maighdeanas
masculine
The English word virginity is translated into Irish as maighdeanas or ócht.
Meaning: state or characteristic of being a virgin (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | Note |
|---|---|
| maighdeanas | masculine |
| ócht | feminine |
The term refers to the state or characteristic of being a virgin.
Did you know?
- The Irish word ócht for 'virginity' shares a root with óg, which means 'young'. In Old Irish, being 'young' was linguistically tied to the idea of being 'pure' or 'chaste'.
- The term maighdeanas is a close relative of the Manx word moidynys and the Scottish Gaelic maighdeannas. These sister languages preserved the same term for 'virginity' from Middle Irish.
- In certain contexts, the word maighdean used to be used more broadly to describe a young woman of high standing, not just her physical state.
Examples in context
- Is ábhar tapúla é maighdeanas sa leabhra seo.Virginity is a taboo subject in this book.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing old traditional values.
- OisínAn raibh luach mór ar maighdeanas in earraí?Was there great value in virginity in the past?
- NiamhBaraí an t-uasal é i gcónaí.It was always considered noble.
- OisínTá rudaí difriúil anois, nach bhfuil?Things are different now, aren't they?
- NiamhTá, níl an saol mar a bhí.Yes, the world is not as it was.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “virginity” translations and entries maighdeanas, ócht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maighdeanas, ócht, CC BY-SA 4.0.
