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Definition 2024


leth

leth

See also: leð, leþ, and leth-

Cornish

Noun

leth m

  1. milk

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *letos, perhaps cognate with Latin latus (side), or from Proto-Celtic *ɸletos.[1]

Celtic cognates include Welsh lled (breadth, width, half), Middle Breton let, led (large), and Cornish les.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /l͈ʲeθ/

Noun

leth n (genitive leith or lethe, nominative plural leth or lethe)

  1. half
  2. direction
  3. side

Declension

Especially in meaning "half":

Neuter o-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative lethN lethN lethL
Vocative lethN lethN lethL
Accusative lethN lethN lethL
Genitive leithL leth lethN
Dative leuthL lethaib lethaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization

Especially in meaning "side":

Neuter s-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative lethN letheN, leitheN letheL, leitheL
Vocative lethN letheN, leitheN letheL, leitheL
Accusative lethN letheN, leitheN letheL, leitheL
Genitive letheH, leitheH letheN, leitheN letheN, leitheN
Dative leithL lethib, leithib lethib, leithib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Nasalization
leth
also lleth after a proclitic
leth
pronounced with /l(ʲ)-/
leth
also lleth after a proclitic
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

  1. Matasović, Ranko (2009), “*letos”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-17336-1, pages 238-239
  • leth” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Old Saxon

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *laiþa-, from Proto-Indo-European *aleit-.

Noun

lēth n

  1. an evil person or thing

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish leth, from Proto-Celtic *letos, perhaps cognate with Latin latus (side), or from Proto-Celtic *ɸletos.[1]

Celtic cognates include Welsh lled (breadth, width, half), Middle Breton let, led (large), and Cornish les.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ʎeh], /ʎe/

Numeral

leth

  1. half

Derived terms

Related terms

References

  1. Matasović, Ranko (2009), “*letos”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-17336-1, pages 238-239
  • Faclair Gàidhlig Dwelly Air Loidhne, Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, ISBN 0 901771 92 9
  • leth” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.