líach

See also: liach

Old Irish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈl̠ʲiːa̯x/

Etymology 1

Noun

líach f

alternative form of líag (“spoon, ladle”)

Inflection

Feminine ā-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	líach^L	léig^L	líacha^H
vocative	líach^L	léig^L	líacha^H
accusative	léig^N	léig^L	líacha^H
genitive	léige^H	líach^L	líach^N
dative	léig^L	líachaib	líachaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

^H = triggers aspiration
^L = triggers lenition
^N = triggers nasalization

Etymology 2

Probably derived from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“illness”).^[1]

Adjective

líach

wretched
Synonyms: doinmech, mindech, trúag, trúagdae

Inflection

o/ā-stem
singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	líach	líach	líach
vocative	léig* líach**	líach
accusative	líach	léig
genitive	léig	léige	léig
dative	líach	léig	líach
plural	masculine	feminine/neuter
nominative	léig	líacha
vocative	líachu líacha†
accusative	líachu líacha†
genitive	líach
dative	líachaib

*modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative
**modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative
† not when substantivized

Mutation

Mutation of *líach*
radical	lenition	nasalization
líach also llíach in h-prothesis environments	líach pronounced with /lʲ-/	líach also llíach

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

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “λοιγός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 869

Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 líach ‘pitiful’”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 líach ‘spoon’”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “λοιγός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 869

[1]

Old Irish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Inflection

Etymology 2

Adjective

Inflection

Mutation

References

Further reading