aithne

See also: Aithne

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈɑhənʲə/, /ˈahənʲə/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈæn̠ʲə/, /ˈænʲə/, (Cois Fharraige) [ˈæːnʲə]
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈehnʲə/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish aithgne (“knowing, recognition”).

Noun

aithne f (genitive singular aithne)

1. acquaintance, acquaintanceship (with ar plus the person or thing one is acquainted with)
   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect], volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 24:

     tā æńə agm̥ əŕ.

     [Tá aithne agam air.]

     I know him; I am acquainted with him.

2. recognition; act of recognizing
3. knowledge
4. (characteristic or distinguishing) appearance
5. alternative form of aithint: verbal noun of aithin

Declension

Declension of aithne (fourth declension, no plural)

bare forms singular nominative aithne vocative a aithne genitive aithne dative aithne forms with the definite article singular nominative an aithne genitive na haithne dative leis an aithne don aithne

Derived terms

• anaithne f (“obscurity, lack of recognition”)
• athaithne f (“renewal of acquaintance”)
• dea-aithne f (“good acquaintanceship”)
• féinaithne f (“self-knowledge”)
• mearaithne f (“passing acquaintance”)
• súilaithne f (“acquaintance based on sight”)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish aithne (“act of entrusting, commanding”).

Noun

aithne f (genitive singular aithne, nominative plural aitheanta)

1. commandment, precept

Declension

Declension of aithne (fourth declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative aithne aitheanta vocative a aithne a aitheanta genitive aithne aitheanta dative aithne aitheanta forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an aithne na haitheanta genitive na haithne na n-aitheanta dative leis an aithne don aithne leis na haitheanta

Mutation

Mutated forms of aithne

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
aithne	n-aithne	haithne	not applicable

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

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “aithne”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904), “aiṫne”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 22
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “aithne”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “aithne”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026

Old Irish

FWOTD – 25 July 2015

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaθʲ.nʲe/

Noun

aithne n

1. verbal noun of ad·noí
2. an act of entrusting, handing over; the thing entrusted
   • c. 845, St Gall Glosses on Priscian, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1975, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. II, pp. 49–224, Sg. 66^a26

     a n-aithne glosses depositum

3. an act of commanding; a command, order
4. (biblical) a commandment, a Commandment

Inflection

Neuter io-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	aithneN	aithneL	aithneL
vocative	aithneN	aithneL	aithneL
accusative	aithneN	aithneL	aithneL
genitive	aithniL	aithneL	aithneN
dative	aithniuL	aithnib	aithnib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

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

Descendants

• Middle Irish: aithne (“entrusting, command”)
  • Irish: aithne (“command, commandment”)
  • Scottish Gaelic: àithne (“command, commandment”)
  • Manx: anney (“command”)

Mutation

Mutation of aithne

radical	lenition	nasalization
aithne (pronounced with /h/ in h-prothesis environments)	aithne	n-aithne

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

Further reading

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

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish aithgne (“knowing, recognition”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaɲə/

Noun

aithne f (genitive singular aithne)

1. knowledge, discernment, acquaintance

Derived terms

• aithneachadh (“identification”)
• cairt-aithne (“ID card”)
• dearbh-aithne (“identity”)
• fèin-aithne (“sense of identity”)
• is aithne do (“know”, verb)
• roimh-aithne f (“foreknowledge, precognition”)

Mutation

Mutation of aithne

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
aithne	n-aithne	h-aithne	t-aithne

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911), “aithne”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 aithne ("knowing")”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language