# cathach
## Irish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkɑhəx/, /ˈkahəx/
* IPA: /kɑːx/

### Etymology 1

From Old Irish cathach (“relic, reliquary”).

#### Noun

cathach m or f (genitive singular cathaigh or cathaí)
* battle reliquary

##### Declension

bare forms
case
singular
nominative
cathach
vocative
a chathaigh
genitive
cathaigh
dative
cathach
forms with the definite article
case
singular
nominative
an cathach
genitive
an chathaigh
dative
leis an gcathach don chathach :

###### Alternative declension

bare forms
case
singular
nominative
cathach
vocative
a chathach
genitive
cathaí
dative
cathach cathaigh (archaic, dialectal)
forms with the definite article
case
singular
nominative
an chathach
genitive
na cathaí
dative
leis an gcathach leis an gcathaigh (archaic, dialectal) don chathach don chathaigh (archaic, dialectal) :

### Etymology 2

From Old Irish cathach (“bellicose”). By surface analysis, cath (“battle”) +‎ -ach (adjectival suffix).

#### Adjective

cathach (genitive singular masculine cathaigh, genitive singular feminine cathaí, plural cathacha, comparative cathaí)
* battling, warlike

##### Declension

$^1$ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article. $^2$ When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

##### Alternative forms

* cathaitheach

### Etymology 3
#### Adjective

cathach (genitive singular masculine cathaigh, genitive singular feminine cathaí, plural cathacha, comparative cathaí)
* Alternative form of cathaitheach (“tempting; regretful, sorrowful”)

##### Declension

$^1$ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article. $^2$ When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

### Mutation

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

### References

* ↑ Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect] (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 146
* ↑ Ó Searcaigh, Séamus (1925) Foghraidheacht Ghaedhilge an Tuaiscirt [Pronunciation of Northern Irish]‎ (in Irish), Béal Feirste [Belfast]: Brún agus Ó Nualláin [Browne and Nolan], section 5, page 6
* ↑ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 cathach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
* ↑ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 cathach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

### Further reading

* Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cathach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

## Old Irish
### Etymology

From cath (“battle”) +‎ -ach.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkaθax/

### Adjective

cathach
* bellicose, warlike
* vehement, forceful

#### Inflection

o/ā-stem :
| Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
| Nominative | cathach | cathach | cathach |
| Vocative | cathaig* cathach** | cathach | cathach |
| Accusative | cathach | cathaig | cathach |
| Genitive | cathaig | cathaige | cathaig |
| Dative | cathuch | cathaig | cathuch |
| Plural | Masculine | Feminine/neuter | Feminine/neuter |
| Nominative | cathaig | cathacha | cathacha |
| Vocative | cathachu cathacha† | cathacha | cathacha |
| Accusative | cathachu cathacha† | cathacha | cathacha |
| Genitive | cathach | cathach | cathach |
| Dative | cathachaib | cathachaib | cathachaib |
| Notes | *modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative **modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative † not when substantivized | *modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative **modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative † not when substantivized | *modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative **modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative † not when substantivized |

#### Derived terms

* cathaige (“warlike spirit”)

#### Descendants

* Irish: cathach

### Noun

cathach f (genitive cathaige, nominative plural cathacha)
* relic, reliquary (from the use of relics in battle to ensure victory)

#### Inflection

Feminine ā-stem :
| | Singular | Dual | Plural |
| Nominative | cathach$^L$ | cathaig$^L$ | cathacha$^H$ |
| Vocative | cathach$^L$ | cathaig$^L$ | cathacha$^H$ |
| Accusative | cathaig$^N$ | cathaig$^L$ | cathacha$^H$ |
| Genitive | cathaige$^H$ | cathach$^L$ | cathach$^N$ |
| Dative | cathaig$^L$ | cathachaib | cathachaib |
| Initial mutations of a following adjective: $^H$ = triggers aspiration $^L$ = triggers lenition $^N$ = triggers nasalization ||||

#### Descendants

* Irish: cathach

### Mutation

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

### Further reading

* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 cathach (‘bellicose’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 cathach (‘relic’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language