dronuilleog
/ˌd̪ˠɾɔn̪ˠəˈlʲoːɡ/feminine
The Irish word for rectangle is dronuilleog.
dronuilleog is a noun used to describe a quadrilateral.
Meaning: quadrilateral (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
dronuilleog is a feminine noun. To say 'the rectangle', use an dronuilleog, which follows feminine declension patterns. The plural form of the word is dronuilleoga, meaning 'rectangles'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌd̪ˠɾɔn̪ˠəˈlʲoːɡ/
Did you know?
- The suffix -óg in dronuilleog is a diminutive, which usually means 'small' or 'dear'. In this context, it is used to form a noun from a geometric property.
- The word dronuilleog is a 'calque' of the Latin 'rēctangulum'. This means instead of borrowing the Latin sound, Irish speakers translated the meaning of the Latin components into their own language.
- In Irish, the 'L' sound in dronuilleog is 'slender'. This is a distinct phonetic quality where the tongue is placed differently than for a 'broad' L, a distinction that does not exist in English.
Examples in context
- Cén méid atá ag an cearnóg sin?What's the size of that rectangle?
Example conversation
Cathal and Aoife are doing their geometry homework together.
- CathalCad é an t-uirlis seo, a Aoife?What is this shape, Aoife?
- AoifeIs dronuilleog í, a Chathail.It is a rectangle, Cathal.
- CathalAn bhfuil an t-uairleor ina dronuilleog freasa?Is the floor a rectangle too?
- AoifeTá, tá sé ina dronuilleog mhór.Yes, it is a large rectangle.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rectangle” translations and entries dronuilleog, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dronuilleog, CC BY-SA 4.0.
