luath

See also: lúath and luath-

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish lúath.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /l̪ˠuəh/
• (Connacht, Ulster) IPA^(key): /l̪ˠuə/

Adjective

luath (genitive singular masculine luaith, genitive singular feminine luaithe, plural luatha, comparative luaithe or luathcha)

1. quick, fast
2. early, soon

Declension

Declension of luath

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	luath	luath	luatha
Vocative	luaith		luatha
Genitive		luaithe	luatha	luath
Dative	luath	luath; luaith (archaic)	luatha
Comparative	níos luaithe
Superlative	is luaithe

• Alternative comparative form: luathcha (Cois Fharraige)

Synonyms

• (quick, fast): sciobtha

Derived terms

• luath-
• luathaigh
• mórluath

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “luath”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 59
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 50

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l̪ˠuə/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish lúath.

Adjective

luath (comparative luaithe)

1. fast, swift, fleet, nimble, quick, speedy

   each luath ― a fleet horse

2. early, soon
   • 1987 July 1, Joe Neil MacNeil, John Shaw, Tales Until Dawn: The World of a Cape Breton Gaelic Story-Teller, McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, →ISBN, page 276:

     Agus cha bu luaithe a chuir esan an t-eun anns an eunain òrach na thànaig sgriach as an eun a bha oillteil agus dhùisg a h-uile duine a bh' as a' chairteal […]

     And no sooner had he put the bird in the golden birdhouse than came a screech from the bird that was horrible and woke up everyone in the quarter […]

Derived terms

• cho luath sa ghabhas
• luath no mall
• bàta-luath

Etymology 2

From Old Irish lúaith (“ashes, dust”), from Proto-Celtic *loutus. Cognate with Welsh lludw.

Noun

luath f (genitive singular luaithe or luatha, no plural)

1. ash (from fire)

   luath bholcàno ― volcanic ash

Synonyms

• luaithre