# sealbhach
## Irish
### Etymology

From Old Irish selbach (“having great possessions; possessive, grasping; an owner, a landholder”), from selb (“property, appurtenance, domain, possessions; a flock, a herd; property, estate; ownership, possession”). By surface analysis, seilbh (“possession”) +‎ -ach (adjectival suffix).

### Adjective

sealbhach (genitive singular masculine sealbhaigh, genitive singular feminine sealbhaí, plural sealbhacha)
* having possessions
* possessive
** possessive, grasping (of a person)
** (grammar) possessive
* (law) possessory

#### Declension

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

#### Derived terms

* aidiacht shealbhach f (“possessive adjective”)
* forainm sealbhach m (“possessive pronoun”)
* teideal sealbhach m (“possessory title”)
* tuiseal sealbhach m (“possessive case”)

### Noun

sealbhach m (genitive singular sealbhaigh, nominative plural sealbhaigh)
* (grammar) possessive (case)
    Synonym: tuiseal sealbhach
* flock
** flock, herd
    Synonym: sealbhán
** flock, number, group
    Synonym: sealbhán
* occupier; possessor, holder, occupant
    Synonym: sealbhóir

#### Declension

bare forms
case
singular
plural
nominative
sealbhach
sealbhaigh
vocative
a shealbhaigh
a shealbhacha
genitive
sealbhaigh
sealbhach
dative
sealbhach
sealbhaigh
forms with the definite article
case
singular
plural
nominative
an sealbhach
na sealbhaigh
genitive
an tsealbhaigh
na sealbhach
dative
leis an sealbhach don sealbhach
leis na sealbhaigh :

### Mutation

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

### Further reading

* Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “sealbhach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “selbach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
* de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “sealbhach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
* “sealbhach”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025

## Scottish Gaelic
### Alternative forms

* seilbheach

### Etymology

From Old Irish selbach (“having great possessions; possessive, grasping; an owner, a landholder”), from selb (“property, appurtenance, domain, possessions; a flock, a herd; property, estate; ownership, possession”). By surface analysis, sealbh (“possession; inheritance; luck, good luck”) +‎ -ach (adjectival suffix).

### Adjective

sealbhach (genitive singular feminine sealbhaiche)
* fortunate, lucky
* prosperous
* (grammar, etc.) possessive

#### Derived terms

* riochdair seilbheach m (“possessive pronoun”)

### Mutation

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

### References

* Edward Dwelly (1911) “sealbhach”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎, 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “selbach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language