teann

See also: téann

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /tʲaun̪ˠ/
• (Galway) IPA^(key): /tʲɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Mayo, Ulster) IPA^(key): /tʲan̪ˠ/

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish tenn, tend, from tendaid (“to press, squeeze, tighten”), either from Latin tendō or from a Proto-Celtic cognate of it; either way from Proto-Indo-European *tend- (“to stretch, extend”); see also Welsh tynnu (“to pull, stretch, draw”).

Adjective

teann (genitive singular masculine teann, genitive singular feminine teinne, plural teanna, comparative teinne)

1. tight, firm, stiff
2. strong, bold, stout, powerful

   teann téagartha ― strong and thickset

3. severe
4. hardy

Declension

Declension of teann

Positive	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine	strong noun	weak noun
nominative	teann	theann	teanna; theanna2
vocative	theann		teanna
genitive		teinne	teanna	teann
dative	teann; theann1	theann	teanna; theanna2
Comparative	níos teinne
Superlative	is teinne

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

• Archaic vocative/genitive singular masculine and dative singular feminine: teinn

Derived terms

• ainteann

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish tenn, tend.

Noun

teann m (genitive singular teanna or teinne, nominative plural teanna or teannta)

1. oppression, violence
2. strain, distress, effort
3. strength

Declension

Declension of teann (third declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative teann teanna vocative a theann a theanna genitive teanna teann dative teann teanna forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an teann na teanna genitive an teanna na dteann dative leis an teann don teann leis na teanna

Alternative inflection:

Declension of teann (second declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative teann teannta vocative a theann a theannta genitive teinne teannta dative teann teannta forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an teann na teannta genitive an teinne na dteannta dative leis an teann don teann leis na teannta

Derived terms

• i dteann (“at the height of”)
• le teann (“by dint of, for the sake of”)

Etymology 3

From Middle Irish tendaid. See Etymology 1 above.

Verb

teann (present analytic teannann, future analytic teannfaidh, verbal noun teannadh, past participle teannta)

1. to press, urge
2. to tighten, strain, strengthen
3. to staunch
4. to embrace

Conjugation

Conjugation of teann (first conjugation – A)

indicative	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present	teannaim	teannann tú; teannair†	teannann sé, sí	teannaimid; teannann muid	teannann sibh	teannann siad; teannaid†	a theannann; a theannas	teanntar
past	theann mé; theannas	theann tú; theannais	theann sé, sí	theannamar; theann muid	theann sibh; theannabhair	theann siad; theannadar	a theann	teannadh
past habitual	theannainn / teannainn‡	theanntá / teanntá‡	theannadh sé, sí / teannadh sé, sí‡	theannaimis; theannadh muid / teannaimis‡; teannadh muid‡	theannadh sibh / teannadh sibh‡	theannaidís; theannadh siad / teannaidís‡; teannadh siad‡	a theannadh	theanntaí / teanntaí‡
	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	teannfaidh mé; teannfad	teannfaidh tú; teannfair†	teannfaidh sé, sí	teannfaimid; teannfaidh muid	teannfaidh sibh	teannfaidh siad; teannfaid†	a theannfaidh; a theannfas	teannfar
conditional	theannfainn / teannfainn‡	theannfá / teannfá‡	theannfadh sé, sí / teannfadh sé, sí‡	theannfaimis; theannfadh muid / teannfaimis‡; teannfadh muid‡	theannfadh sibh / teannfadh sibh‡	theannfaidís; theannfadh siad / teannfaidís‡; teannfadh siad‡	a theannfadh	theannfaí / teannfaí‡
subjunctive	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present	go dteanna mé; go dteannad†	go dteanna tú; go dteannair†	go dteanna sé, sí	go dteannaimid; go dteanna muid	go dteanna sibh	go dteanna siad; go dteannaid†	—	go dteanntar
past	dá dteannainn	dá dteanntá	dá dteannadh sé, sí	dá dteannaimis; dá dteannadh muid	dá dteannadh sibh	dá dteannaidís; dá dteannadh siad	—	dá dteanntaí
imperative	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
—	teannaim	teann	teannadh sé, sí	teannaimis	teannaigí; teannaidh†	teannaidís	—	teanntar
past participle	teannta
verbal noun	teannadh

^† archaic or dialect form
^‡ dependent form

Mutation

Mutated forms of teann

radical	lenition	eclipsis
teann	theann	dteann

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

References

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904), “teann; teannaim”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 726
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “teann”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “teann”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “teann”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Middle Irish tenn, tend, from tendaid (“to press, squeeze, tighten”), either from Latin tendō or from a Proto-Celtic cognate of it; either way from Proto-Indo-European *tend- (“to stretch, extend”); see also Welsh tynnu (“to pull, stretch, draw”).

Pronunciation

• (Lewis, Harris) IPA^(key): /tʲʰãũn̪ˠ/
• (Uist, Barra, Skye, Wester Ross) IPA^(key): /tʲʰɛ̃ũn̪ˠ/, /tʃʰɛ̃ũn̪ˠ/
• (South Argyll) IPA^(key): /tʲʰɛn̪ˠː/

Adjective

teann (comparative nas teinne, superlative as teinne)

1. tight, tense, taut, firm, fixed
2. severe, strict
3. near, close

Derived terms

• teannaich (“tighten”)

Mutation

Mutation of teann

radical	lenition
teann	theann

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 tend ‘strong’”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language