boireannach
/ˈb̥ɔðən̪ˠəx/masculine
The Gaelic word for woman is boireannach or bean.
Meaning: adult female person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| boireannach | /ˈb̥ɔðən̪ˠəx/ (Lewis) /ˈb̥ɔɾʲən̪ˠəx/ |
masculine |
| bean | /b̥ɛ̃n/ | feminine |
The term refers to an adult female person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Scottish Gaelic, bean is a commonly used word for woman.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈb̥ɔðən̪ˠəx/
Did you know?
- Traditional folklore features the bean-sidhe, or 'woman of the mounds', known in English as the Banshee.
- In Scottish Gaelic, the word bean is also used to mean 'wife'.
- In some dialects, the pronunciation of bean can sound closer to the English word 'ban' than 'bean'.
Example sentences for Gaelic are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Eilidh and Angus are looking for someone at a gathering.
- EilidhA bheil thu air an boireannach fhaicinn?Have you seen the woman?
- AngusCha chinn an boireannach sin mi.I don't recognize that woman.
- EilidhTha i a' cur cluarsach gorm air.She is wearing a blue scarf.
- AngusO, tha i an seo!Oh, she is here!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woman” translations and entries boireannach, bean, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
