clach-mheallain
/ˌkʰl̪ˠax ˈvjal̪ˠaɲ/feminine
The English word 'hail' (referring to balls of ice) is translated into Gaelic as clach-mheallain.
clach-mheallain is a noun used to describe the weather phenomenon of balls of ice falling from the sky.
Meaning: balls of ice (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
clach-mheallain is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌkʰl̪ˠax ˈvjal̪ˠaɲ/
Did you know?
- The word clach in clach-mheallain means 'stone', showing that Gaelic speakers conceptually view hail as falling rocks rather than frozen rain.
- The word clach is so central to Gaelic culture that it is used in the names of many ancient standing stones and monuments across Scotland and Ireland.
- The grammar of clach-mheallain requires the second word to be lenited, changing the spelling and sound of the original root.
Example sentences for Gaelic are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Finlay and Mairead are looking out the window during a storm.
- FinlaySeall air a’ chlach-mheallain!Look at the hail!
- MaireadTha i gu math mhòr.It is very large.
- FinlayAn tòisich clach-mheallain an uiread air a bhith ann?Has this much hail started?
- MaireadCha robh i cho trom uaighean.It wasn't so heavy before.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hail” translations and entries clach-mheallain, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
