Alamh

Alamh is a term in the Irish language that appears primarily in historical and literary contexts. In antiquarian and poetic texts, alamh is treated as a noun associated with death and burial, often referring to the grave itself or to the concept of death. Modern Irish usage is rare, and the word is typically encountered in older manuscripts, scholarly editions, or in place names derived from historical forms.

Although the precise origin of alamh is uncertain, scholars have proposed connections to early Irish vocabulary related to darkness, burial, or death, but there is no consensus. The word is generally described as archaic or poetical rather than a part of everyday speech.

Attestations include medieval poetry, genealogical tracts, and hagiographic writings, as well as toponyms that preserve the element alamh, often signaling sites associated with graves or sacred memory. In literary contexts, alamh can convey solemnity, finality, and remembrance of the dead.

Related terms in the Irish lexicon include uaigh, meaning grave or tomb, and bas, meaning death. For further reading, scholars consult dictionaries of Old and Middle Irish and studies of Gaelic toponymy.