poileas
masculine
The English phrase "police" is translated into Gaelic as poileas.
poileas refers to a local or general law enforcement agency.
Meaning: local or general law enforcement agency (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
poileas is a masculine noun.
Did you know?
- The word poileas is a loanword borrowed from the English word 'police'. This reflects the historical integration of British administrative and legal structures into Gaelic-speaking regions.
- While poileas describes the agency, Gaelic often uses phrases meaning 'the man of the law' to refer to an individual officer in a more traditional or folk context.
- In some historical Scottish contexts, law was maintained by 'constables' rather than a 'poileas', a distinction that reflects the shift from local feudal duties to national policing.
Examples in context
- 'S e poileas a th’ annam.I'm a police officer.This sentence is useful for stating that one is a member of the poileas.
Example conversation
Mairead and Hamish see a car accident on the road.
- MaireadCoimhead air an t-accident sin!Look at that accident!
- HamishAn robh thu ag calling an poileas?Did you call the police?
- MaireadCha do rinn mi, bidh mi a' dèanamh a-nis.I didn't, I will do it now.
- HamishTòisich gu luath, Hamish.Start quickly, Hamish.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “police” translations and entries poileas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
