méin

See also: mein and Mein

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mʲeːnʲ/

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish méin (“bent, disposition, temperament; nature, quality”).

Noun

méin f (genitive singular méine)

1. mind, disposition
2. mien, bearing

Declension

Declension of méin (second declension, no plural)

bare forms case singular nominative méin vocative a mhéin genitive méine dative méin forms with the definite article case singular nominative an mhéin genitive na méine dative leis an méin don mhéin

Derived terms

• dea-mhéin (“goodwill, benevolence”)
• méiniúil (“well-disposed, kind, friendly; fruitful, fertile”, adjective)

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 méin (‘disposition’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “méinn”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 478
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “méin”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

méin

1. (archaic, dialectal) dative singular of mian

Mutation

Mutated forms of méin

radical	lenition	eclipsis
méin	mhéin	not applicable

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

Middle Irish

Etymology

Probably the same word as Old Irish méin (“mineral”); the original nominative singular may have been mían.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mʲeːnʲ/

Noun

méin f

1. bent, disposition, temperament; nature, quality

Descendants

• Irish: méin

Further reading

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

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʲeːnʲ]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *meinis.

Noun

méin f (genitive míana)

1. (mining) mineral, ore; metal

Inflection

Feminine i-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	méin	méinL	méiniH
Vocative	méin	méinL	méiniH
Accusative	méinN	méinL	méiniH
Genitive	míanoH, míanaH	míanoH, míanaH	méineN
Dative	méinL	méinib	méinib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Middle Irish: méin
  • Irish: méin
• Middle Irish: mían, méin
  • Manx: meain
  • Scottish Gaelic: mèinn

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

méin n or m

1. genitive singular of mían (“desire, inclination”)

Mutation

Mutation of méin

radical	lenition	nasalization
méin also mméin after a proclitic ending in a vowel	méin pronounced with /β̃(ʲ)-/	unchanged

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

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 méin (‘mineral, ore’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language