Curragh
/ˈkʌr.ə/noun
An Irish coracle or light boat made of a wicker frame covered with hide or canvas; by extension, a marshy plain in Irish place names.
Did you know?Curragh is ultimately connected to Irish place names for flat, marshy ground, showing how a word for land could drift into naming a boat built to move across water.
Etymological Timeline
Old Irish
OIr
curach
“A boat of hide or wicker construction; also a marshy place-name element.”
Middle Irish
MIr
curach
“A light boat, especially one covered with hides.”
Late Middle Ages
English
curragh
“An Irish boat or coracle, especially one used in Ireland.”
Modern English
English
curragh
“A traditional Irish coracle or light hide-covered boat.”