abhainn
/ɑunʲ/feminine
The Irish word for river is abhainn.
The word abhainn is a noun used to describe a large stream which drains a landmass.
Meaning: large stream which drains a landmass (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of abhainn is na habhainn (the rivers).
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑunʲ/
Did you know?
- In traditional Irish folklore, rivers were often viewed as gateways to the Otherworld, and the word abhainn appears frequently in myths describing the crossing of supernatural boundaries.
- The word abhainn is actually a grammatical survivor. It was originally the dative singular form of the word abha, but it eventually replaced the original version in common usage.
- Many place names in Ireland containing the word abhainn have been Anglicized into 'Avon', which is also a common name for rivers in England.
Examples in context
- Bhí an abhainn reoite.The river was frozen.This sentence shows the use of abhainn to describe a frozen river.
- Níl aon abhainn san oileán.There’s no river on the island.This sentence shows how to say there is no abhainn on an island.
- Táim ag snámh in abhainn.I am swimming in a river.This sentence is useful for describing swimming in an abhainn.Tatoeba #4420896 by kemushi69, translation #4273596 by abeskies
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Conor and Aoife are looking at a map of the countryside.
- ConorAn bhfuil abhainn gar an baile?Is there a river near the town?
- AoifeTá, tá abhainn mhór ansin.Yes, there is a big river there.
- ConorAn bhfuil an abhainn glan?Is the river clean?
- AoifeTá an abhainn an-ghlan, a Chonaire.The river is very clean, Conor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “river” translations and entries abhainn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abhainn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
