caisteal
/ˈkʰaʃtʲɛl̪ˠ/masculine
The Gaelic word for castle is caisteal.
The word refers to a fortified building.
Meaning: fortified building (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkʰaʃtʲɛl̪ˠ/
Did you know?
- In Gaelic folklore, some caisteal are described as being built by the 'Sìth' or fairies in a single night.
- The Gaelic word caisteal is actually a linguistic traveler that arrived from the Anglo-Normans, rather than being an ancient Celtic word.
- Gaelic distinguishes between a caisteal and a 'dun', which refers to an older, more primitive hillfort.
Examples in context
- Tháinig muid ar an dún seo le blianta ó shin.We came across this castle years ago.
- Tha am broch sin coltach ri caisleàn.That broch is similar to a castle.
- Tha an caisteal mòr.The castle is large.
Example conversation
Hamish and Catriona are looking at a map.
- HamishSeall, Catriona, tha caisteal an seo!Look, Catriona, there is a castle here!
- CatrionaA bheil e fada away?Is it far away?
- HamishChan ealaidh an caisteal fada.The castle is not far.
- CatrionaTha mi ag iarraidh a bhith an sin.I want to be there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “castle” translations and entries caisteal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caisteal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
