HeyRuaHow to say “midwife” in Irish
- Irish:
- cnáimhseach
- English:
- midwife
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- feminine
- Pronunciation:
- “KNAWV-shukh” /ˈkn̪ˠɑːvʲʃəx/
- Plural:
- cnáimhseacha (midwives)
- Genitive singular:
- cnáimhsí, na cnáimhsí (e.g. mála na cnáimhsí, the midwife's bag)
- Genitive plural:
- cnáimhseach, na gcnáimhseach (e.g. cumann na gcnáimhseach, the midwives' association)
What does “cnáimhseach” mean?
- midwife
- A woman trained to help mothers give birth and to care for them and their babies.Also: birth attendant, accoucheuse.
The same spelling has its own page as:
“Cnáimhseach” with the article
The plural of midwife in Irish is cnáimhseacha. Here is cnáimhseach after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Cnáimhseach” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using cnáimhseach, the Irish word for midwife.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Midwife in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for midwife?
The Irish for midwife is cnáimhseach (pronounced “KNAWV-shukh”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is cnáimhseacha.
How do you pronounce cnáimhseach in Irish?
Cnáimhseach is said like “KNAWV-shukh” (IPA /ˈkn̪ˠɑːvʲʃəx/).
What is the plural of midwife in Irish?
The plural of cnáimhseach is cnáimhseacha; with the article, na cnáimhseacha means “the midwives”. The genitive plural is cnáimhseach, as in cumann na gcnáimhseach (the midwives' association).
Does cnáimhseach have more than one meaning?
Cnáimhseach also has its own entry as an adjective meaning obstetric.
Why does cnáimhseach change to chnáimhseach or gcnáimhseach?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) cnáimhseach becomes mo chnáimhseach (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár gcnáimhseach (eclipsis).
What is the old word for midwife in Irish?
Besides 'cnáimhseach', older texts and dialects use 'bean ghlúine', literally 'knee woman', for a midwife.
