liath

See also: líath

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish líath, from Proto-Celtic *ɸleitos (compare Welsh llwyd, Cornish loys, Breton loued), from Proto-Indo-European *pelH- (“grey”) (compare English fallow).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /lʲiəh/
• (Connacht, Ulster) IPA^(key): /l̠ʲiə/
• Homophone: lia (Connacht, Ulster)

Adjective

liath (genitive singular masculine léith, genitive singular feminine léithe, plural liatha, comparative léithe)

1. grey
2. light blue
3. grey-haired

   Is minic duine liath lúfar. (proverb)

   Grey hairs need not signify old age.

4. (nominalized, masculine) grey (colour)
5. (nominalized, masculine) grey-haired person; grey horse
6. (nominalized, feminine) grey cow

Declension

Declension of liath

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	liath	liath	liatha
vocative	léith		liatha
genitive		léithe	liatha	liath
dative	liath	liath; léith (archaic)	liatha
Comparative	níos léithe
Superlative	is léithe

Derived terms

• arán liath (“mouldy bread”)
• bainne liath (“watery milk”)
• béar liath (“grizzly bear”)
• caróg liath (“hooded crow”)
• ceannliath
• cromán liath
• dúliath
• léithe (“grayness”)
• líne liath
• manach liath (“Cistercian monk”)
• Na Clocha Liatha (“Greystones”)
• scothliath
• sioc liath (“hoar-frost”)
• véarsa liath (“stray verse”)

 

Verb

liath (present analytic liathann, future analytic liathfaidh, verbal noun liathadh, past participle liata)

1. (intransitive) turn grey; become faded
2. (transitive) give someone grey hairs, wear someone out; colour water, tea (with milk)

Conjugation

conjugation of liath (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	liathaim	liathann tú; liathair†	liathann sé, sí	liathaimid	liathann sibh	liathann siad; liathaid†	a liathann; a liathas	liatar
	past	liath mé; liathas	liath tú; liathais	liath sé, sí	liathamar; liath muid	liath sibh; liathabhair	liath siad; liathadar	a liath / ar liath*	liathadh
	past habitual	liathainn	liatá	liathadh sé, sí	liathaimis; liathadh muid	liathadh sibh	liathaidís; liathadh siad	a liathadh / a liathadh*	liataí
future		liathfaidh mé; liathfad	liathfaidh tú; liathfair†	liathfaidh sé, sí	liathfaimid; liathfaidh muid	liathfaidh sibh	liathfaidh siad; liathfaid†	a liathfaidh; a liathfas	liathfar
conditional		liathfainn	liathfá	liathfadh sé, sí	liathfaimis; liathfadh muid	liathfadh sibh	liathfaidís; liathfadh siad	a liathfadh / a liathfadh*	liathfaí
subjunctive	present	go liatha mé; go liathad†	go liatha tú; go liathair†	go liatha sé, sí	go liathaimid; go liatha muid	go liatha sibh	go liatha siad; go liathaid†	—	go liatar
	past	dá liathainn	dá liatá	dá liathadh sé, sí	dá liathaimis; dá liathadh muid	dá liathadh sibh	dá liathaidís; dá liathadh siad	—	dá liataí
imperative		liathaim	liath	liathadh sé, sí	liathaimis	liathaigí; liathaidh†	liathaidís	—	liatar
verbal noun		liathadh
past participle		liata

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “liath”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish líath, from Proto-Celtic *ɸleitos, from Proto-Indo-European *pelH- (“grey”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʎiə/

Adjective

liath (comparative lèithe)

1. grey, grey-coloured
2. (hair color) grey-haired, grizzled, gray-headed
3. mouldy
4. lilac
5. pale
6. (dyeing) pale or bright blue

Derived terms

• aois-liath
• athair-liath
• boinne-liath
• breac-liath
• bric-liath
• buidh-liath
• càl liath-ghlas
• ceann-liath
• ceinn-liath
• clòimh-liath
• cluas-liath
• craobh-liath-ghorm
• dubh-liath
• eun-liath
• glas-liath
• gormag-liath
• lach-liath
• liath-bhàine
• liath-bhàn
• liath-bhrochan
• liath-bhuidhe
• liath-chluasach
• liath-chòrcra
• liath-ghorm
• liath-phurpur
• liath-reòthadh

 

See also

Colors in Scottish Gaelic · dathan (layout · text)

bàn, geal	glas	dubh
dearg; ruadh	orains; donn	buidhe; donn
uaine	uaine	gorm
liath; glas	liath	gorm
purpaidh; guirmean	pinc; purpaidh	pinc

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “liath”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “líath”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language