gille

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gille

1. (archaic) singular present subjunctive of gillen

From Middle Irish gilla; compare English child, Old English ċild. Zimmer thinks it is borrowed from Old Norse gildr (“stout, brawny, of full worth”); compare English guild, Old English gild (“payment”) (see geall), gilda (“fellow”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʲiʎə/

gille m (genitive singular gille, plural gillean)

1. (dated) servant, follower
2. boy, lad, youth (male aged from the toddler years to about the middle twenties)
3. man, boy (as a familiar address for a male of any age)

• The regular vocative a ghille is often, even in writing, shortened to 'ille.

• balach
• laochan (especially in vocative)

• balachan (“little boy”)
• balachan-sgoile (“schoolboy”)
• brogach (“sturdy little boy”)
• proitseach (“stripling”)