HeyRuaHow to say “pure-bred” in Irish
- Irish:
- pórghlan
- English:
- pure-bred
- Word type:
- adjective
- More pure-bred:
- níos pórghlaine
- Most pure-bred:
- is pórghlaine
- Plural:
- pórghlana
- Pronunciation:
- “POHR-ghlan” /ˈpˠoːɾˠɣlˠan̪ˠ/
What does “pórghlan” mean?
- pure-bred
- Describes an animal whose parents are both of the same breed, with no mixing of breeds.Also: thoroughbred, pedigree, purebred.
“Pórghlan” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is pórghlan after capall (horse, masculine), after bó (cow, 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: bó phórghlan. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: capall pórghlan.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, pórghlana. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: capaill phórghlana; after other plurals it does not: ba pórghlana.
More pure-bred, most pure-bred, very pure-bred
Tá an searrach seo níos pórghlaine ná an ceann eile. This foal is more pure-bred than the other one.
| more pure-bred | níos pórghlaine | in the past tense: ní ba phórghlaine |
|---|---|---|
| most pure-bred | is pórghlaine | in the past tense: ba phórghlaine |
| as pure-bred as | chomh pórghlan le | no change after chomh |
| very pure-bred | an-phórghlan | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too pure-bred | róphórghlan | ró- lenites |
“Pórghlan” 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.
Pure-bred in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for pure-bred?
The Irish for pure-bred is pórghlan (pronounced “POHR-ghlan”). It comes after the noun: capall pórghlan, a pure-bred horse; bó phórghlan, a pure-bred cow.
How do you say more pure-bred and most pure-bred in Irish?
níos pórghlaine is more pure-bred and is pórghlaine is most pure-bred. In the past tense they become ní ba phórghlaine and ba phórghlaine.
Why does pórghlan become phórghlan?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bó phórghlan (a pure-bred cow) but capall pórghlan (a pure-bred horse), because capall is masculine.
What is the plural of pórghlan?
With a plural noun pórghlan becomes pórghlana: capaill phórghlana, ba pórghlana. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very pure-bred in Irish?
an-phórghlan. Too pure-bred is róphórghlan, and as pure-bred as is chomh pórghlan le.
Is there another way to say 'thoroughbred' in Irish?
Yes, for horses you will also hear 'capall folaíochta', while 'pórghlan' is the general word for any pure-bred animal.
