dóthain

Irish

Alternative forms

• daochaint, daothain, dóchain, dóchaint, dóithin

Etymology

From Middle Irish doíthin.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠoːhənʲ/
• (Galway) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠoːnʲ/, /ˈd̪ˠuːnʲ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠɔhənʲ/

Noun

dóthain f or m (genitive singular dóthain or dóthana)

1. enough, sufficiency

   Tá mo dhóthain agam. ― I have enough.

   An bhfuil do dhóthain bainne ann? ― Is there enough milk for you?

Usage notes

This noun is generally modified by a possessive determiner indicating the person who the sufficiency is for: mo dhóthain (“enough for me”), do dhóthain (“enough for you”), a dóthain (“enough for her”) etc., even when the “for me” etc. is not expressed in English.

The thing of which there is enough follows in the genitive:

• Tá a ndóthain ama acu anois. ― They have enough time now.

In certain idiomatic expressions, this noun can be modified by a number, but this number is not to be taken literally:

• Tá a dhá dhóthain le déanamh aige. ― He has his hands full. (literally, “He has his two sufficiencies to do.”)
• Tá a seacht ndóthain le rá acu. ― They talk far too much. (literally, “They have their seven sufficiencies to say.”)

Declension

Declension of dóthain (fourth declension, no plural)

bare forms case singular nominative dóthain vocative a dhóthain genitive dóthain dative dóthain forms with the definite article case singular nominative an dóthain genitive na dóthain dative leis an dóthain don dóthain

Variant declension

Declension of dóthain (third declension, no plural)

bare forms case singular nominative dóthain vocative a dhóthain genitive dóthana dative dóthain forms with the definite article case singular nominative an dóthain genitive an dóthana dative leis an dóthain don dóthain

Derived terms

• mórdhóthain (“more than enough”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of dóthain

radical	lenition	eclipsis
dóthain	dhóthain	ndóthain

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “dóthain”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “dóthain”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “dóthain”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “dóiṫin”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 255
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “dóṫain”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 258