amhas

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish amus, from Proto-Celtic *ambaxtos (“servant”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi- (“around”) + *h₂eǵ- (“to drive”). Cognate with English ambassador.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ɑusˠ/

Noun

amhas m (genitive singular amhais, nominative plural amhais)

1. hireling (someone hired to perform unpleasant tasks)
2. soldier of fortune, mercenary
3. hooligan

   Synonyms: amhasóir, maistín

Declension

Declension of amhas

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative amhas amhais Vocative a amhais a amhasa Genitive amhais amhas Dative amhas amhais

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an t-amhas na hamhais Genitive an amhais na n-amhas Dative leis an amhas don amhas leis na hamhais

Derived terms

• amhasóir m (“hooligan”)
• amhsach (“wild, unruly”, adjective)
• amhsán m (“cur”, diminutive)
• ceantar na n-amhas (“underworld”)

 

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
amhas	n-amhas	hamhas	t-amhas
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “aṁas”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 26
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “amhas”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• “amhas”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2024
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “amhas”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm