irische

Irische is an attributive form of the German adjective irisch, used to describe things connected with Ireland or the Irish people, language, culture, and related subjects. In standard German it appears before feminine singular nouns, as in die irische Sprache or die irische Kultur. With plural nouns, especially when preceded by a definite article or a determiner, the ending changes to -en, as in die irischen Inseln or die irischen Traditionen. The exact ending of irisch varies with case, gender, and article, following ordinary German adjective declension rules.

In addition to its descriptive use, irische can appear as part of a nominalized form. Das Irische, capitalized, is used when the adjective is functioning as a noun to denote the Irish language or a field of study related to Ireland. In contexts where it remains an ordinary adjective, it is written irische (lowercase).

Etymology and usage context: Irische derives from Ireland (Irland) and the adjective irisch. It is commonly employed in linguistic, cultural, historical, and geographic discussions about Ireland, its language, and its people. It is distinct from the country name Irland and from specific fixed expressions such as geographical names that may be treated as proper nouns.

See also: Irisch, Irland, Gaelic languages, Irish culture, Irish language.