nimhneach

Irish

Alternative forms

neimhneach (superseded)^[1]

Etymology

From Old Irish neimnech.^[2] By surface analysis, nimh (“poison”, noun) +‎ -ach (adjectival suffix).

Pronunciation

(Munster) IPA^(key): (Waterford) /ˈnʲainʲəx/^[3]; (Cork) /ˈnʲiːnʲəx/^[4]
(Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈn̠ʲivʲnʲəx/^[5]
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈn̠ʲɨ̃vʲnʲa(x)/^[6]

Adjective

nimhneach (genitive singular masculine nimhnigh, genitive singular feminine nimhní, plural nimhneacha, comparative nimhní)

painful, sore; hurtful
venomous, spiteful; over-sensitive, touchy (of person)

Declension

Declension of *nimhneach*
Positive	singular		plural
Positive	masculine	feminine	strong noun	weak noun
nominative	nimhneach	nimhneach	nimhneacha
vocative	nimhnigh	nimhneach	nimhneacha
genitive	nimhnigh	nimhní	nimhneacha	nimhneach
dative	nimhneach	nimhneach; nimhnigh (archaic)	nimhneacha

Comparative	níos nimhní
Superlative	is nimhní

Derived terms

nimhneachán m (“over-sensitive, touchy, person”)
nimhneachas m (“painfulness, soreness; hurtfulness”)

References

^ “nimhneach”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
^ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 neimnech”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
^ Breatnach, Risteard B. (1947) The Irish of Ring, Co. Waterford: A Phonetic Study, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, section 106, page 22
^ Ó Cuív, Brian (1968) The Irish of West Muskerry, Co. Cork: A Phonetic Study, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, section 363, page 114; reprinted 1988
^ de Búrca, Seán (1958) The Irish of Tourmakeady, Co. Mayo: A Phonemic Study, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, section 31, page 11
^ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 256, page 92