badhbh

Irish

FWOTD – 6 May 2014

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old Irish badb (crow, witch).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bˠəivˠ/

Noun

badhbh f (genitive singular baidhbhe, nominative plural badhbha)

  1. war-goddess
  2. hooded crow
    • between 1583 and 1591, Tadhg Dall Ó hUiginn, “Cath Droma Lighean”, in The bardic poems of Tadhg Dall Ó Huiginn:
      Budh iomdha ar madoin go moch/ proinn dá caitheamh go corrach;/ laoich ag ionnráithne a n-arm ngéar,/ iolgháirthe badhbh is brainéan.
      In the morn betimes/ there will be many a meal consumed without comfort,/ warriors whetting (?) their keen weapons,/ shrieks of scaldcrows and ravens.
  3. vulture or other ravenous bird
    • bef. 1639, Muircheartach Óg Ó Cíonga, transl., “Lev. 11:14”, in An Bíobla Naomhtha:
      An badhbh, préacháin na gcéarc do réir a chinnéil;
      and the vulture, and the kite after his kind
    Synonyms: bultúr, garrfhiach
  4. a scold or curser
  5. a female fairy said to be attached to certain families and to foretell death, appearing as a hooded crow
    • 1974, Béaloideas, volume 42-47, page 99:
      ... deirtí go bhfeictí an bhadhbh i bhfoirm mná breá dathúil, gruaig fhada de dhath an óir síos go sála uirthí, i ina suí ar an gcathaoir so agus í ag cíoradh a cinn.
      ... it was said that the badhbh was seen in the shape of a fine good-looking woman with long golden hair down to her heels sitting on this chair and she combing her hair.
    Synonym: bean sí

Declension

Derived terms

  • badhbha (martial, warlike, adjective)
  • badhbh chaointe (banshee)
  • badhbh ghríofa (griffon vulture)

Descendants

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
badhbh bhadhbh mbadhbh
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

  • "badhbh" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
  • baḋḃ” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 2nd ed., 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
  • badb” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
  • Entries containing “badhbh” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
  • Entries containing “badhbh” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.
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