scéal

See also: sceal

Irish

Alternative forms

sgéal
sgeul (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish scél (compare Scottish Gaelic sgeul, Manx skeeal), from Proto-Celtic *skʷetlom (compare Welsh chwedl, a loanword from Proto-Goidelic), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to say”).

Pronunciation

(Munster) IPA^(key): /ʃcialˠ/
(Connacht, Ulster) IPA^(key): /ʃceːlˠ/

Noun

scéal m (genitive singular scéil, nominative plural scéalta or scéala)

story, tale
Is scéal fada é. ― It's a long story.

Sin scéal eile. ― That's another story.
piece of news, piece of information, report

Declension

In the sense ‘story, tale’:

Declension of scéal

First declension

Bare forms:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	scéal	scéalta
Vocative	a scéil	a scéalta
Genitive	scéil	scéalta
Dative	scéal	scéalta

Forms with the definite article:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an scéal	na scéalta
Genitive	an scéil	na scéalta
Dative	leis an scéal don scéal	leis na scéalta

In the sense ‘piece of news/information’:

Declension of scéal

First declension

Bare forms:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	scéal	scéala
Vocative	a scéil	a scéala
Genitive	scéil	scéal
Dative	scéal	scéala

Forms with the definite article:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an scéal	na scéala
Genitive	an scéil	na scéal
Dative	leis an scéal don scéal	leis na scéala

The plural scéala (“news”) can also be perceived as a singular mass noun and is so treated by Ó Dónaill’s dictionary.

Derived terms

cad é scéal agat? (“how are things?”)
fabhalscéal (“fable, legendary story”)
fo-scéal (“minor tale; minor matter”)
leithscéal (“excuse; apology”)
scéalach (“news-bearing, gossiping”, adjective)
scéalaí (“storyteller; bearer of news, messenger”)
scéal áibhéalach (“tall tale”)
scéalaigh (“relate”)
scéal bleachtaireachta, scéal lorgaireachta (“detective story”)
scéal grá (“love story”)
scéal ridireachta (“tale of chivalry, romance”)
scéal rúin (“secret”)
scéal scéil (“hearsay”)

Related terms

scéalaíocht (“story-telling; talebearing; gossip”)

References

"scéal" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.

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