coordinate terms: aint, aintín, neacht, nia

   • 1939, Peig Sayers, “Inghean an Cheannaidhe”, in Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Description d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études; 270) (overall work in French), Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, page 197:

     Chuaidh sí go dtí uncail di a bhí i n‑a shagart san bhaile mhór agus fuair sí uaidh sórt éide agus giúrléidí beaga éigin eile.

     She went to an uncle of hers who was a priest in the city and from him she got a variety of vestments and some other small accessories.

Declension

Declension of uncail (fourth declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative uncail uncailí vocative a uncail a uncailí genitive uncail uncailí dative uncail uncailí forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an t-uncail na huncailí genitive an uncail na n-uncailí dative leis an uncail don uncail leis na huncailí

• Alternative plural: uncaileacha (Cois Fharraige)

Mutation

Mutated forms of uncail

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
uncail	n-uncail	huncail	not applicable

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

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “uncail”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwh₂os

Latin avunculus

Old French unclebor.

Middle English uncle

English unclebor.

Scottish Gaelic uncail

From English uncle, from Anglo-Norman uncle, from Old French oncle, from Latin avunculus (“mother's brother”, literally “little grandfather”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwh₂os (“grandfather, adult male relative other than one's father”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈuŋkal/

Noun

uncail m (genitive singular uncail, plural uncailean)

1. uncle

   Coordinate term: antaidh

Usage notes

• This form is used with proper nouns. When referring to family relationship between people, bràthair-athar and bràthair-màthar are used (for paternal and maternal uncle, respectively).

  uncail Seumas ― uncle James

  mo bhràthair-athair ― my [paternal] uncle

  am bràthair-màthar ― their [maternal] uncle

Mutation

Mutation of uncail

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
uncail	n-uncail	h-uncail	t-uncail

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