allaidh
/ˈaɫi/
In Gaelic, 'wild' is expressed as allaidh. Wiktionary also lists fiadhaich.
Meaning: not domesticated or tamed (adj)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | IPA |
|---|---|
| allaidh | /ˈaɫi/ |
| fiadhaich | /ˈfiə.iç/ /ˈfiəɣiç/ |
allaidh is the standard adjective used to describe an animal that is not domesticated, such as a wild cat or a wild horse.
Which one should you use?
While 'allaidh' is used for animals that are not tame, fiadhaich is often used in a more poetic or formal sense to describe things belonging to the wild or untamed nature.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈaɫi/
Did you know?
- The term fiadhaich can evoke the atmosphere of the 'Sidhe', the faerie folk, because it shares a connection to the untamed, supernatural elements of the landscape.
- In Gaelic, the concept of 'wild' historically overlapped with words for 'strange' or 'foreign', grouping anything outside the community into one category.
- While an English speaker might use 'wild' to describe a person's behavior, using fiadhaich for a person would sound like you are describing them as a creature of the forest or a mythical being.
Example sentences for Gaelic are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Angus and Mairead are hiking in the mountains.
- AngusA bheil an t-àite seo allaidh?Is this place wild?
- MaireadTha, tha e gu math allaidh.Yes, it is very wild.
- AngusSeall air an fhìdh allaidh!Look at that wild deer!
- MaireadTha e brèagha, a Angus.It is beautiful, Angus.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wild” translations and entries allaidh, fiadhaich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
