Alder in Irish (Fearnóg): Meaning & Pronunciation

Q: What is the Irish for alder?

The Irish for alder is fearnóg (pronounced “FAR-nohg”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is fearnóga.

Q: What is the plural of alder in Irish?

The plural of fearnóg is fearnóga; with the article, na fearnóga means “the alders”. The genitive plural is fearnóg, as in coill na bhfearnóg (the wood of the alders).

How to say “alder” in Irish

Irish:: fearnóg
English:: alder
Word type:: noun
Gender:: feminine, second declension
Pronunciation:: “FAR-nohg” /ˈfʲaːɾˠn̪ˠoːɡ/

Various forms

Plural:: fearnóga (alders)
Genitive singular:: fearnóige, na fearnóige (e.g. duilleog na fearnóige, the leaf of the alder)
Genitive plural:: fearnóg, na bhfearnóg (e.g. coill na bhfearnóg, the wood of the alders)

What does “fearnóg” mean?

alder: A tree of the birch family that grows in wet ground, especially the common alder.Also: alder tree, common alder.

“Fearnóg” with the article

The plural of alder in Irish is fearnóga. Here is fearnóg after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.

an fhearnóg

the alder

Lenition: f becomes fh after an (feminine noun)

na fearnóga

the alders

Plural: no change after na

“Fearnóg” in a sentence: Irish examples

Common Irish sentences using fearnóg, the Irish word for alder.

Fásann an fhearnóg cois abhann.

The alder grows beside the river.

Tá fearnóg mhór ag bun an ghairdín.

There is a big alder at the bottom of the garden.

Bhí adhmad na fearnóige go maith le haghaidh bád.

Alder wood was good for making boats.

Tá fearnóga ar bhruach an locha.

There are alders on the shore of the lake.

Chuir m'athair fearnóg sa pháirc fhliuch.

My father planted an alder in the wet field.

Shuigh an t-éan i bhfearnóg os cionn an tsrutháin.

The bird sat in an alder above the stream.

Is crann dúchais in Éirinn í an fhearnóg.

The alder is a native tree in Ireland.

Other nouns in Irish

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Alder in Irish: frequently asked questions

What is the Irish for alder?

The Irish for alder is fearnóg (pronounced “FAR-nohg”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is fearnóga.

How do you pronounce fearnóg in Irish?

Fearnóg is said like “FAR-nohg” (IPA /ˈfʲaːɾˠn̪ˠoːɡ/).

What is the plural of alder in Irish?

The plural of fearnóg is fearnóga; with the article, na fearnóga means “the alders”. The genitive plural is fearnóg, as in coill na bhfearnóg (the wood of the alders).

Why does fearnóg change to fhearnóg or bhfearnóg?

Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) fearnóg becomes m'fhearnóg (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár bhfearnóg (eclipsis).

Is 'fearnóg' related to the letter F in the old Irish alphabet?

Yes, the ogham letter for F was named 'fearn', the alder, and 'fearnóg' is the modern word built on it.

Alder in Irish (Fearnóg): Meaning, Pronunciation, Usage