earrach
/əˈɾˠax/masculine
The Irish word for the season of spring is earrach.
earrach is a masculine noun used to refer to the season between winter and summer in temperate climates.
Meaning: season between winter and summer in temperate climates (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, earrach takes the definite article an to form an earrach (the spring). However, when used after certain particles or in specific grammatical constructions, the word undergoes a mutation and is written as an t-earrach.
How do you pronounce it?
/əˈɾˠax/
Did you know?
- The word earrach is a cognate of the Latin word vēr, which is where English gets the prefix 'vernal' as in the 'vernal equinox'.
- In traditional Irish culture, the arrival of earrach is marked by Imbolc, a festival focusing on the return of light and the lambing season.
Examples in context
- Tá an t-earrach tagtha!Spring has arrived!
Example conversation
Niamh and Oisín are talking about the weather.
- NiamhAn bhfuil tú ag coinneachtáil leis an earrach?Are you looking forward to spring?
- OisínTá, tá mé tuirseach de gheimhreadh.Yes, I am tired of winter.
- NiamhBeidh an t-earrach go hálainn i bhliain seo.Spring will be beautiful this year.
- OisínTá mé ag súil go mbeidh sé te.I hope that it will be warm.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spring” translations and entries earrach, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries earrach, CC BY-SA 4.0.
