cloch

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish cloch, from Proto-Celtic *klukā (compare Welsh clog).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /kl̪ˠɞx/, /kl̪ˠɔx/
• (Connacht, Ulster) IPA^(key): /klˠɔx/, /kl̪ˠɔx/

Noun

cloch f (genitive singular cloiche, nominative plural clocha)

1. stone (substance; small piece of stone; central part of some fruits, consisting of the seed and a hard endocarp layer)
2. (Christianity) bead (in a rosary)
3. (anatomy) testicle

   Synonyms: caid, magairle, úirí

4. stone (unit of mass)

   Synonym: cloch mheáchain

Declension

Declension of cloch

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative cloch clocha Vocative a chloch a chlocha Genitive cloiche cloch Dative cloch cloich (archaic, dialectal) clocha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an chloch na clocha Genitive na cloiche na gcloch Dative leis an gcloch leis an gcloich (archaic, dialectal) don chloch don chloich (archaic, dialectal) leis na clocha

Derived terms

• binse cloiche m (“rock shelf”)
• cloch adhmainte f (“lodestone”)
• cloch altóra f (“altar-stone”)
• cloch ancaire f (“anchor stone”)
• cloch aoil f (“limestone”)
• cloch bhoinn f (“foundation stone”)
• cloch bhró f (“millstone”)
• cloch bhua f (“precious stone”)
• cloch chairéil f (“quarry-stone”)
• cloch cheangail f (“bond-stone”)
• cloch chinn f (“headstone”)
• cloch choirnéil f (“corner-stone”)
• cloch chora f (“stepping-stone”)
• cloch chormaic f (“(type of) granite”)
• cloch chúinne f (“corner-stone”)
• cloch chumaisc f (“pudding-stone”)
• cloch dhín f (“cope-stone”)
• cloch dhomlais f (“gall-stone”)
• cloch dhuáin f (“kidney-stone”)
• cloch dhuirlinge f (“cobble-stone”)
• cloch eibhir f (“granite”)
• cloch fhaobhair f (“whetstone, hone”)
• cloch fhorbháis f (“perched stone”)
• cloch ghabhála f (“fulcrum (stone)”)
• cloch ghainimh f (“sandstone”)
• cloch ghallúnaí f (“soap-stone”)
• cloch ghlas f (“greenstone; whinstone”)
• cloch ghorm f (“blue-stone”)
• cloch ghreama f (“bond-stone”)
• cloch ghréine f (“quartz”)
• cloch ghualainne f (“heavy casting-stone”)
• cloch líofa f (“whetstone, hone”)
• cloch lómhar f (“precious stone”)
• cloch luachmhar f (“precious stone”)
• cloch mhíle f (“milestone”)
• cloch mhuilinn f (“millstone”)
• cloch mhullaigh f (“cope-stone”)
• cloch nirt f (“heavy casting-stone”)
• cloch phaidrín f (“bead of rosary”)
• cloch phluma f (“plum-stone”)
• cloch phréacháin f (“cope-stone”)
• cloch reatha f (“rolling stone”)
• cloch róid f (“anchor stone”)
• cloch scáil f (“quartz”)
• cloch sceimhil f (“drip-stone”)
• cloch shalainn f (“rock salt”)
• cloch shileáin f (“drip-stone”)
• cloch shilín f (“cherry-stone”)
• cloch shneachta f (“hailstone”)
• cloch shópa f (“soap-stone”)
• cloch speile f (“scythe-stone”)
• cloch spideoige f (“cope-stone”)
• cloch tharraingthe f (“light casting-stone”)
• cloch theampaill f (“taciturn person”)
• cloch théide f (“anchor stone”)
• cloch theorann f (“boundary stone”)
• cloch thine f (“flint”)
• cloch uasal f (“precious stone”)
• clocha briste f pl (“road-metal”)
• clocha cóirithe f pl (“ashlars”)
• clocha fuail f pl (“gravel”)
• clocha saoirseachta f pl (“building-stones”)
• Na Clocha Liatha (“Greystones”)
• obair chloiche f (“stone-work”)
• órchloch f (“philosopher’s stone”)

 

Verb

cloch (present analytic clochann, future analytic clochfaidh, verbal noun clochadh, past participle clochta)

1. (transitive) stone

Conjugation

conjugation of cloch (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	clochaim	clochann tú; clochair†	clochann sé, sí	clochaimid	clochann sibh	clochann siad; clochaid†	a chlochann; a chlochas / a gclochann*; a gclochas*	clochtar
	past	chloch mé; chlochas	chloch tú; chlochais	chloch sé, sí	chlochamar; chloch muid	chloch sibh; chlochabhair	chloch siad; chlochadar	a chloch / ar chloch*	clochadh
	past habitual	chlochainn / gclochainn‡‡	chlochtá / gclochtᇇ	chlochadh sé, sí / gclochadh sé, s퇇	chlochaimis; chlochadh muid / gclochaimis‡‡; gclochadh muid‡‡	chlochadh sibh / gclochadh sibh‡‡	chlochaidís; chlochadh siad / gclochaidís‡‡; gclochadh siad‡‡	a chlochadh / a gclochadh*	chlochtaí / gclochta퇇
future		clochfaidh mé; clochfad	clochfaidh tú; clochfair†	clochfaidh sé, sí	clochfaimid; clochfaidh muid	clochfaidh sibh	clochfaidh siad; clochfaid†	a chlochfaidh; a chlochfas / a gclochfaidh*; a gclochfas*	clochfar
conditional		chlochfainn / gclochfainn‡‡	chlochfá / gclochfᇇ	chlochfadh sé, sí / gclochfadh sé, s퇇	chlochfaimis; chlochfadh muid / gclochfaimis‡‡; gclochfadh muid‡‡	chlochfadh sibh / gclochfadh sibh‡‡	chlochfaidís; chlochfadh siad / gclochfaidís‡‡; gclochfadh siad‡‡	a chlochfadh / a gclochfadh*	chlochfaí / gclochfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go gclocha mé; go gclochad†	go gclocha tú; go gclochair†	go gclocha sé, sí	go gclochaimid; go gclocha muid	go gclocha sibh	go gclocha siad; go gclochaid†	—	go gclochtar
	past	dá gclochainn	dá gclochtá	dá gclochadh sé, sí	dá gclochaimis; dá gclochadh muid	dá gclochadh sibh	dá gclochaidís; dá gclochadh siad	—	dá gclochtaí
imperative		clochaim	cloch	clochadh sé, sí	clochaimis	clochaigí; clochaidh†	clochaidís	—	clochtar
verbal noun		clochadh
past participle		clochta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Descendants

