uaine
/ˈuaɲə/
The English word green is expressed in Gaelic as uaine. Wiktionary also lists glas.
Meaning: having green as its colour (adj)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | IPA |
|---|---|
| uaine | /ˈuaɲə/ /ˈuaɲʌ/ |
| glas | /kl̪ˠas̪/ |
The word is used to describe things that possess the color green. Both uaine and glas can refer to the color itself as a noun.
Which one should you use?
In modern Gaelic, uaine is the most common and specific way to denote the color green, distinguishing it clearly from blue or grey. The word glas can refer to green, blue or grey depending on the context and the specific shade, whereas uaine is more strictly used for a distinct green.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an adjective to describe a noun, uaine is the standard form for the color green.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈuaɲə/
Did you know?
- The word uaine may share an ancient root with the English word 'wet', tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European term for water.
- Ancient Celtic languages often grouped greens and blues together under terms like glas, a common trait in many early languages that did not distinguish between the two hues.
- The spelling and sound of glas might lead an English speaker to think of the material 'glass', but its Gaelic origins are rooted in descriptive shades of color.
Examples in context
- Tha e gorm agus uaine.It is blue and green.
- Tha an flùr uaine.The flower is green.
- Tha an léine uaine.The shirt is green.
Example conversation
Isla and Hamish are looking at a painting of a landscape.
- IslaA bheil an t-uachdar uaine?Is the hillside green?
- HamishTha, tha e gu math uaine.Yes, it is very green.
- IslaIs toil leam an dath uaine.I love the color green.
- HamishTha e brèagha.It is beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “green” translations and entries uaine, glas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries glas, uaine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
