Church in Irish (Cill): Meaning & Pronunciation

Q: What is the Irish for church?

The Irish for church is cill (pronounced “kil”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is cealla. Depending on context it can also mean churchyard or cell.

Q: What is the plural of church in Irish?

The plural of cill is cealla; with the article, na cealla means “the churches”. The genitive plural is ceall, as in seilbh na gceall (the property of the churches).

Q: Does cill have more than one meaning?

Yes. Cill can mean church, churchyard or cell, depending on context; the first is the most common.

How to say “church” in Irish

Irish:: cill
English:: church, churchyard, cell
Word type:: noun
Gender:: feminine, second declension
Pronunciation:: “kil” /cɪlʲ/

Various forms

Plural:: cealla (churches)
Genitive singular:: cille, na cille (e.g. cré na cille, the clay of the churchyard)
Genitive plural:: ceall, na gceall (e.g. seilbh na gceall, the property of the churches)

What does “cill” mean?

“Cill” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.

church: A church, especially an early monastic church; common in place names.Also: monastic church, kil.

2 other meanings: churchyard or cell

2churchyard: A churchyard or graveyard where people are buried.Also: graveyard, cemetery, burial ground.
3cell: A small cell, as in a cell of the body or of a plant, or a hermit's cell.Also: biological cell, hermit's cell.

Other Irish words for church: eaglais (church), séipéal (chapel)

“Cill” with the article

The plural of church in Irish is cealla. Here is cill after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.

an chill

the church

Lenition: c becomes ch after an (feminine noun)

na cealla

the churches

Plural: no change after na

“Cill” in a sentence: Irish examples

Common Irish sentences using cill, the Irish word for church.

Tá seanchill ar an gcnoc os cionn an bhaile.

There is an old church on the hill above the town.

Cuireadh mo sheanathair sa chill sin.

My grandfather was buried in that churchyard.

Tá cill bheag in aice leis an loch.

There is a small church beside the lake.

Tá an chill lán de sheanuaigheanna.

The churchyard is full of old graves.

Chonaiceamar cill faoin micreascóp inniu.

We saw a cell under the microscope today.

Tá a lán logainmneacha ag tosú le Cill.

Many place names begin with Cill.

Other nouns in Irish

More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.

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Church in Irish: frequently asked questions

What is the Irish for church?

The Irish for church is cill (pronounced “kil”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is cealla. Depending on context it can also mean churchyard or cell.

How do you pronounce cill in Irish?

Cill is said like “kil” (IPA /cɪlʲ/).

What is the plural of church in Irish?

The plural of cill is cealla; with the article, na cealla means “the churches”. The genitive plural is ceall, as in seilbh na gceall (the property of the churches).

Does cill have more than one meaning?

Yes. Cill can mean church, churchyard or cell, depending on context; the first is the most common.

Why does cill change to chill or gcill?

Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) cill becomes mo chill (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár gcill (eclipsis).

What is the difference between cill and eaglais?

Eaglais is the everyday word for a church; cill is older and survives mainly in place names like Cill Dara and in the sense of churchyard, as in Cré na Cille.

Why do so many Irish place names start with Kil?

Anglicised 'Kil' often comes from cill, meaning a church, so Kilkenny is Cill Chainnigh, the church of Cainneach.

Church in Irish (Cill): Meaning, Pronunciation, Usage