cé1, f. (gs. ~, pl. ~anna). Quay. Ceann ~, pier-head. (Var:m)
cé2, 1. interr. pron. (Used in direct & indirect questions) Who, whom. (a) (With relative clause) Cé a rinne é? Who did it? Cé a chonaic tú? Whom did you see? Cé atá ann? Who is there? Cé a bheadh ann ach Brian? Who should it be but Brian? Cé a casadh, a chasfaí orm, ach é féin? Who did, should, I meet but himself? Cé a dúirt tú? Whom did you say? Tá sé ann. Cé (atá)? He is there. Who? (b) (With demonstrative or personal pronoun; prefixes h to é, í, iad) Cé (hé)sin? Who is that? Cé (hé) seo agam ann? Who is this you are? Cé thusa? Cé thú féin? Who are you? Cé hé an fear seo? Who is this man? Cé hí an bhean eile? Who is the other woman? Cé hiad na strainséirí a bhí leat? Who are the strangers you had with you? Cé hé (hí, hiad) a labhair leat? Who is he (is she, are they) who spoke to you? (c) (With prepositional pronoun) Cé aige a bhfuil sé? Who has it? Cé air a raibh tú ag caint? Whom were you talking about? Cé ann a gcreidfimid? In whom shall we believe? Cé dó ar thug tú é? To whom did you give it? Cé dó é? For whom is it? Cé faoi a bhfuil siad ag magadh? Whom are they mocking? Cé leis an leabhar? Whose is the book? Cé leis (an) imirt? Whose turn is it to play? Cé uaidh an litir? From whom is the letter? Cé leis ar thóg tú é? With what did you lift it? Cé ann? In what? Cé uaidh? From what? (d) (Combines with copula to form cér, cérb, cérbh) Cér díobh é? Who are his people? What is his surname? Cér leis iad? Whose were they? Cér uaidh é? From whom was it? Cérbh é an fear sin? Who was that man? Cérbh í an bhean óg? Who was the young woman? Cérbh iad na cuairteoirí? Who were the visitors? Cérb iad? Who are they? Cér chás é (ach)? What matter (but)? 2. Interr. pron. (With article and noun, in reference to persons or things; combines with form an of article to form cén) What. Cén fear é? What man is he? Cé na himreoirí atá acu? What players have they? Cén lá den tseachtain é? What day of the week is it? Cén aois é? What age is he? Cén uair? At what time? When? Cén áit? At what place? Where? Cén fáth? For what reason? Why? Cén chaoi? Cén dóigh? In what way? How? Cén amaidí í! What nonsense! Cén bhéicíl atá ort? Why are you shouting? 3. Which. (a) (With prepositional pronouns againn, agaibh, acu) Cé againn is airde? Which of us is the taller? Cé agaibh a dúirt é? Which of you said it? Cé acu eisean? Which of them is he? (b) (Followed immediately by copula) Cé is sine é féin nó a dheartháir? Which is the older, he or his brother? Cé is glaise, duilliúr nó féar? Which is the greener, foliage or grass? Cé ab fhearr é ná a mhalairt? Was it any better than anything else? 4. Cé acu? Which? (a)Cé acu fear is sine? Which of them is the older man? Cé acu ceann is fearr leat? Which one do you prefer? Cé acu is daoire, feoil nó iasc? Which is dearer, meat or fish? Cé acu aonach nó margadh atá ann? Which is it, a fair or a market? (b) (Followed by prep. pron.) Cé acu againn is fearr leat? Which of us do you prefer? Cé acu agaibh a dúirt é? Which of you said it? 5. Cé acu, whether. (In indirect questions) Níl a fhios agam cé acu fear nó bean atá ann, I don’t know whether it is a man or a woman. Is cuma liom cé acu a bhí sé ann nó nach raibh, I don’t care whether he was there or not. 6. Adv. Cé chomh? Cé mar? How? Cé chomh mór leis? How big is he? Cé mar a thaitin sé leat? How did you like it? 7. Cé rud = céard. 8. Cé (ar)bith = cibé. S.a. cibé 3 (a).
cé3, conj. 1. Although. Cé go, nach, bhfeicim iad, although I see, do not see, them. Cé gur, nár, creideadh mé, although I was, was not, believed. Cé gur láidir é, strong as he is. Cé beag sin, little as that may be. Cé mór mo mheas air, much as I admire him. Ach cé, even though. 2. (In phrase) Cé is moite (de), except (for). Cé is moite díom féin, except for myself. Cé is moite de labhairt leis, except to speak to him. Cé is moite gur bheannaigh sé dom, except that he saluted me. 3. (In phrases) Cé nach, cé nár. Cé nár imigh tú fós? Have you not gone away yet? Cé nach bhfuil a fhios sin agat! Surely you know that!
cé4, a3. Lit: This. Ar bith cé, in this world. An chruinne ché, this universe. Glóir dhíomuan an domhain ché, the transient glory of this earth.