maith

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish maith (compare Scottish Gaelic math and Manx mie), from Proto-Celtic *matis (compare Welsh and Breton mad, Cornish mas).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mˠa/, /mˠah/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /mˠaɪ/, /mˠaɪh/

Adjective

maith (genitive singular masculine maith, genitive singular feminine maithe, plural maithe, comparative fearr)

1. good

Usage notes

• Takes the adverbial construction go maith when used predicatively after a form of bí:

• Tá an anraith seo go maith. ― This soup is good.

Declension

Declension of maith

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	maith	mhaith	maithe; mhaithe²
Vocative	mhaith		maithe
Genitive		maithe	maithe	maith
Dative	maith; mhaith¹	mhaith	maithe; mhaithe²
Comparative	níos fearr
Superlative	is fearr

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Derived terms

• chomh maith
• go maith as
• go raibh maith agat/agaibh
• is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras
• is maith le
• lá breithe maith agat
• lá breithe maith agat
• maidin mhaith
• maith go leor
• maith thú

 

Noun

maith f (genitive singular maithe, nominative plural maithe)

1. good, goodness

Declension

Declension of maith

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative maith maithe Vocative a mhaith a mhaithe Genitive maithe maithe Dative maith maithe

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an mhaith na maithe Genitive na maithe na maithe Dative leis an maith don mhaith leis na maithe

Verb

maith (present analytic maitheann, future analytic maithfidh, verbal noun maitheamh, past participle maite)

1. forgive, pardon

Inflection

First Conjugation (A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	maithim	maitheann tú; maithir†	maitheann sé, sí	maithimid	maitheann sibh	maitheann siad; maithid†	a mhaitheann; a mhaitheas / a maitheann*; a maitheas*	maitear
	past	mhaith mé; mhaitheas	mhaith tú; mhaithis	mhaith sé, sí	mhaitheamar; mhaith muid	mhaith sibh; mhaitheabhair	mhaith siad; mhaitheadar	a mhaith / ar mhaith*	maitheadh
	past habitual	mhaithinn / maithinn‡‡	mhaiteá / maiteᇇ	mhaitheadh sé, sí / maitheadh sé, s퇇	mhaithimis; mhaitheadh muid / maithimis‡‡; maitheadh muid‡‡	mhaitheadh sibh / maitheadh sibh‡‡	mhaithidís; mhaitheadh siad / maithidís‡‡; maitheadh siad‡‡	a mhaitheadh / a maitheadh*	mhaití / mait퇇
	future	maithfidh mé; maithfead	maithfidh tú; maithfir†	maithfidh sé, sí	maithfimid; maithfidh muid	maithfidh sibh	maithfidh siad; maithfid†	a mhaithfidh; a mhaithfeas / a maithfidh*; a maithfeas*	maithfear
conditional		mhaithfinn / maithfinn‡‡	mhaithfeá / maithfeᇇ	mhaithfeadh sé, sí / maithfeadh sé, s퇇	mhaithfimis; mhaithfeadh muid / maithfimis‡‡; maithfeadh muid‡‡	mhaithfeadh sibh / maithfeadh sibh‡‡	mhaithfidís; mhaithfeadh siad / maithfidís‡‡; maithfeadh siad‡‡	a mhaithfeadh / a maithfeadh*	mhaithfí / maithf퇇
subjunctive	present	go maithe mé; go maithead†	go maithe tú; go maithir†	go maithe sé, sí	go maithimid; go maithe muid	go maithe sibh	go maithe siad; go maithid†	—	go maitear
	past	dá maithinn	dá maiteá	dá maitheadh sé, sí	dá maithimis; dá maitheadh muid	dá maitheadh sibh	dá maithidís; dá maitheadh siad	—	dá maití
imperative		maithim	maith	maitheadh sé, sí	maithimis	maithigí; maithidh†	maithidís	—	maitear
verbal noun		maitheamh
past participle		maite

* Indirect relative
† Archaic or dialect form
‡‡ Dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
maith	mhaith	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• "maith" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “maith”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

---

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [maθʲ]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *matis, from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂tis (“ripe, good”), from *meh₂- (“to ripen, to mature”). Cognate with Welsh mad and Gaulish mat.

Alternative forms

• maid

Adjective

maith (comparative ferr, superlative dech)

1. good
   • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 15^c23

     Hóre is cuci rigmi, is ferr dún placere illi.

     Since it is to him we will go, it is better for us to please him.

   • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 16^b9

     Ní indráigne dúib cinin·fil lib, ar idib maithi cene.

     It is no detriment to you pl, though we are not with you, for you are good already.

   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 51^b10

     In tan as·mber Dauid “intellectum tibi dabo”, sech is arde són do·mbéra Día do neuch nod·n-eirbea ind ⁊ génas triit con·festar cid as imgabthi do dénum di ulc ⁊ cid as déinti dó di maith. Aithesc trá lesom insin a persin Dǽ.

     When David says, “I will give thee understanding”, that is a sign that God will give to everyone that will trust in him, and work through him, that he may know what evil he must avoid doing, and what good he must do. He has then here a reply in the person of God.

Declension

i-stem
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	maith	maith	maith
Vocative	maith
Accusative	maith	maith
Genitive	maith	maithe	maith
Dative	maith	maith	maith
Plural	Masculine	Feminine/neuter
Nominative	maithi	maithi
Vocative	maithi
Accusative	maithi
Genitive	maith* maithe
Dative	maithib
Notes	*not when substantivized

Descendants

• Irish: maith
• Manx: mie
• Scottish Gaelic: math

Further reading

• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “maith”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

·maith

1. third-person singular present indicative conjunct of maidid

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
maith also mmaith after a proclitic	maith pronounced with /ṽ(ʲ)-/	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

---

Scottish Gaelic

Verb

maith (past mhaith, future maithidh, verbal noun mathadh, past participle maithte)

1. Alternative form of math

Noun

maith m

1. genitive singular of math

---

Welsh

Adjective

maith (feminine singular maith, plural meithion, equative maithed, comparative maithach, superlative maithaf)

1. long, far, large, extensive, numerous
2. long-lasting, tedious, tiresome
3. great (of quality)
4. sad, bitter
5. wise, clever, cunning, sly

Derived terms

• amser maith yn ôl (“a long time ago”)

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
maith	faith	unchanged	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.