Old Irish

Adjective

dorchae ‎(comparative dorchu)

1. dark, gloomy
   • c. 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 30^a4

     sechis amal no·ngnetis ón gním inn aithchi dorchi

     as though they did a deed on a dark night

2. obscure
3. gloomy, morose

Inflection

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Antonyms

• sorchae

Descendants

• Irish: dorcha
• Manx: dorraghey
• Scottish Gaelic: dorcha

Derived terms

• dorchacht ‎(“darkness”)

Noun

dorchae n

1. darkness, gloom
   • c. 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 140^c5

     is Dǽ int soilse amal as nDæ inna dorche

     the light is God’s even as the darkness is God’s

   • c. 845, St. Gall Glosses on Priscian, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1975, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. II, pp. 49–224, Sg. 183^b3

     dond fritobairt maill frita·taibret na dorche don ṡoilsi

     from the slow opposition with which the darkness opposes itself to the light

2. (figuratively) obscurity, mystery

Usage notes

Often used in the plural, especially in early texts, probably under the influence of Latin tenebrae.

Inflection

References

• “dorchae” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.