English

Proper noun

Taoiseach

1. Head of the Irish government, comparable to a UK or Australian Prime Minister.
2. Title of the person holding that office.

Usage notes

• As a title the word should always be capitalised.
• When describing the political position, the word is sometimes capitalised but lower case is typically used.

See also

• taoiseach

References

• “Taoiseach” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2^nd Ed.; 1989]

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish toísech ‎(“leader”), from Primitive Irish ᚈᚑᚃᚔᚄᚐᚉᚔ ‎(tovisaci, genitive), from Proto-Celtic *towissākos ‎(“leader”) (compare Welsh tywysog ‎(“prince”)), from either Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- ‎(“lead”) or *weid- ‎(“know, see”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): [ˈt̪ˠiːʃəx]
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): [ˈt̪ˠiːʃax], [ˈt̪ˠiːʃah]

Noun

Taoiseach m ‎(genitive singular Taoisigh, nominative plural Taoisigh)

1. Head of the Irish government, comparable to a UK or Australian Prime Minister.
2. Title of the person holding that office.

Declension

Mutation

English

Noun

taoiseach ‎(plural taoiseachs or taoisigh)

1. Head of the Irish government, comparable to a UK or Australian Prime Minister.

Usage notes

• In English, when used as a title the word should always be capitalised.
• When describing the political position, the word is sometimes capitalised but lower case is typically used.

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish toísech ‎(“leader”), from Primitive Irish ᚈᚑᚃᚔᚄᚐᚉᚔ ‎(tovisaci, genitive), from Proto-Celtic *towissākos ‎(“leader”) (compare Welsh tywysog ‎(“prince”)), from either Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- ‎(“lead”) or *weyd- ‎(“know, see”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): [ˈt̪ˠiːʃəx]
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): [ˈt̪ˠiːʃax], [ˈt̪ˠiːʃah]

Noun

taoiseach m ‎(genitive singular taoisigh, nominative plural taoisigh)

1. chieftain, leader
2. Taoiseach, prime minister

Declension

Mutation

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