Irish

Alternative forms

• mac léighinn (obsolete)

Noun

mac léinn m ‎(genitive singular mic léinn, nominative plural mic léinn)

1. student (person who studies an academic subject)
   • February 2014, Ciarán Mac Aonghusa, Beo!, “Ag Meabhrú: Mall agus Gasta”:

     Dúradh leis na daoine a ghlac páirt sa turgnamh go raibh bean ann darbh ainm Linda, atá singil, ceannasach, agus cliste agus a d’oibrigh in aghaidh an idirdhealaithe agus ar son na gceart sóisialach nuair a bhí sí ina mac léinn.

     The people who took part in the experiment were told that there was a woman named Linda who was single, assertive, and intelligent and who had worked against discrimination and for social justice when she was a student.

Declension

Usage notes

Despite the masculine grammatical gender and the literal meaning ‘son of learning’, this word is also used to refer to a female student.

Mutation

References

• "mac" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.