dubh

Irish

Alternative forms

• dú-(combining form)

Etymology

FromOld Irishdub,fromProto-Celtic*dubus(“black”),fromProto-Indo-European*dʰewbʰ-(“black”).Cognates includeEnglishdeaf.

Pronunciation

• (Munster)IPA^(key):/d̪ˠʊvˠ/
• (Aran)IPA^(key):/d̪ˠʊ/,/d̪ˠɞ/
• (Connemara)IPA^(key):/d̪ˠʊ(vˠ)/
• (Mayo)IPA^(key):/d̪ˠʊw/,(rare)/d̪ˠʊfˠ/
• (Ulster)IPA^(key):/d̪ˠʊh/,[d̪ˠʊʍ];(rare)/d̪ˠʊfˠ/

Adjective

dubh(genitive singular masculineduibh,genitive singular feminineduibhe,pluraldubha,comparativeduibheordúcha)

1. black
2. black-haired
3. (nominalized,masculine)black(color)

Declension

Declensionofdubh

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	dubh	dhubh	dubha; dhubha²
Vocative	dhuibh		dubha
Genitive		duibhe	dubha	dubh
Dative	dubh; dhubh¹	dhubh; dhuibh(archaic)	dubha; dhubha²
Comparative	níosduibhe
Superlative	isduibhe

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

• Alternative comparative form:dúcha(Cois Fharraige)

Derived terms

• abhac dubh(“black dwarf”)
• baintreach dhubh(“black widow”)
• béar dubh(“black bear”)
• Brandubh
• ceanndubh(“black-headed”,adjective)
• clár dubh(“blackboard”)
• dú-(“black, dark”)
• dubh an charbóin(“carbon black”)
• dubh carbóin(“carbon black”)
• dubhán
• Dubhdáleithe
• Dubhdarach
• Dubhghall
• Dubhghus
• Dubhlachán
• dúch(“ink”)
• dúchan
• dúghorm(“dark blue, navy blue”,adjective)
• geabhróg dhubh(“black tern”)
• grús píbdhubh(“black-necked crane”)
• leann dubh(“stout, porter”)
• lon dubh(“blackbird”)
• lúbán dubh(“black pudding”)
• margadh dubh(“black market”)
• ó dhubh go dubh(“from dawn to dusk”)
• píbdhubh(“black-necked”,adjective)
• piobar dubh(“black pepper”)
• putóg dhubh(“black pudding”)
• scamhóg dhubh(“black lung”)
• scothdhubh(“blackish”,adjective)
• súil dhubh(“black eye, shiner”)
• tae dubh(“black tea”)

See also

Colorsin Irish ·dathanna(layout·text)

bán	liath	dubh
dearg;corcairdhearg	oráiste,flannbhuí;donn	buí;bánbhuí
líoma-ghlas,glas líoma	glas,uaine	dathanmhiontais
cian	gormghlas,spéirghorm	gorm
corcairghorm;indeagó	maigeanta;corcra	bándearg

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
dubh	dhubh	ndubh
Note:Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall(1977) “dubh”,inFoclóir Gaeilge–Béarla,Dublin: An Gúm,→ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás(1959) “dubh”,inEnglish-Irish Dictionary,An Gúm
• “dubh”,inNew English-Irish Dictionary,Foras na Gaeilge,2013-2024

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

FromOld Irishdub(“black”),fromProto-Celtic*dubus(“black”),fromProto-Indo-European*dʰewbʰ-(“black”).

Cognates within Celtic includeBretondu(“black”),Welshdu(“black”),Cornishduvordu(“black”),Gaulishriver nameDubis,nowDoubs.Cognates outside Celtic includeAncient Greekτυφλός(tuphlós,“blind”),Gothic𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌱𐍃(daubs,“deaf”),Germantaub(“deaf”),Englishdeaf,Englishdumb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/t̪uh/,[t̪uh~t̪ʊh],[t̪u~t̪ʊ],[t̪uɣ~t̪ʊɣ]

Adjective

dubh

1. black
2. (haircolor)black-haired

   ThaDòmhnallDubhan Dòmhnallaich a-nochd a' tòir air Mòraig.―Black-haired Donald MacDonald is chasing after Morag tonight.

Derived terms

• bòrd-dubh(“blackboard”)
• cailleachag a' chinn duibh(“coal tit”)
• dubh dorch(“pitch black”)
• dubh-cheist
• dubh-fhacal(“riddle”)
• duine dubh(“black person”)
• gealag-dhubh-cheannach(“reed bunting”)
• losgann dubh(“toad”)
• màl dubh(“blackmail”,noun)
• marag dhubh(“black pudding”)
• sgian-dubh(“sgian dubh”)

Noun

dubhm(genitive singularduibh,pluraldubhan)

1. blackness,darkness

   Synonyms:dorchadas,dubhar

2. ink

   Synonym:inc

3. pupil(of eye)

   Synonym:clach na sùla

Derived terms

• o mhoch gu dubh

Verb

dubh(pastdhubh,futuredubhaidh,verbal noundubhadh,past participledubhte)

1. blacken

Derived terms

• dubh a-mach
• dubh às

See also

Colorsin Scottish Gaelic ·dathan(layout·text)

bàn,geal	glas	dubh
dearg;ruadh	orains;donn	buidhe;donn
uaine	uaine	gorm
liath;glas	liath	gorm
purpaidh;guirmean	pinc;purpaidh	pinc

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
dubh	dhubh
Note:Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “dubh”, inFaclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan[The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[2],10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited,→ISBN