draíocht

Irish

Alternative forms

draíochta
draoidheacht (superseded)^[1]

Etymology

PIE word
*dóru

From Old Irish druídecht (“secret lore and arts of the druids”).^[2] By surface analysis, draoi (“druid”) +‎ -acht. Compare with Cornish drewydhieth, Welsh derwyddiaeth.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /d̪ˠɾˠiəxt̪ˠ/
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠɾˠihaxt̪ˠə/^[3] (corresponding to the form draíochta)

Noun

draíocht f (genitive singular draíochta, nominative plural draíochta)

druidic art, druidism
witchcraft, magic; charm, enchantment

Declension

Declension of draíocht (third declension)

bare forms
	singular	plural
nominative	draíocht	draíochta
vocative	a dhraíocht	a dhraíochta
genitive	draíochta	draíochta
dative	draíocht	draíochta

forms with the definite article
	singular	plural
nominative	an draíocht	na draíochta
genitive	na draíochta	na ndraíochta
dative	leis an draíocht don draíocht	leis na draíochta

Derived terms

briocht draíochta m (“magic spell”)
ceo draíochta m (“magic mist”)
dán draíochta m (“druidic art”)
fleasc dhraíochta f (“magic wand”)
geasa droma draíochta f pl (“binding spells”)
laindéar draíochta m (“magic lantern”)
lucht draíochta m (“magicians”)
slaitín draíochta m (“magic wand”)
slat draíochta m (“magic wand”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of *draíocht*
radical	lenition	eclipsis
draíocht	dhraíocht	ndraíocht

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

References

^ “draíocht”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
^ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “druídecht”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
^ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 135, page 52