màthair

See also: Màthair and máthair

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish máthir, from Proto-Celtic *mātīr, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr.

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /ˈmaːhəɾʲ/
• (parts of Argyll & Bute) IPA^(key): /ˈmeːɾʲ/

Noun

màthair f (genitive singular màthar, plural màthraichean)

1. mother

   Tha gaol agam air mo mhàthair. ― I love my mother.

2. dam (of a beast)
3. cause, source

Derived terms

• an leanabh a dh'fhàgar dha fhèin, cuiridh e a mhàthair gu nàire (“the child who is left by himself, he shall bring his mother to shame”)
• àrd-mhàthair (“matriarch”)
• bràthair-màthar (“maternal uncle”)
• leas-mhàthair (“stepmother”)
• màthair-altraim f (“nurse”)
• màthair-bhaiste (“godmother”)
• màthair-chèile (“mother-in-law”)
• piuthar-màthar (“maternal aunt”)
• taobh màthar (“maternal”) (genealogical)

 

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
màthair	mhàthair
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.