HeyRuaHow to say “dead person” in Irish
- Irish:
- marbh
- English:
- dead person, dead period
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine
- Pronunciation:
- “MAR-uv” /ˈmˠaɾˠəvˠ/
- Plural:
- mairbh (dead people)
- Genitive singular:
- mairbh, an mhairbh (e.g. anam an mhairbh, the soul of the dead person)
- Genitive plural:
- marbh, na marbh (e.g. slua na marbh, the host of the dead)
What does “marbh” mean?
“Marbh” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- dead person
- A person who has died; in the plural, na mairbh means the dead in general.Also: the dead, corpse, deceased person.
1 other meaning: dead period
- 2dead period
- The dead or deepest part of a time or season, as in marbh na hoíche, the dead of night.Also: dead of night, depth.
“Marbh” with the article
The plural of dead person in Irish is mairbh. Here is marbh after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Marbh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using marbh, the Irish word for dead person.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Phrases with “marbh”
Dead person in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for dead person?
The Irish for dead person is marbh (pronounced “MAR-uv”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is mairbh. Depending on context it can also mean dead period.
How do you pronounce marbh in Irish?
Marbh is said like “MAR-uv” (IPA /ˈmˠaɾˠəvˠ/).
What is the plural of dead person in Irish?
The plural of marbh is mairbh; with the article, na mairbh means “the dead people”. The genitive plural is marbh, as in slua na marbh (the host of the dead).
Does marbh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Marbh can mean dead person or dead period, depending on context; the first is the most common. Marbh also has its own entry as an adjective meaning dead.
Why does marbh change to mharbh?
After words like mo (my) and do (your) the first letter is lenited: mo mharbh. After ár (our) it stays ár marbh, because m does not take eclipsis.
What is the difference between 'marbh' and 'corp'?
'Corp' is the body or corpse, while 'marbh' as a noun is the dead person, and 'na mairbh' is the dead collectively.
