HeyRuaHow to say “bristling” in Irish
- Irish:
- colgach
- English:
- bristling, irritable, bristly, bitterly cold
- Word type:
- adjective
- More bristling:
- níos colgaí
- Most bristling:
- is colgaí
- Plural:
- colgacha
- Pronunciation:
- “KOL-uh-guhkh” /ˈkolˠəɡəx/
What does “colgach” mean?
“Colgach” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- bristling
- Angry or indignant, ready to react sharply.Also: angry, indignant, ruffled.
3 other meanings: irritable or bristly or bitterly cold
- 2irritable
- Easily annoyed and quick to take offence.Also: prickly, touchy, irascible, waspish.
- 3bristly
- Covered with bristles, sharp points or awns.Also: prickly, awny, spiky.
- 4bitterly cold
- Of weather or wind, sharp and bitingly cold.Also: biting, raw, sharp.
“Colgach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is colgach after fear (man, masculine), after bean (woman, feminine) and after a plural.
séimhiú (the h) the ending
After a feminine noun the adjective gets a séimhiú, an h after its first letter: bean cholgach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear colgach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, colgacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir cholgacha; after other plurals it does not: mná colgacha.
More bristling, most bristling, very bristling
Tá sé níos colgaí ná a dheartháir. He is more irritable than his brother.
| more bristling | níos colgaí | in the past tense: ní ba cholgaí |
|---|---|---|
| most bristling | is colgaí | in the past tense: ba cholgaí |
| as bristling as | chomh colgach le | no change after chomh |
| very bristling | an-cholgach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too bristling | rócholgach | ró- lenites |
“Colgach” in a sentence: Irish examples
With a masculine noun, a feminine noun, a plural, a comparison and on its own.
Other adjectives in Irish
More everyday Irish adjectives to learn next.
Bristling in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for bristling?
The Irish for bristling is colgach (pronounced “KOL-uh-guhkh”). It comes after the noun: fear colgach, a bristling man; bean cholgach, a bristling woman.
How do you say more bristling and most bristling in Irish?
níos colgaí is more bristling and is colgaí is most bristling. In the past tense they become ní ba cholgaí and ba cholgaí.
Why does colgach become cholgach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean cholgach (a bristling woman) but fear colgach (a bristling man), because fear is masculine.
What is the plural of colgach?
With a plural noun colgach becomes colgacha: fir cholgacha, mná colgacha. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very bristling in Irish?
an-cholgach. Too bristling is rócholgach, and as bristling as is chomh colgach le.
Does colgach have more than one meaning?
Yes. Colgach can mean bristling, irritable, bristly or bitterly cold, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Where does colgach come from?
It comes from 'colg', meaning a bristle or sharp point, and also anger, as in 'tháinig colg air' (he bristled with anger).
