# leath
## Irish
### Etymology

From Old Irish leth (“side”), from Proto-Celtic *letos, perhaps cognate with Latin latus (“side”), or from Proto-Celtic *ɸletos.
Celtic cognates include Welsh lled (“breadth, width, half”), Middle Breton let, led (“large”), and Cornish les.

### Pronunciation

* (Munster) IPA: /lʲah/
* (Waterford, extinct Tipperary, extinct Kilkenny) IPA: /lʲæx/(Can we verify this pronunciation?)
* (Connacht) IPA: /l̠ʲah/
* (Cois Fharraige) IPA: /l̠ʲæ/
* (Ulster) IPA: /l̠ʲa/

### Noun

leath f (genitive singular leithe, nominative plural leatha)
* side; part, direction
* half; part, portion
    Is fearr leath ná meath. (proverb)Something is better than nothing.(literally, “"Half" is better than decay.”)

#### Declension

bare forms
case
singular
plural
nominative
leath
leatha
vocative
a leath
a leatha
genitive
leithe
leath
dative
leath leith (in certain phrases)
leatha
forms with the definite article
case
singular
plural
nominative
an leath
na leatha
genitive
na leithe
na leath
dative
leis an leath don leath
leis na leatha :

#### Synonyms

* roinn

#### Derived terms

* a leath catha
* ar leath pá
* ar leith
* do leath
* do leith
* Dubhdáleithe
* duine ar leith
* faoi leith
* go ceann dhá lá go leith
* go leith
* i leith is go
* i leith (le)
* in áit ar leith
* in áit faoi leith
* leath aife
* leath ar leath
* leath bealaigh (go)
* leath deiridh
* leath is leath
* leath má leath
* leath slí (go)
* leath tosaigh
* leath tuile
* leath-
* leith ar leith
* ó na ceithre leathaibh

### Verb

leath (present analytic leathann, future analytic leathfaidh, verbal noun leathadh, past participle leata) (transitive, intransitive)
* disperse, spread, cover
* open wide, expand, (medicine) dilate
* become confused, indistinct
* perish
* (literary) halve, divide, split (in half); diminish

#### Conjugation

| | | singular | singular | singular | plural | plural | plural | relative | autonomous |
| | | first | second | third | first | second | third | relative | autonomous |
| indicative | present | leathaim | leathann tú; leathair$^†$ | leathann sé, sí | leathaimid | leathann sibh | leathann siad; leathaid$^†$ | a leathann; a leathas | leatar |
| indicative | past | leath mé; leathas | leath tú; leathais | leath sé, sí | leathamar; leath muid | leath sibh; leathabhair | leath siad; leathadar | a leath / ar leath* | leathadh |
| indicative | past habitual | leathainn | leatá | leathadh sé, sí | leathaimis; leathadh muid | leathadh sibh | leathaidís; leathadh siad | a leathadh / a leathadh* | leataí |
| future | future | leathfaidh mé; leathfad | leathfaidh tú; leathfair$^†$ | leathfaidh sé, sí | leathfaimid; leathfaidh muid | leathfaidh sibh | leathfaidh siad; leathfaid$^†$ | a leathfaidh; a leathfas | leathfar |
| conditional | conditional | leathfainn | leathfá | leathfadh sé, sí | leathfaimis; leathfadh muid | leathfadh sibh | leathfaidís; leathfadh siad | a leathfadh / a leathfadh* | leathfaí |
| subjunctive | present | go leatha mé; go leathad$^†$ | go leatha tú; go leathair$^†$ | go leatha sé, sí | go leathaimid; go leatha muid | go leatha sibh | go leatha siad; go leathaid$^†$ | — | go leatar |
| subjunctive | past | dá leathainn | dá leatá | dá leathadh sé, sí | dá leathaimis; dá leathadh muid | dá leathadh sibh | dá leathaidís; dá leathadh siad | — | dá leataí |
| imperative | imperative | leathaim | leath | leathadh sé, sí | leathaimis | leathaigí; leathaidh$^†$ | leathaidís | — | leatar |
| verbal noun | verbal noun | leathadh | leathadh | leathadh | leathadh | leathadh | leathadh | leathadh | leathadh |
| past participle | past participle | leata | leata | leata | leata | leata | leata | leata | leata |
* indirect relative † archaic or dialect form

#### Derived terms

* leathadóir (“flatter”)

### References

* ↑ Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*letos”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 238–39

### Further reading

* Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “leath”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
* Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 83
* Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish Dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 43