púca

See also: puca, puça, and puçá

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish púca m (goblin, sprite), probably a Germanic borrowing, from Old Norse púki (fairy spirit).[1][2]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpˠuːkə/

Noun

púca m (genitive singular púca, nominative plural púcaí)

  1. hobgoblin, pooka, puck
  2. surly, uncommunicative person

Declension

Derived terms

  • ceann púca m (gargoyle)
  • coinnle an phúca f pl (dark mullein)
  • méirín púca m (fox-glove)
  • púca na mbeann m (the Devil)
  • púca na n-adharc m (bugbear)
  • púca na sméar m (fruit-destroying pooka)
  • púca peill m (toadstool)
  • púcaíocht f (backwardness)
  • púcbhobarún m (silent stupid person)
  • púcúil (glum, surly, adjective)
  • téada an phúca f pl (gossamer)

Descendants

  • ? Cornish: bucca
    • English: bucca
  • English: pooka, puka

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
púca phúca bpúca
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

  1. Pokorny, Julius (1959) chapter 299, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 299
  2. Curran, Bob (1997) A Field Guide to Irish Fairies, Appletree Press, →ISBN

Further reading

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