an Chipir
feminine
an Chipir is the Irish word for Cyprus.
The term is used to refer to the island or the country of Cyprus.
Meaning: island or country (name)
Did you know?
- Irish is a VSO (Verb-Subject-Object) language. If you were to say 'Cyprus is beautiful', the sentence would start with the word for 'is' before mentioning an Chipir.
- The word an is actually a descendant of a demonstrative pronoun that once meant 'that' or 'that one', turning the name into 'that Cyprus'.
- In Irish, geographical names like an Chipir are assigned a gender, and this affects how adjectives are used to describe the island.
Examples in context
- Tá sé i gCipir agam.I have been to Cyprus.
Example conversation
Aoife and Conor are discussing their holiday plans.
- AoifeCá bhfuil tú ag dul ar saoire?Where are you going on holiday?
- ConorTáim ag dul go an Chipir.I am going to Cyprus.
- AoifeAn bhfuil an Chipir an-the?Is Cyprus very hot?
- ConorTá, tá sí an-the i gcónaí.Yes, it is always very hot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cyprus” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries an, CC BY-SA 4.0.
