chomh

Irish

Alternative forms

• comh, cómh, chómh

Etymology

From Middle Irish com- (equative prefix), from Old Irish com-. Cognate with Scottish Gaelic cho and Welsh cyn (“before”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /xoː/, /xo/, /xɔ/
• (Galway) IPA^(key): /xoː/, /xo/
• (Mayo) IPA^(key): /xʊ/, /xɑː/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /koː/ (corresponding to alternative form cómh)

Adverb

chomh (triggers h-prothesis)

1. as (followed by le before a noun phrase and agus or is before a clause)

   Bhí a gúna chomh geal le sneachta.

   Her gown was as white as snow.

   D’fhreagair mé chomh fírinneach agus a tháinig liom

   I answered as truthfully as I could.

2. so

   Níl sé chomh láidir sin.

   He is not so strong.

3. how

   Chomh hard leis!

   How tall he is!

Derived terms

• chomh luath agus (“as soon as”)
• chomh luath agus is féidir (“as soon as possible”)
• chomh maith (“also, as well”)

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 com-”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “cóṁ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 171