craobh
/kʰɾɯːv/feminine
The Gaelic word for tree is craobh.
craobh refers to a large woody plant. Specific types of trees have their own distinct names, such as Caorann for the rowan tree and Feàrna for the alder tree.
Meaning: large woody plant (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/kʰɾɯːv/
Did you know?
- In the Gaelic tradition of the Ogham alphabet used for early inscriptions, every letter is named after a specific tree.
- The word craobh is etymologically linked to the word criathar, meaning 'sieve'. This suggests an ancient connection between the shape of a tree's canopy and a mesh or screen.
- The rowan tree Caorann is traditionally viewed as a protective tree in Gaelic culture and was often planted near houses to ward off evil.
Examples in context
- Chan eil mòran crannan anns a' choill seoThere aren't many trees in this forest.
Example conversation
Isla and Hamish are walking in a park.
- IslaHamish, am craobh seo an t-aran?Hamish, is this tree an ash?
- HamishCha cred sluagh gu bheil e na chraobh.Few people believe it is a tree.
- IslaTha iomadh craobh anns an t-sràid.There are many trees in the street.
- HamishTha iad guta gu math.They are very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tree” translations and entries craobh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries craobh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
