# oíche
## Irish
### Alternative forms

* oidhche (superseded)

### Etymology

From Old Irish aidche and aidchi, the oblique forms of adaig (compare Classical Gaelic adhaigh), from earlier *adekʷī or *adekī, of unknown origin; possibly cognate with Latin āter (“dark”) or Sanskrit अन्ध (andha, “blind”).

### Pronunciation

* (Munster) IPA: /ˈiːhɪ/
* (Aran) IPA: /ˈɪhə/, /ˈiːhə/, /iə/
* (Cois Fharraige) IPA: /ˈiː/
* (Mayo) IPA: /ˈiːçə/
* (Ulster) IPA: /ˈĩːçə/, /ˈĩːhə/, /ˈiːhə/
* Homophones: aoi, í, Í, íoth, ithe, uí, Uí (all for the Cois Fharraige pronunciation)

### Noun

oíche f (genitive singular oíche, nominative plural oícheanta or oícheanna)
* night
* nightfall
    Synonym: titim na hoíche
* eve (of festival)

#### Declension

bare forms
case
singular
plural
nominative
oíche
oícheanta
vocative
a oíche
a oícheanta
genitive
oíche
oícheanta
dative
oíche
oícheanta
forms with the definite article
case
singular
plural
nominative
an oíche
na hoícheanta
genitive
na hoíche
na n-oícheanta
dative
leis an oíche don oíche
leis na hoícheanta :
* Alternative plural: oícheanna

#### Derived terms

* anoíche (“late hour of night”)
* cailleach oíche (“owl”)
* club oíche (“nightclub”)
* daille oíche (“night blindness”)
* dord na hoíche (“tattoo”)
* éan oíche (“bird of night”)
* iostas na hoíche (“night's lodging”)
* léine oíche (“night-shirt”)
* mála oíche (“overnight bag”)
* meán oíche (“midnight”)
* obair oíche (“night-work”)
* oíche chinn an dá lá dhéag (“eve of Epiphany”)
* oíche chinn bliana (“New Year's eve”)
* oíche chinn féile (“eve of festival”)
* Oíche Inide (“Shrove Tuesday night”)
* oíche mhaith! (“good night!”)
* Oíche na Gloine Briste (“Kristallnacht”)
* Oíche Nollag (“Christmas Eve”)
* Oíche Shamhna (“Halloween”)
* oíche-iamh (“nyctinasty”)
* oíchí (“nocturnal”, adjective)
* solas oíche (“night-light”)
* thar oíche (“overnight”)
* titim na hoíche (“till nightfall”)

### Mutation

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish. All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

### References

* ↑ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish Dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 134, page 70
* ↑ Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect] (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 141
* ↑ de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1977) Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge: An Deilbhíocht [The Irish of Cois Fharraige: Accidence] (in Irish), 2nd edition, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath [Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies], page 365
* ↑ Mhac an Fhailigh, Éamonn (1968) The Irish of Erris, Co. Mayo: A Phonemic Study, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, section 72, page 19
* ↑ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 121, page 46
* ↑ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 179, page 68
* ↑ Wagner, Heinrich (1959) Gaeilge Theilinn: Foghraidheacht, Gramadach, Téacsanna [The Irish of Teelin: Phonetics, Grammar, Texts] (in Irish), Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath [Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies], section 99, page 35; reprinted 1979

### Further reading

* Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “oíche”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
* de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “oíche”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
* “oíche”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025