ionnsaigh
/ˈiũːs̪i/
The English word 'attack' is translated into Gaelic as ionnsaigh.
As a noun, ionnsaigh refers to an attempt to cause damage, injury or death. The related verbal phrase thoir ionnsaigh can mean to apply violent force or to aggressively challenge someone with words.
Meaning: attempt to cause damage, injury, or death (noun)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈiũːs̪i/
Did you know?
- The word ionnsaigh belongs to a class of Gaelic words where the initial sound can change depending on the grammatical case, a feature known as initial consonant mutation.
- In Gaelic, the word ionnsaigh is closely related to the word for 'direction' or 'way', as an 'attack' is conceptually framed as a forceful movement toward a target.
- The word ionnsaigh is used in Gaelic poetry to describe the 'attack' of a storm or a crashing wave, framing nature as an aggressive combatant.
Example sentences for Gaelic are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Angus and Catriona are discussing a historical battle.
- AngusBha an ionnsaigh an t-uainea an t-seids.The attack was at six o'clock.
- CatrionaAn robh iad ullamh don ionnsaigh?Were they prepared for the attack?
- AngusCha robh iad ullamh idir.They were not prepared at all.
- CatrionaSin an t-atharrachas a rinn e.That is what made the difference.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “attack” translations and entries ionnsaigh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
