flaith

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish flaith, from Proto-Celtic *wlatis (“sovereignty”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fˠlˠah/, /fˠlˠa/

Noun

flaith f (genitive singular flaithe)

1. (literary) lordship, sovereignty

Declension

Declension of flaith

Second declension

Bare forms (no plural form of this noun) Case Singular Nominative flaith Vocative a fhlaith Genitive flaithe Dative flaith

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an fhlaith Genitive na flaithe Dative leis an bhflaith don fhlaith

Noun

flaith m (genitive singular flatha, nominative plural flatha)

1. ruler, prince; lord, chief

Declension

Declension of flaith

Third declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative flaith flatha Vocative a fhlaith a fhlatha Genitive flatha flatha Dative flaith flatha

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an flaith na flatha Genitive an fhlatha na bhflatha Dative leis an bhflaith don fhlaith leis na flatha

Alternative forms

• flaitheamh

Derived terms

• banfhlaith (“princess”)
• flaitheas
• flaithiúil (adjective)
• Órfhlaith

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
flaith	fhlaith	bhflaith
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “flaith”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 flaith”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “flaith”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “flaith”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

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Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *wlatis (“sovereignty”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /flaθʲ/

Noun

flaith f

1. lordship, sovereignty, rule
2. kingdom, realm (especially the Kingdom of Heaven)
3. prince, ruler

Inflection

Feminine i-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	flaith	flaithL	flathaiH
Vocative	flaith	flaithL	flathaiH
Accusative	flaithN	flaithL	flathaiH
Genitive	flathoH, flathaH	flathoH, flathaH	flathaeN
Dative	flaithL	flathaib	flathaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Related terms

• flaithem
• flaithemnacht
• flaithemnas
• flaithius

Descendants

• Irish: flaith
• Manx: flah
• Scottish Gaelic: flath

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
flaith	ḟlaith	flaith pronounced with /β(ʲ)-/
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 flaith”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language