cúig

From Old Irish cóic, from Proto-Celtic *kʷenkʷe, from Proto-Indo-European *pénkʷe.

• IPA^(key): /kuːɟ/

cúig

1. five

• May be used with nouns in both the singular and plural; the singular is more common in general, but the plural must be used with units of measurement and the like. Triggers lenition of nouns in the singular and no mutation of nouns in the plural:

• cúig chat ― five cats
• cúig troithe ― five feet
• cúig éin ― five birds

• When used with the definite article, the definite article is always in the plural. When used with adjectives, the adjective is also in the plural and is always lenited after nouns in the singular; after nouns in the plural, the adjective only lenites after slender consonants:

• cúig chapall bhána ― five white horses
• na cúig eaglais mhóra ― the five big churches

But:

• cúig capaill bhána ― five white horses
• na cúig eaglaisí móra ― the five big churches

• When referring to human beings, the personal form cúigear is used.