HeyRuaHow to say “root vegetable” in Irish
- Irish:
- meacan
- English:
- root vegetable, tap-root
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine, first declension
- Pronunciation:
- “MYAK-un” /ˈmʲakən̪ˠ/
- Plural:
- meacain (root vegetables)
- Genitive singular:
- meacain, an mheacain (e.g. barr an mheacain, the top of the root vegetable)
- Genitive plural:
- meacan, na meacan (e.g. barra na meacan, the tops of the root vegetables)
What does “meacan” mean?
“Meacan” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- root vegetable
- A plant with a thick edible root, such as a carrot or parsnip.Also: tuber, root, taproot.
1 other meaning: tap-root
- 2tap-root
- The thick main root of a plant that grows straight down.Also: root, main root.
“Meacan” with the article
The plural of root vegetable in Irish is meacain. Here is meacan after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Meacan” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using meacan, the Irish word for root vegetable.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Root vegetable in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for root vegetable?
The Irish for root vegetable is meacan (pronounced “MYAK-un”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is meacain. Depending on context it can also mean tap-root.
How do you pronounce meacan in Irish?
Meacan is said like “MYAK-un” (IPA /ˈmʲakən̪ˠ/).
What is the plural of root vegetable in Irish?
The plural of meacan is meacain; with the article, na meacain means “the root vegetables”. The genitive plural is meacan, as in barra na meacan (the tops of the root vegetables).
Does meacan have more than one meaning?
Yes. Meacan can mean root vegetable or tap-root, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Why does meacan change to mheacan?
After words like mo (my) and do (your) the first letter is lenited: mo mheacan. After ár (our) it stays ár meacan, because m does not take eclipsis.
How do you say carrot and parsnip in Irish?
A carrot is 'meacan dearg' (red root) and a parsnip is 'meacan bán' (white root); 'cairéad' is also used for carrot.
What is the difference between 'meacan' and 'fréamh'?
'Fréamh' is any root of a plant, while 'meacan' is a thick, fleshy tap-root, especially an edible one.
