mí-
Irish
Etymology
From Old Irish mí- (compare Scottish Gaelic mì-), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to change”). Cognate with English mis-, Latin minus (“lesser”), Ancient Greek μείων (meíōn, “less”).
Prefix
mí-
Usage notes
- Does not change form for broad or slender nouns;
- Triggers lenition when attached to a noun or adjective beginning with a consonant:
- mí- + ceart (“right, correct”) → mícheart (“incorrect, wrong”)
- mí- + cothrom (“equal; balanced; level”) → míchothrom (“uneven”)
- Written with a hyphen when attached to nouns or adjectives beginning with a vowel:
Synonyms
Derived terms
Mutation
| Irish mutation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Radical | Lenition | Eclipsis |
| mí- | mhí- | not applicable |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | ||
References
- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “mí-”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
- MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “mí-”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language[1], Stirling, →ISBN
- Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “mí-”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Old Irish
Etymology
Possibly from mis (“less”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mei- (“to change”).
Prefix
mí-
- (derogatory) evil, ill, sinister
- Synonym: do-
Descendants
Mutation
| Old Irish mutation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Radical | Lenition | Nasalization |
| mí- also mmí- after a proclitic ending in a vowel |
mí- pronounced with /β̃(ʲ)-/ |
unchanged |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | ||
References
- Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “mí-”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language