Old Irish

Alternative forms

• muc

Noun

mucc f ‎(genitive muicce, nominative plural mucca)

1. pig, sow
2. a war engine: a shed to cover sappers

Declension

Quotations

• 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. 47^b1

  mucc glosses sus

• c. 1160, The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig, sections 5–6:

  Marbthair dóib dana in mucc Mic Dathó. Tri fichit gamnach co a biathad saide co cend secht m-bliadan. Tri neim imorro no bíata, co ro lathea ár fer n-hErenn impi. Tucad dóib iarum in mucc ocus xl dam dia tarsnu cen **** in biad ar chena. Mac Dathó fessin icond ḟerdaigsecht. “Mo chen duib,” ar se, “ni dabar samail rissin ataat aige ocus mucca la Laigniu. Atesta desin mairfider dúib imbárach.” “Is maith in mucc,” ar Conchobar. “Is maith imorro”, ar Ailill. “Cinnas rainnfither in mucc a Chonchobair?” ar Ailill.

  Now Mac Dathó’s pig was slaughtered for them. For seven years sixty milch cows supplied its food. On poison however it had been nourished and the massacre of the men of Erin took place through it. Now the pig was brought to them, and forty oxen as a relish, and other food as well. Mac Dathó himself was acting as steward. “Welcome to you,” said he; “the equal to this cannot be found. Bullocks and pigs are not lacking in Leinster. Whatever is lacking now will be slaughtered for you tomorrow.” “The pig is good,” said Conchobar. “It is indeed good,” said Ailill. “How shall the pig be divided, Conchobar?” (source of translation)

Descendants

• Irish: muc
• Manx: muc
• Scottish Gaelic: muc

Derived terms

Mutation

References

• “muc(c)” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.