ceann

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish cenn, from Old Irish cenn (compare Manx kione), from Primitive Irish (attested in the personal names ᚉᚒᚅᚐ-ᚉᚓᚅᚅᚔ (cuna-cenni, literally “dog's head”) and ᚊᚓᚅᚑ-ᚃᚓᚅᚇᚐᚌᚅᚔ (qeno-vendagni, literally “little fair-headed one”)), from Proto-Celtic *kʷennom; compare Welsh pen, Breton penn.

Pronunciation
  • (Munster) IPA(key): /cɑun̪ˠ/
  • (Galway) IPA(key): /cɑːn̪ˠ/
  • (Mayo) IPA(key): /can̪ˠ/
  • (Ulster) IPA(key): /cɨ̞n̪ˠ/[1] (corresponding to the archaic dative cionn)

Noun

ceann m (genitive singular cinn, nominative plural cinn)

  1. head
  2. head of cabbage, capitulum
  3. end, extremity
  4. roof
  5. one (modified by an adjective or demonstrative, referring to an object or animal)
    Tá ceann dearg agam.
    I have a red one [e.g. chair].
    Feicim trí cinn ghlasa.
    I see three green ones [e.g. birds].
    Is mian liom an ceann sin.
    I want that one [e.g. toy].
  6. used as a dummy noun to support a number, referring to an object or animal
    Tá ceann amháin agam.
    I have one [e.g. chair].
    Feicim trí cinn.
    I see three [e.g. birds].

Declension
Declension of ceann

First declension

Bare forms:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative ceann cinn
Vocative a chinn a cheanna
Genitive cinn ceann
Dative ceann cinn

Forms with the definite article:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative an ceann na cinn
Genitive an chinn na gceann
Dative leis an gceann

don cheann

 leis na cinn
  • Alternative nominative/dative plural: ceanna (Cois Fharraige)
  • Alternative dative singular: cionn (archaic except in fixed expressions)

Synonyms

Derived terms

Mutation
Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
ceann cheann gceann
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References
  1. Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 42

Further reading

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Middle Irish and Old Irish cenn (compare Manx kione), from Primitive Irish ᚉᚒᚅᚐ-ᚉᚓᚅᚅᚔ (cuna-cenni), from Proto-Celtic *kʷennom (compare Welsh pen, Breton penn).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /kʲʰaun/

Noun

ceann m (genitive singular cinn, plural cinn)

  1. head (of a body or a group of people)
  2. end (the extreme part of something)

Usage notes
  • According to context the word can denote the farthest part of anything - top of a road, bottom of a stair, a promontory, hilt of a sword etc.
    ceann a' bhocsa ― the lid of the box
    ceann na creige ― the top of the rock
  • Also frequently used figuratively.
    bho cheann gu ceann ― from end to end
    an ceann greise ― after a while

Derived terms
  • aig a' cheann thall (“in the long run”)
  • airgead-ceann m (“reward offered for the head of a rebel or outlaw”)
  • an ceann a chéile (“together”, adverb)
  • an ceann (“ahead”, adverb)
  • an ceann (“in the end, at the expiration of”)
  • bàrr a' chinn (“crown of head”)
  • buail an ceann (“occur, come to mind”)
  • bun os ceann (“upside down, topsy-turvy”, adverb)
  • cailleachag a' chinn duibh (“coal tit”)
  • cailleachag a' chinn ghuirm (“blue tit”)
  • ceann a' chnac m (“thwart-brace of a boat”)
  • ceann a' chraidh m (“thwart-brace of boat”)
  • ceann air chrith m (“quaking grass”)
  • ceann simileir (“chimney pot”)
  • ceann-achra m (“epiphany”)
  • ceann-adhairt m (“pillow; bed-head”)
  • ceann-aghaidh f (“forehead; countenance, physiognomy”)
  • ceann-aimsir m (“date, epoch, era; term, period”)
  • ceann-aimsreach m (“term-day”)
  • ceann-airm m (“general, head of an army”)
  • ceann-ama (“deadline”)
  • ceann-aobhair m (“prime cause, first cause”)
  • ceann-aodach m (“head-dress; mitre; turban”)
  • ceann-àrd (“high-headed”, adj)
  • ceann-armailt m (“general, commander of an array”)
  • ceann-bàn a' mhonaidh m (“cotton-sedge”)
  • ceann-barrach m (“jack-fish, dike”)
  • ceann-bheart m (“helmet, head-piece”)
  • ceann-bhiorach (“conical, pointed at the head”, adj)
  • ceann-bhrat m (“canopy”)
  • ceann-cinnidh (“chieftain”)
  • ceann-daoraich (“hangover”)
  • ceann-dubhag an t-seilich (“willow tit”)
  • ceann-dubhag (“marsh tit”)
  • ceann-latha (“date”)
  • ceann-na-cìche (“nipple”)
  • ceann-rèile (“railway terminal”)
  • ceann-sgrìobhadh (“caption; motto; subject”)
  • ceann-suidhe (“president”)
  • ceannard (“chief, boss”)
  • ceannfhacal (“headword”)
  • dì-cheann (“behead”)
  • gealag-dhubh-cheannach (“reed bunting”)
  • gnogadh cinn (“nod”, noun)
  • iar-cheann-suidhe (“vice president”)
  • os cionn (“above”)
  • sgarfa-cinn (“headscarf”)

References
  • Edward Dwelly (1911) “ceann”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎, 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
  • G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 cenn”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
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