dílis

See also: dilis

Irish

FWOTD – 15 May 2023

Etymology

From Middle Irish díles.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdʲiːlʲəʃ/

Adjective

dílis (genitive singular masculine dílis, genitive singular feminine dílse, plural dílse, comparative dílse)

1. dear, fond
2. loyal, faithful, trusty
   • 1939, Peig Sayers, “Inghean an Cheannaidhe”, in Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Description d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études; 270) (overall work in French), Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, page 194:

     « Ná bíodh brón ort », arsa Máire, « bead-sa im’ chailín dílis duit nó go dtí go bhfillfir arís ».

     “Don’t be sad,” Máire said, “I will be a faithful girl to you until you return again.”

3. friendly, reliable, sincere
4. secure, firm
5. darling, beloved
6. (one's) own
7. special

Declension

Declension of dílis

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	dílis	dhílis	dílse; dhílse²
Vocative	dhílis		dílse
Genitive		dílse	dílse	dílis
Dative	dílis; dhílis¹	dhílis	dílse; dhílse²
Comparative	níos dílse
Superlative	is dílse

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

Alternative forms

• díleas

Derived terms

• ainm dílis
• dílseacht
• aindílis

Noun

dílis

1. inflection of díleas:
   1. vocative/genitive singular
   2. nominative/dative plural

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
dílis	dhílis	ndílis
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “dílis”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “dílis”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “dílis”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024
• “dílis”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy