caonach

Irish

Alternative forms

cúnach
cunlach (Cork)
caondach, caonnach, cúnnach (obsolete)

Etymology

Alteration of Old Irish cóennae, via an unattested Middle Irish *cáennach. Cognate to Manx keynnagh and Scottish Gaelic còinneach.

Pronunciation

(Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈkeːn̪ˠəx/
(Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈkiːnˠəx/
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈkiːnˠa(x)/, (older) /ˈkɯːnˠa(x)/

Noun

caonach m (genitive singular caonaigh)

moss

Declension

Declension of caonach (first declension, no plural)

bare forms
	singular
nominative	caonach
vocative	a chaonaigh
genitive	caonaigh
dative	caonach

forms with the definite article
	singular
nominative	an caonach
genitive	an chaonaigh
dative	leis an gcaonach don chaonach

Derived terms

caonach liath (“mildew”)
caonach mara (“sea moss”)
caonach móna (“peat moss”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of *caonach*
radical	lenition	eclipsis
caonach	chaonach	gcaonach

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) “caonach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “caonach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
“caonach”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2025