radan
/ˈrˠat̪an/
The Gaelic word for rat is radan.
The term radan refers to the rodent known as a rat.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
radan is a masculine noun. Interestingly, the plural form for rats is also radan. Because radan begins with a consonant, you use the definite article an to say the rat, resulting in an radan.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈrˠat̪an/
Did you know?
- While radan is the standard word for the animal, Gaelic folklore often associates rodents with mischief and hidden treasures in the domestic sphere.
- The word radan shares a surprising ancestral connection to the Anglo-Norman 'ratoun', linking the Gaelic term to Old French linguistic history.
- In some Gaelic dialects, the pronunciation of 'r' in radan can be quite different from the English 'r', often sounding more like a tapped or rolled sound.
Examples in context
- Tha radan mòr an sin.There is a big rat there.
- Chunnaic mi radan sa ghaird.I saw a rat in the garden.
- Tha an radan dubh.The rat is black.
Example conversation
Eilidh and Finlay are cleaning the garage.
- EilidhFinlay, coimhead! Tha radan an seo.Finlay, look! There is a rat here.
- FinlayÒn uaisge! Càite a bheil e?Good grief! Where is it?
- EilidhTha an radan fo an t-seann bhox.The rat is under the old box.
- FinlayFeumaidh sinn a chur a mach.We need to put it out.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rat” translations and entries radan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries radan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
