English

Noun

beag ‎(plural beags)

1. (historical) A ring.
   • 1878, Royal Numismatic Society (Great Britain), The Numismatic chronicle and journal of the Numismatic Society:

     It was a mark of nobility among the German races — by some considered the origin of our coronets — and had even about it a quasi-religious character in memory of the "holy beag" (holy ring), the oath upon which was tantamount to the oath upon Thorr's hammer.

   • 1970, William A. Chaney, The cult of kingship in Anglo-Saxon England:

     [...] and the description of that monarch in his anonymous Vita as coronatus lauro probably indicates a beag which was lighter than the formal diadema.

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish bec ‎(“small, little”) (compare Manx beg, Scottish Gaelic beag), from Proto-Celtic *bikkos ‎(“small”) (compare Breton bic’han and Welsh bach, bychan).

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /bʲɔɡ/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /bʲɞɡ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /bʲɛɡ/

Adjective

beag ‎(genitive singular masculine big, genitive singular feminine bige, plural beaga, comparative lú)

1. small, little
   1. (size, amount, extent, degree)
   2. junior, lesser, minor
   3. (hypocoristic)
   4. (deprecatory)
   5. (of late, recent, time)
2. few (often with a singular noun in Irish)

   Is beag áit is deise.‎ ― There are few places that are nicer.

   le blianta beaga anuas‎ ― for the past few years

Declension

Derived terms

Noun

beag m ‎(genitive singular big, nominative plural beaganna)

1. little; small amount
2. (with copula) few

Declension

Mutation

References

• "beag" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• “bec” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Old English

Alternative forms

• beah

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *baugaz ‎(“ring”), from the stem of *beuganą ‎(“to bend”) (from which būgan). Cognate with Old Norse baugr and Old High German bouc.

Noun

bēag m

1. a ring or bracelet

Declension

Derived terms

• healsbeag m ‎(“necklace”)

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish bec ‎(“small, little”) (compare Manx beg, Irish beag), from Proto-Celtic *bikkos ‎(“small”) (compare Breton bic’han and Welsh bach, bychan).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pek/

Adjective

beag ‎(comparative bige)

1. small, little, short, diminutive

   duine beag‎ ― a small man

   ùine bheag‎ ― a short time

2. disagreeable

   Is beag orm thu.‎ ― I hate you. (literally You are disagreeable to me.)

3. light, trifling, insignificant

   Is beag seo.‎ ― This is a trifling thing.

4. young

   na sionnaich bheaga‎ ― the young foxes

5. sordid, miserly, niggardly

   Is beag sin de Ghàidhlig.‎ ― That is a poor sort of Gaelic.

   Tha e fìor bheag 'n a nàdar.‎ ― He has a very niggardly disposition.

Declension

Synonyms

• mean
• meanbh
• mion

Derived terms

References

• Faclair Gàidhlig Dwelly Air Loidhne, Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, ISBN 0 901771 92 9
• A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language (John Grant, Edinburgh, 1925, Compiled by Malcolm MacLennan)
• “bec” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.