-áil

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See also: ail, ail-, -ail, àil, áil, and Äil

Irish

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Extracted from gabháil and fáil (earlier faghbháil).

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-áil f

  1. suffix used to form verbal nouns
    fáil, formerly spelled fagháil, verbal noun of faigh (to get)
    gabháil, verbal noun of gabh (to take)

Declension

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Suffix

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-áil

  1. suffix used productively to form denominative verbs and their associated verbal nouns
    iarann (iron) + ‎-áil → ‎iarnáil (to iron)
    spág (a big, clumsy foot) + ‎-áil → ‎spágáil (to shamble, trudge)

Usage notes

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This suffix is particularly common with English loanwords. The Irish-language poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh in his poem "Cainteoir Dúchais" (published 1997 in the collection Out in the Open) uses the following verbs, most of them probably nonce words:

  • hoovereáil (to hoover)
  • jeyes-fluideáil (to disinfect with Jeyes Fluid)
  • harpickeáil (to clean with Harpic)
  • vimeáil (to clean with Vim)
  • flasháil (to clean with Flash)
  • windoleneáil (to clean with Windolene)
  • eau-de-cologneáil (to apply eau de Cologne to)
  • shagáilte (shagged out)
  • cruiseáil (to cruise)

Derived terms

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