coileach
/ˈkʰaləx/masculine
The Gaelic word for rooster is coileach.
coileach refers to a male chicken or a male gallinaceous bird.
Meaning: male chicken, male gallinaceous bird (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word coileach is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkʰaləx/
Did you know?
- The root of coileach is related to the Old English word 'hlōwan', which described the 'lowing' sound made by cows.
- While 'coileach' is the standard term, in older literature, a rooster might be referred to with metaphors related to a 'herald' because of its dawn-calling nature.
Examples in context
- Tha an coileach dubh.The rooster is black.
- Tha an coileach gu math mòr.The rooster is very large.
Example conversation
Finlay and Catriona are visiting a farm.
- FinlayA bheil coileach agad, a Chatriona?Do you have a rooster, Catriona?
- CatrionaTha, tha coileach glòrasach agam.Yes, I have a glorious rooster.
- FinlayCàr an coileach sin?Where is that rooster?
- CatrionaTha e anns an t-siost.He is in the coop.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rooster” translations and entries coileach, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coileach, CC BY-SA 4.0.
