irish
n. uncountablen. the people who come from Ireland or the language they speak there.
n. the Celtic language of Ireland or the collective people of Irish nationality. When referring to the people, it functions as a collective plural noun.
The Irish are known for their warm hospitality.
While many people in the country speak English, the Irish are proud of their native language.
The Irish have maintained a distinct cultural identity through centuries of migration, influencing music, literature, and politics across the globe.
From Middle English Irish (12th c.), from Old English Īrisċ, from Old English Īras (“Irishmen”), from Old Norse Írar, from Old Irish Ériu (modern Irish Éire (“Ireland”)), further origin heavily debated but probably from Proto-Celtic Φīweriyū (“fat land, fertile”), from Proto-Indo-European péyh₂wr̥ (“fat, swelling”), from peyh₂- (“to swell; to be fat”), akin to Ancient Greek πίειρα (píeira, “fertile land”), Sanskrit पीवरी (pīvarī, “fat”).
When referring to the people, it is used with the definite article 'the' and a plural verb. When referring to the language, it is uncountable and used without an article.
He is an Irish.He is Irish.When describing one person's nationality, use the adjective 'Irish' or the phrase 'an Irish person' rather than the noun.