cruach

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɾˠuəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /kɾˠɔx/ (in the phrase cruach fhéir (“hayrick”) /kɾˠɔxˈeiɾʲ/)

Etymology 1

From crua (“hard”) +‎ -ach.

Alternative forms

• cruaidh (Munster)
• cruaidhe (Ulster)
• cruadhach (obsolete)

Noun

cruach f (genitive singular cruach)

1. steel (metal alloy)

Declension

Declension of cruach

Fourth declension

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative cruach Vocative a chruach Genitive cruach Dative cruach

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an chruach Genitive na cruach Dative leis an gcruach don chruach

Derived terms

• cruach charbóin (“carbon steel”)
• giotár cruach (“steel guitar”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish crúach, from Old Irish crúach (“stack; mountain, hill”), from Proto-Celtic *krowkos (“heap”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *krewH- (“to heap up”), shared with Proto-Germanic *hraukaz (“heap”), Lithuanian kruvà (“heap”).

Noun

cruach f (genitive singular cruaiche, nominative plural cruacha)

1. stack (of corn or hay), pile
2. (geography) hill, mountain

Declension

Declension of cruach

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative cruach cruacha Vocative a chruach a chruacha Genitive cruaiche cruach Dative cruach cruaich (archaic, dialectal) cruacha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an chruach na cruacha Genitive na cruaiche na gcruach Dative leis an gcruach leis an gcruaich (archaic, dialectal) don chruach don chruaich (archaic, dialectal) leis na cruacha

Descendants

• → English: croagh
• →⇒ Yola: kurkeen

Verb

cruach (present analytic cruachann, future analytic cruachfaidh, verbal noun cruachadh, past participle cruachta)

1. (transitive) stack; pile

Conjugation

conjugation of cruach (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	cruachaim	cruachann tú; cruachair†	cruachann sé, sí	cruachaimid	cruachann sibh	cruachann siad; cruachaid†	a chruachann; a chruachas / a gcruachann*	cruachtar
	past	chruach mé; chruachas	chruach tú; chruachais	chruach sé, sí	chruachamar; chruach muid	chruach sibh; chruachabhair	chruach siad; chruachadar	a chruach / ar chruach*	cruachadh
	past habitual	chruachainn / gcruachainn‡‡	chruachtá / gcruachtᇇ	chruachadh sé, sí / gcruachadh sé, s퇇	chruachaimis; chruachadh muid / gcruachaimis‡‡; gcruachadh muid‡‡	chruachadh sibh / gcruachadh sibh‡‡	chruachaidís; chruachadh siad / gcruachaidís‡‡; gcruachadh siad‡‡	a chruachadh / a gcruachadh*	chruachtaí / gcruachta퇇
future		cruachfaidh mé; cruachfad	cruachfaidh tú; cruachfair†	cruachfaidh sé, sí	cruachfaimid; cruachfaidh muid	cruachfaidh sibh	cruachfaidh siad; cruachfaid†	a chruachfaidh; a chruachfas / a gcruachfaidh*	cruachfar
conditional		chruachfainn / gcruachfainn‡‡	chruachfá / gcruachfᇇ	chruachfadh sé, sí / gcruachfadh sé, s퇇	chruachfaimis; chruachfadh muid / gcruachfaimis‡‡; gcruachfadh muid‡‡	chruachfadh sibh / gcruachfadh sibh‡‡	chruachfaidís; chruachfadh siad / gcruachfaidís‡‡; gcruachfadh siad‡‡	a chruachfadh / a gcruachfadh*	chruachfaí / gcruachfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go gcruacha mé; go gcruachad†	go gcruacha tú; go gcruachair†	go gcruacha sé, sí	go gcruachaimid; go gcruacha muid	go gcruacha sibh	go gcruacha siad; go gcruachaid†	—	go gcruachtar
	past	dá gcruachainn	dá gcruachtá	dá gcruachadh sé, sí	dá gcruachaimis; dá gcruachadh muid	dá gcruachadh sibh	dá gcruachaidís; dá gcruachadh siad	—	dá gcruachtaí
imperative		cruachaim	cruach	cruachadh sé, sí	cruachaimis	cruachaigí; cruachaidh†	cruachaidís	—	cruachtar
verbal noun		cruachadh
past participle		cruachta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Derived terms

• is é cosaint na pingine a chruachas na puint (“take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
cruach	chruach	gcruach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cruach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “cruach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “cruach”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʰɾuəx/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish crúach (“stack of corn; rick; heap, conical pile; mountain, hill”), from Proto-Celtic *krowko- (“heap”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *krā(u)- (“to heap up”), shared with Proto-Germanic *hraukaz (“heap”), Lithuanian krûvà (“heap”).

Noun

cruach f (genitive singular cruaiche, plural cruachan)

1. pile, heap, stack

Derived terms

• cho seasgair ri luchag ann an cruach (“snug as a bug in a rug”, literally “snug as a mouse in a haystack”)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish crúachaid (“heaps, piles”), from crúach (“heap, pile”).

Verb

cruach (past chruach, future cruachaidh, verbal noun cruachadh, past participle cruachte)

1. pile or heap up
2. make into a stack

Mutation

Mutation of cruach

radical	lenition
cruach	chruach

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