'Wolf' as gaeilge

HoteiMarkii

I'm just working on a project at the moment, and was wondering what would be the most commonly used word as Gaeilge for a wolf?

To be exact, I'd love to know what one would call a 'wolf sanctuary' or a 'wolf refuge'?

Would either 'Tearmann faolchú' nó 'Tearmann mactíre' suffice?

Thanks in advance.

Esel

Mac tíre is two words.

Would it be more correct to say Tearmann mhic tíre? (I'm unsure of this).

HoteiMarkii

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468087#Comment_121468087

Yeah, Tearmann mhic tíre may very well be correct. I'm a little unsure myself, to be honest.

Thank you.

StevenToast

Madra dubh

Furze99

Mada seems to have used in the past to distinguish from madra. Mada used for a domesticated dog while madra covered foxes and wolves.

Insect Overlord

Tearmann na Mac Tíre would be my suggestion, as the plural ("mic") is usually considered a "weak" plural (lagiolra) and reverts to its singular spelling in the genitive case. (The same thing happens with mic léinn for things like Students' Union/Aontas na Mac Léinn)

Tearmann na bhFaolchon would also be nice.

HoteiMarkii

Thanks to all for your help.

Madra Dubh has rather sinister sounding connotations. I do love them as a species, but our forefathers demonised them leading to their ultimate demise on the island.

I'm leaning more towards Tearmann na Mac Tíre. It rolls off the tongue rather nicely!

I'm open to other suggestions of course.

Thanks once again to all for your contributions.

deirdremf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468314#Comment_121468314

I'm not so sure about that.

It seems to be more a dialect thing, with mada or madadh used in Connacht and Ulster, and madra used in Munster.

That said, there is a question as to whether madra originally might have been a collective noun for a pack of hounds - or wolves, as with other words (gasra, macra, marcra etc).