bean

sf Woman, female. 2 Wife.
Thus declined, Indefinite.

	Sing.	Plur.
Nom.	bean	mnathan & mnai
Gen.	mnà	bhan
Dat.	mnaoi	mnathaibh
Voc.	a bhean!	a mhnathan!

Definite:

	Sing.	Plur.
Nom.	a' bhean	na mnathan
Gen.	na mnà	nam ban
Dat.	don mhnaoi	(do) na mhnathaibh, ris na mnathaibh

Bean a ghaoil, the wife of his affection; goirear bean dhith, she shall be called woman; bean nan deagh bheus, a virtuous woman; air a bhreith le mnaoi, born of a woman; mar mhnaoi, as a wife; bean a' bhaile, the tenant or proprietrix of a place; bean an taighe, the landlady or goodwife; bithidh taobh an teine aig caraid bean an taighe, the goodwife's friend will be near the fire; bithidh caraid bean an taighe an uachdar an taighe, the goodwife's friend will be over the house. The last two sayings do not necessarily mean that the good-wife will be nasty to her husband's friends, but merely that her own friends will naturally feel more at home in the house. When addressing one's mother in Gaelic, the expression “a bhean” (woman) is used and not “a mhàthair”.

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