luch

See also: Luch and -luch

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “alteration of louche?”)

Noun

luch

1. A house in a state of disrepair; a hovel
   • 2015, Tom Hart, chapter IX, in Rosalie Lightning, St. Martin's Press, →ISBN, page 181:

     I'm not going to live in some luch just because my baby died.

Irish

Luch (ainmhí)

Luch (gléas ionchuir)

Etymology

From Old Irish luch, from Proto-Celtic *lukūts (compare Welsh llyg (“shrew”), llygod (“mice”), and Breton logod (“mice”)).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /l̪ˠʊx/, /l̪ˠɯx/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /l̪ˠɔx/ (as if spelled loch)
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /l̪ˠʌx/ (as if spelled loch)
• Homophone: loch (Connacht, Ulster)

Noun

luch f (genitive singular luiche, nominative plural lucha)

1. mouse (rodent of the genus Mus)
2. (computing) mouse (input device)

Declension

Declension of luch (second declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative luch lucha vocative a luch a lucha genitive luiche luch dative luch luich (archaic, dialectal) lucha forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an luch na lucha genitive na luiche na luch dative leis an luch leis an luich (archaic, dialectal) don luch don luich (archaic, dialectal) leis na lucha

Derived terms

• ábhach luiche m (“mousehole”)
• luch chodlamáin f (“dormouse”)
• luch fhéir f (“(long-tailed) field mouse”)
• luchóg f

 

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “luċ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “luch”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “luch”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “luch”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *lukūts; cognate with Welsh llygod.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [l͈ux]

Noun

luch f (genitive lochad, nominative plural lochaid)

1. mouse, rat

Inflection

Feminine t-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	luch	lochaidL, luch	lochaid
Vocative	luch	lochaidL, luch	lochtha
Accusative	lochaidN	lochaidL, luch	lochtha
Genitive	lochad	lochad	lochadN
Dative	lochaidL	lochthaib	lochthaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Synonyms

• (mouse): luch becc
• (rat): luch frangcach

Descendants

• Irish: luch
• Manx: lugh
• Scottish Gaelic: luch

Mutation

Mutation of luch

radical	lenition	nasalization
luch also lluch after a proclitic ending in a vowel	luch pronounced with /l(ʲ)-/	unchanged

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

Scottish Gaelic

Luch bheag.

Etymology

From Middle Irish [Term?], from Old Irish luch. Cognates include Irish luch and Manx lugh.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l̪ˠux/

Noun

luch f

1. mouse

Declension

Declension of luch (type IVb feminine noun)

indefinite
	singular	plural
nominative	luch	luchan
genitive	lucha	luchan
dative	lucha	luchan; luchaibh✝
definite
	singular	plural
nominative	(an) luch	(na) luchan
genitive	(na) lucha	(nan) luchan
dative	(an) lucha	(na) luchan; luchaibh✝
vocative	luch	luchan

^✝ obsolete form, used until the 19th century

Derived terms

• (diminutive) luchag

• cho sona ri luch ann an lofa

 

Mutation

Mutation of luch

radical	lenition
luch	unchanged

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

References

• Colin Mark (2003) “luch”, in The Gaelic-English dictionary, London: Routledge, →ISBN, page 406