ceansa

Irish

Alternative forms

• ceannsa (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish censae, abstract noun of cennais (“meek, gentle”) (whence modern ceannais). The adjective (attested already as Middle Irish cendsa) probably originated as an attributive use of the genitive singular of the noun.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈcaun̪ˠsˠə/

Noun

ceansa f (genitive singular ceansa)

1. meekness, gentleness, tameness, mildness, docility

Declension

Declension of ceansa

Fourth declension

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

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an cheansa Genitive na ceansa Dative leis an gceansa don cheansa

Adjective

ceansa

1. meek, gentle, tame, mild, docile

Declension

Declension of ceansa

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	ceansa	cheansa	ceansa; cheansa²
Vocative	cheansa		ceansa
Genitive		ceansa	ceansa	ceansa
Dative	ceansa; cheansa¹	cheansa	ceansa; cheansa²
Comparative	níos ceansa
Superlative	is ceansa

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

• ceansacht
• ceansaigh
• ceansaitheoir
• ceansú

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
ceansa	cheansa	gceansa
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• “ceansa”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “cennsa”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “cennsae”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “ceannsa”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 126
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “ceansa”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 16