leithleach

Irish

Alternative forms

leithileach, leithleachasach, leithleachasúil, leithleasach, leithleastach, leithliseach, leithreach, leithreachaiseach, leithreachasach^[1]

Etymology

As an adjective, apparently a back-formation from leithleachas (“separation”), from a noun *leithleach attested only in the dative in Classical Gaelic ag leithligh, do leithligh and modern Irish ar leithligh (“apart, aside”), from leath (“side”).^[2]

Adjective

leithleach (genitive singular masculine leithligh, genitive singular feminine leithlí, plural leithleacha, comparative leithlí)

selfish, egocentric, egotistical
(law) several (capable of being treated separately)
i gcomhpháirt agus go leithleach ― jointly and severally
peculiar (not shared or possessed by others)
distinct (different from one another), apart
standoffish

Declension

Declension of *leithleach*
	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	leithleach	leithleach	leithleacha
vocative	leithligh	leithleach	leithleacha
genitive	leithligh	leithlí	leithleacha	leithleach
dative	leithleach	leithleach; leithligh (archaic)	leithleacha
Comparative	níos leithlí
Superlative	is leithlí

Synonyms

(selfish, egocentric): féineach, féinlárnach, féinspéiseach
(distinct): éagsúil, difriúil
(peculiar): ar leith
(standoffish): coimhthíoch

References

^ “leithleach”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
^ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “leithlig”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language