scíth

Irish

Etymology

The adjectival sense “tired” is older. In the sense “rest” it replaced scís. From Old Irish scíth (“tired”). Cognate with Scottish Gaelic sgìth (“tired”) and Breton skuizh (“tired”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃciː/

Noun

scíth f (genitive singular scíthe, nominative plural scítheanna)

1. rest (relief afforded by sleeping)

   Synonyms: sos, scís, scíste

   Cuir do scíth díot./​Déan do scíth./​Lig do scíth./​Tóg do scíth. ― Rest yourself.

   Glac scíth. ― Take a rest.

   Thug sé scíth dá chuid capall. ― He rested his horses.

Declension

Declension of scíth (second declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative scíth scítheanna vocative a scíth a scítheanna genitive scíthe scítheanna dative scíth scítheanna forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an scíth na scítheanna genitive na scíthe na scítheanna dative leis an scíth don scíth leis na scítheanna

Derived terms

• lig do scíth
• scítheach

Adjective

scíth (genitive singular masculine scíth, genitive singular feminine scíthe, plural scíthe, comparative scíthe)

1. (literary) tired

   Synonyms: tuirseach, scítheach

2. (literary) dejected, disheartened, dispirited, sad

   Synonyms: atuirseach, ceanníseal

Declension

Declension of scíth

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	scíth	scíth	scíthe
vocative	scíth		scíthe
genitive		scíthe	scíthe	scíth
dative	scíth	scíth	scíthe
Comparative	níos scíthe
Superlative	is scíthe

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “scíth”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “scíth”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “scíṫ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 610
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “scíth”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “scíth”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025

Old Irish

Etymology

from Proto-Celtic *skītos, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)keh₁t- (“damage, harm”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sʲkʲiːθ/

Adjective

scíth

1. tired, weary
   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 103^b4

     .i. neph-saithrach .i. ní bad scith ón etir ocfarnditin·

     i.e. non-laborious, i.e. that is, it would not have been weary at all in protecting you.

2. wearisome (with copula and la (“to”))
   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 56^d15

     .i. is scith leu deicsin innafirián

     i.e. it is wearisome to them to see the righteous.

Inflection

o/ā-stem
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	scíth	scíth	scíth
Vocative	scíth
Accusative	scíth	scíth
Genitive	scíth	scíthe	scíth
Dative	scíth	scíth	scíth
Plural	Masculine	Feminine/neuter
Nominative	scíth	scítha
Vocative	scíthu scítha†
Accusative	scíthu scítha†
Genitive	scíth
Dative	scíthaib
Notes	† not when substantivized

Derived terms

• scís (“tiredness”)
• scíthaigidir (“to become tired”)

Descendants

• Middle Irish: scíth
  • Irish: scíth (“rest”)
  • Manx: skee
  • Scottish Gaelic: sgìth

Mutation

Mutation of scíth

radical	lenition	nasalization
scíth	scíth	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), “scíth”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Thurneysen, Rudolf (1940) D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, page 166; reprinted 2017