fiach dubh
/ˈfʲiəx d̪ˠuvˠ/word by wordmasculine
The Irish word for raven is fiach dubh. If unsure, use fiach dubh. Wiktionary also lists fiach and bran.
Meaning: any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| fiach dubh | /ˈfʲiəx d̪ˠuvˠ/ (word by word) | masculine |
| fiach | /ˈfʲiəx/ /fʲia̯x/ (Ulster) |
masculine |
| bran | literary, masculine |
The term refers to large birds in the genus Corvus characterized by lustrous black plumage. You can use the general term fiach to refer to large black birds such as crows or ravens, or use the more specific fiach dubh to explicitly describe a black raven.
Which one should you use?
While fiach dubh specifically specifies a black raven, the word fiach alone is often used more generally for large black birds like ravens or crows.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The word bran is a literary or poetic term for a raven.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of fiach is fiacha.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfʲiəx d̪ˠuvˠ/
Did you know?
- In Irish mythology, the raven is often associated with the goddess Morrígan, who appears as a fiach to signal the fate of warriors.
- The word fiach is a homonym that can also mean 'debt' in Old Irish, creating a linguistic coincidence between birds and finances.
- The term bran is used in the name of the legendary figure Bran the Blessed, suggesting the bird's importance in early Insular Celtic myths.
Examples in context
- Feic an fiach dubh sin.Look at that raven.
Example conversation
Cian and Niamh are walking in the countryside.
- CianNiamh, féach ar an fiach dubh sin!Niamh, look at that raven!
- NiamhÓ, tá sé go hálainn.Oh, it is beautiful.
- CianIs iontach an fiach dubh é.It is a wonderful raven.
- NiamhTá sé ag eitilt uainn.It is flying away from us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “raven” translations and entries fiach, bran, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (fiach, dubh) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bran, dubh, fiach, CC BY-SA 4.0.
