Irish

deichniúr

Alternative forms

• deichneabhar (obsolete)

Noun

deichniúr m ‎(genitive singular deichniúr, nominative plural deichniúir)

1. a group of ten people

   Cailleadh deichniúr saighdiúirí sa chath.‎

   Ten soldiers died in the battle.

2. decade (series of ten Hail Marys in the Rosary)

Usage notes

This noun followed by the genitive plural is the usual way of saying ‘ten’ when it refers to human beings; it is also sometimes used with other nouns, especially if the things they denote are being personified.

Declension

Related terms

• deich ‎(“ten”)

Mutation

References

• “deichenbor” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• “deiċneaḃar” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
• "deichniúr" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.