# leamh
## Irish
### Etymology

From Middle Irish lem (“soft”).

### Pronunciation

* (Munster) IPA: /ˈlʲau/
* (Connacht) IPA: /ˈl̠ʲavˠ/
* (Ulster) IPA: /ˈl̠ʲãu/

### Adjective

leamh (genitive singular masculine leamh, genitive singular feminine leimhe, plural leamha, comparative leimhe)
* (literary) soft; impotent (lacking physical strength or vigor), weak
* tepid; tasteless, insipid
* lifeless, dull, uninteresting
    Synonyms: neamhspéisiúil, neamhshuimiúil
* soft-witted; inane, silly

#### Declension

| | Singular | Singular | Plural (m/f) | Plural (m/f) |
| Positive | Masculine | Feminine | (strong noun) | (weak noun) |
| Nominative | leamh | leamh | leamha | leamha |
| Vocative | leamh | leamh | leamha | leamha |
| Genitive | leamh | leimhe | leamha | leamh |
| Dative | leamh | leamh | leamha | leamha |
| Comparative | níos leimhe | níos leimhe | níos leimhe | níos leimhe |
| Superlative | is leimhe | is leimhe | is leimhe | is leimhe |

#### Derived terms

* leamhas

### Verb

leamh (present analytic leamhann, future analytic leamhfaidh, verbal noun leamhadh, past participle leafa)
* (transitive, literary) make impotent, weaken
* (transitive) make tasteless

#### Conjugation

| | | singular | singular | singular | plural | plural | plural | relative | autonomous |
| | | first | second | third | first | second | third | relative | autonomous |
| indicative | present | leamhaim | leamhann tú; leamhair$^†$ | leamhann sé, sí | leamhaimid | leamhann sibh | leamhann siad; leamhaid$^†$ | a leamhann; a leamhas | leamhtar |
| indicative | past | leamh mé; leamhas | leamh tú; leamhais | leamh sé, sí | leamhamar; leamh muid | leamh sibh; leamhabhair | leamh siad; leamhadar | a leamh / ar leamh* | leamhadh |
| indicative | past habitual | leamhainn | leamhtá | leamhadh sé, sí | leamhaimis; leamhadh muid | leamhadh sibh | leamhaidís; leamhadh siad | a leamhadh / a leamhadh* | leamhtaí |
| future | future | leamhfaidh mé; leamhfad | leamhfaidh tú; leamhfair$^†$ | leamhfaidh sé, sí | leamhfaimid; leamhfaidh muid | leamhfaidh sibh | leamhfaidh siad; leamhfaid$^†$ | a leamhfaidh; a leamhfas | leamhfar |
| conditional | conditional | leamhfainn | leamhfá | leamhfadh sé, sí | leamhfaimis; leamhfadh muid | leamhfadh sibh | leamhfaidís; leamhfadh siad | a leamhfadh / a leamhfadh* | leamhfaí |
| subjunctive | present | go leamha mé; go leamhad$^†$ | go leamha tú; go leamhair$^†$ | go leamha sé, sí | go leamhaimid; go leamha muid | go leamha sibh | go leamha siad; go leamhaid$^†$ | — | go leamhtar |
| subjunctive | past | dá leamhainn | dá leamhtá | dá leamhadh sé, sí | dá leamhaimis; dá leamhadh muid | dá leamhadh sibh | dá leamhaidís; dá leamhadh siad | — | dá leamhtaí |
| imperative | imperative | leamhaim | leamh | leamhadh sé, sí | leamhaimis | leamhaigí; leamhaidh$^†$ | leamhaidís | — | leamhtar |
| verbal noun | verbal noun | leamhadh | leamhadh | leamhadh | leamhadh | leamhadh | leamhadh | leamhadh | leamhadh |
| past participle | past participle | leafa | leafa | leafa | leafa | leafa | leafa | leafa | leafa |
* indirect relative † archaic or dialect form

### References

* ↑ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 lem”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
* ↑ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 144, page 57

### Further reading

* Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “leamh”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 425
* Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “leamh”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

## Scottish Gaelic
### Etymology

From Middle Irish lem (“soft, tender; weak, powerless; impotent; foolish, worthless”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /l̠ʲɛv/

### Adjective

leamh
* importunate, annoying, galling, vexing
* boring, jejune, insipid
* impertinent, shameless, saucy
* greedy, busy, officious
* raw
* glib, mealy-mouthed, flattering

### References

* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 lem”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language