asal
/ˈɑsˠəlˠ/masculine
The Irish word for donkey is asal.
asal refers to the domestic animal known as a donkey or an ass.
Meaning: a domestic animal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form asail is the genitive singular form of asal. Use asail when you need to indicate possession or a relationship to the donkey, such as saying a foal belongs to a donkey.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɑsˠəlˠ/
When do people say it?
In traditional Irish, the term Madadh easpáinneach, which literally means Spanish dog, is used to refer to donkeys.
Did you know?
- The Irish word asal is a diminutive, descending from the Latin asellus, which specifically meant a 'small' or 'young' donkey.
- In Irish folklore, the asal is a symbol of humility and patience due to its history as a rural beast of burden.
- The pronunciation of asal features a broad 'l', a specific phonetic sound in Irish that does not exist in English.
Examples in context
- láir asailFemale donkeyThis sentence shows how to use the genitive form asail to refer to a female donkey.
- stail asailMale donkeyThis sentence shows how to use the genitive form asail to refer to a male donkey.
- searrach asailDonkey’s foalThis sentence shows how to use the genitive form asail to refer to a donkey's foal.
- Chonaic mé asal ar an bhfeirm inné.I saw a donkey on the farm yesterday.
Example conversation
Oisín and Saoirse are walking through a farm.
- OisínAn bhfuil asal ansin?Is the donkey there?
- SaoirseTá an asal sa gairdín.The donkey is in the garden.
- OisínAn bhfuil sé beag?Is it small?
- SaoirseNíl, tá an asal mór!No, the donkey is big!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “donkey” translations and entries asal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries asal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
