orlach
/ˈəuɾˠl̪ˠəx/masculine
The Irish word for the English unit of length 'inch' is orlach.
orlach is used to refer to the inch, which is an English unit of length and its traditional equivalents.
Meaning: English unit of length and traditional equivalents (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
orlach is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈəuɾˠl̪ˠəx/
Did you know?
- The word orlach is actually a measurement based on the human body, specifically derived from the Old Irish word for 'thumb'.
- Irish has a distinct terminology for traditional measurements that predates the British Imperial system, though orlach is now used for the standard inch.
- The sound of the ch at the end of orlach is a velar fricative, similar to the sound in the Scottish word 'loch'.
Example sentences for Irish are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Siobhán and Cathal are measuring a piece of wood for a project.
- SiobhánAn bhfuil sé an orlach róghorm?Is it an inch too thick?
- CathalTá, caithfidh tú é a gníomháu.Yes, you have to trim it.
- SiobhánGníomhóigh orlach amháin ansin, Cathal.Trim just one inch there, Cathal.
- CathalBeidh sé ceart anois.It will be right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “inch” translations and entries orlach, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries orlach, CC BY-SA 4.0.
