lios

See also: Lios and líos

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish les (“the space about a dwelling-house or houses enclosed by a bank or rampart”). Cognate with Welsh llys and Breton lez.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l̠ʲɪsˠ/, /l̠ʲʊsˠ/

Noun

lios m (genitive singular leasa, nominative plural liosanna)

1. enclosed ground of (ancient) dwelling-house; enclosed space, garth
2. ringfort
3. fairy mound
4. ring, halo

Declension

Declension of lios (third declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative lios liosanna vocative a lios a liosanna genitive leasa liosanna dative lios liosanna forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an lios na liosanna genitive an leasa na liosanna dative leis an lios don lios leis na liosanna

Derived terms

• Lios na gCearrbhach (“Lisburn”)
• liosachán (“fairy fort, fairy mound”)
• urlios (“forecourt, front enclosure”)

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “lios”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “lios”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “lios”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 les”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• (Lewis, Wester Ross) IPA^(key): /ʎɛs̪/

Noun

lios f or m (genitive singular lise or liosa, plural liosan)

1. garden

   lios luibhean ― a garden for herbs

   lios-àraich ― a (plant) nursery

   lios-olaidh ― an olive garden

2. longing in pregnancy
3. dispute, debate, strife
4. house, habitation
5. palace
6. fortified place
7. enclosure or stall for cattle
8. cornyard near a house
9. court

   lios rìoghail ― a royal court

   lios ìosal ― a low court