líath

See also: liath

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *ɸlētos (compare Welsh llwyd, Cornish loys, Breton loued), from Proto-Indo-European *pelH- (“grey”) (compare English fallow).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l͈ʲiːa̯θ/

Adjective

líath

1. grey
2. grey-haired

Inflection

o/ā-stem
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	líath	líath	líath
Vocative	léith* líath**
Accusative	líath	léith
Genitive	léith	léithe	léith
Dative	líath	léith	líath
Plural	Masculine	Feminine/neuter
Nominative	léith	líatha
Vocative	líathu líatha†
Accusative	líathu líatha†
Genitive	líath
Dative	líathaib
Notes	*modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative **modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative † not when substantivized

Derived terms

• lías
• líathaid

Descendants

• Irish: liath
• Manx: lheeah
• Scottish Gaelic: liath

Noun

líath m

1. (chiefly in the plural) old man, veteran

Inflection

Masculine o-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	—	—	léithL
Vocative	—	—	líathuH
Accusative	—	—	líathuH
Genitive	—	—	líathN
Dative	—	—	líathaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Mutation

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

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “líath”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language