scáth

See also: scath

Irish

Alternative forms

• sgáth (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish scáth, from Proto-Celtic *skātu, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sˠkɑː/, /sˠkaː/

Noun

scáth m (genitive singular scátha, nominative plural scáthanna)

1. shadow, shade
2. umbrella (something that covers a wide range of concepts, ideas, etc.), mantle (anything that covers or conceals something else)
3. horror, dread
4. shyness, timidity

Declension

Declension of scáth (third declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative scáth scáthanna vocative a scáth a scáthanna genitive scátha scáthanna dative scáth scáthanna forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an scáth na scáthanna genitive an scátha na scáthanna dative leis an scáth don scáth leis na scáthanna

Derived terms

• ar scáth
• Baile Lios na Scáth (“Stormont”)
• scáth báistí
• scáth fearthainne
• scáth gréine
• scáthach
• scáthaigh
• scáthán
• scáthbhrat (“awning”)
• scáthcheil (“to screen”)
• scáthchruth

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904), “scáṫ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla [Irish and English Dictionary], 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 603
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927), “scáṫ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla [Irish and English Dictionary], 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 960; reprinted with additions 1996, →ISBN
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “scáth”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *skātu, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-. Cognate with English shadow.

The u-stem declension is the older one of the two.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈskaːθ/

Noun

scáth n

1. shadow, shade
2. reflection
3. phantom, spectre
4. protection

Declension

Neuter u-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	scáthN	scáthL	scáthL, scátha
vocative	scáthN	scáthL	scáth
accusative	scáthN	scáthL	scáth
genitive	scathaH, scáthaH	scathaN, scáthaN	scáthN
dative	scáthL	scáthaib	scáthaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

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

Neuter o-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	scáthN	scáthN	scáthL, scátha
vocative	scáthN	scáthN	scáthL, scátha
accusative	scáthN	scáthN	scáthL, scátha
genitive	scáithL	scáth	scáthN
dative	scáthL	scáthaib	scáthaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

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

Descendants

• Irish: scáth
• Manx: scaa
• Scottish Gaelic: sgàth
• ⇒ Middle Irish: scáthán
  • Irish: scáthán

Further reading

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