• → Yola: clouk, klouk

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
cloch	chloch	gcloch
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cloch”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “cloch”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “cloch”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *klukā (“stone”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klox/

Noun

cloch f

1. stone, rock
2. stone (as material)
3. precious stone, gem
4. (Christianity) bead (in a rosary)
5. something built of stone, castle, fortress, stronghold

Inflection

Feminine ā-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	clochL	cloichL	clochaH
Vocative	clochL	cloichL	clochaH
Accusative	cloichN	cloichL	clochaH
Genitive	cloicheH	clochL	clochN
Dative	cloichL	clochaib	clochaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Derived terms

• clochach (“stony, rocky”, adjective)
• clochaid (“stones; covers with stones”, verb)
• clochamail (“stony, unyielding”, adjective)
• clochán m (“paved road or causeway”)
• clochar m (“stony place”)
• clochda (“made of stone, stony”, adjective)

 

Descendants

• Irish: cloch
• Manx: clagh
• Scottish Gaelic: clach

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
cloch	chloch	cloch pronounced with /ɡ(ʲ)-/
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cloch”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklot͡ʃ/ [ˈklot͡ʃ]
• Rhymes: -otʃ
• Syllabification: cloch

Noun

cloch m (plural cloches)

1. Alternative form of cloche

Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *klokkos (“bell”) (compare Cornish clogh, Breton kloc'h, Old Irish cloc, Irish clog), of onomatopoeic origin. Doublet of cloc (“clock”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kloːχ/
• Rhymes: -oːχ

Noun

cloch f (plural clych or clychau or clochau)

1. bell
   1. (figuratively) someone who praises or proclaims
   2. (figuratively) bell-shaped object, especially bubble
   3. (figuratively) bell-like sound or noise, vociferation
2. prize, feat
3. o'clock, of the clock

   Synonym: o'r gloch

Derived terms

• cloch aberth (“sacring bell”)
• cloch adarwr (“low-bell, bell used in fowling at night”)
• cloch Afi (“Avel-bell”)
• cloch angladd (“passing bell, death bell”)
• cloch alarwm (“alarm bell, warning bell”)
• cloch alw (“alarm-bell, call-bell; Sanctus bell”)
• cloch (ar) ddwfr (“bubble”)
• cloch babis (“harebell”)
• cloch bach (“sanctus bell”, literally “little bell”)
• cloch Bangor (“harebell”)
• cloch bugail (“harebell”)
• cloch dân (“fire-alarm”)
• cloch drydan (“electric bell”)
• cloch dyn marw (“passing bell, death bell”)
• cloch enaid (“passing bell, death bell”)
• cloch Enid (“lily of the valley, May-lily”)
• cloch fach (“sanctus bell”, literally “little bell”)
• cloch fach yn y glust (“a ringing or tingling in the ear”, literally “a little bell in the ear”)
• cloch ginio (“dinner-bell”)
• cloch glaw (“raindrop”)
• cloch gnùl (“passing bell, death bell”)
• cloch hwyrol (“curfew bell”)
• cloch iâ (“icicle”)
• cloch las (“bluebell”)
• cloch las (“harebell”)
• cloch law (“hand-bell”)
• cloch Llundain (“Canterbury bells, bellflowers, throatwort”)
• cloch maban (“snowdrop”)
• cloch offeren (“sacring bell”)
• cloch osber (“vesper bell”)
• cloch rybudd (“alarm bell, warning bell”)
• cloch soddi (“diving-bell”)
• cloch suddo (“diving-bell”)
• cloch tawch (“fog-bell”)
• cloch wasanaeth (“church bell”)
• cloch (y) baban (“snowdrop”)
• cloch (y) drws (“door-bell”)
• cloch y ffair (“bell rung to announce the commencement of a fair or market”)
• cloch y gog (“bluebell”)
• cloch y llan (“church bell”)
• cloch y march (“yellow rattle”)
• cloch y perthi (“Canterbury bells, hedge-bells, hedge-bindweed”)
• cloch y tylwyth teg (“bluebell”)
• cloch y tylwyth teg (“harebell”)
• cloch yr eglwys (“church bell”)
• cloch (yr) eos (“harebell”)
• cloch yr ymadrodd (“uvula, epiglottis”)
• clych y cerrig (“cup-lichen, cup-moss”)

 

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
cloch	gloch	nghloch	chloch
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “cloch”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies