féileacán
/ˈpʲəilʲəkɑːn̪ˠ/masculine
The Irish word for butterfly is féileacán.
féileacán refers to the insect known as a butterfly.
Meaning: insect (noun)
Which one should you use?
féileacán is the singular form, while féileacáin is the plural form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word féileacán is a masculine noun. To form the plural, change the ending to féileacáin.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpʲəilʲəkɑːn̪ˠ/
Did you know?
- Unlike English, which shares the root for 'butter' and 'fly', the Irish word féileacán has no linguistic connection to dairy products.
- In Irish folklore, butterflies were often seen as the souls of the departed or as messengers between the physical world and the Otherworld.
- The word féileacán is built from a root meaning 'to fly', making its literal sense 'little flying thing'.
Examples in context
- Is breá liom féileacáin.I love butterflies.
- Tá féileacán sa ghairdín.There is a butterfly in the garden.
- An bhfeiceann tú an féileacán?Do you see the butterfly?
Example conversation
Oisín and Aoife are sitting in a garden.
- OisínFéach ar an bhféileacán!Look at the butterfly!
- AoifeIs é féileacán beag é.It is a small butterfly.
- OisínTá sé an-álainn.It is very beautiful.
- AoifeIs maith liom é.I like it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “butterfly” translations and entries féileacán, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries féileacán, CC BY-SA 4.0.
