caol
/keːl̪ˠ/
The Irish word for slender is caol.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective caol is a slender adjective. When this occurs, the form becomes chaol.
How do you pronounce it?
/keːl̪ˠ/
Did you know?
- The word caol shares a common ancestor with the English word 'hollow', as both stem from roots meaning 'thin' or 'concave'.
- In Irish grammar, whether a consonant is caol or 'broad' can completely change the meaning of a word.
- In Irish linguistics, the term 'slender' is not just a description of shape, but a technical term for a specific way of pronouncing consonants. These 'slender' consonants are produced with the tongue close to the roof of the mouth.
Examples in context
- Caol le caol agus leathan le leathan.Slender (consonant) goes with slender (vowel) and broad (consonant) with broad (vowel).This sentence is useful for demonstrating how caol is used to describe consonants and vowels.
- Tá an duine seo an-caol.This person is slender.
- Tá an tógán caol.The twig is slender.
- Tá sé caol agus gasta.He is slender and fast.
Example conversation
Cian and Aoife are looking at a piece of jewelry.
- CianAn maith leis tú an fáinne seo?Do you like this ring?
- AoifeTá, ach tá sí ró-chaol dom.Yes, but it is too slender for me.
- CianTá an stíl caol go hálainn.The slender style is beautiful.
- AoifeTá, ach ní féidir liom í a chnámas.It is, but I cannot wear it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry caol, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
