peann luaidhe
/pʲaun̪ˠ ˈl̪ˠu.eː/word by wordmasculine
The English phrase pencil is peann luaidhe in Irish.
peann luaidhe is a masculine noun used to refer to a graphite writing-instrument.
Meaning: graphite writing-instrument (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'lead pen', where peann means pen and luaidhe refers to lead or graphite.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun is na peann luaidhe.
Did you know?
- The word peann shares its origin with the English word 'pen' and the Latin 'penna' meaning 'feather'. This reflects the time when writing instruments were made from actual bird feathers.
- Unlike English, where 'pencil' is a single root word, the Irish term is a compound description. It classifies the tool by its material, a common pattern in Irish for designating specific tools.
- The word luaidhe comes from the Proto-Celtic root *ɸloudom. This connects the Irish word for lead to ancient linguistic roots shared by other extinct Celtic languages.
Examples in context
- Is peann luaidhe é seo.This is a pencil.Tatoeba #3961144 by turklehceleri, translation #55799 by CK
- An bhris tú an peann luaidhe?Have you broken the pencil?Tatoeba #10471155 by koala, translation #10272441 by SabukHitam
- Ní féidir liom peann luaidhe a aimsiú.I cannot find a pencil.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a desk in a classroom.
- ConorAn bhfuil peann luaidhe agat, a Niamh?Do you have a pencil, Niamh?
- NiamhTá ceann agam anseo, a Conor.I have one here, Conor.
- ConorAn féidir liom é a fháil?Can I have it?
- NiamhTá, tóg é.Yes, take it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pencil” translations and entries peann luaidhe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (peann, luaidhe) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries luaidhe, peann, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
