lámh

See also: làmh

Irish

Alternative forms

• láimh (Cois Fharraige)

Etymology

From Old Irish lám (“hand; arm”),^[1] from Proto-Celtic *ɸlāmā (compare Welsh llaw), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂meh₂ (“palm, hand”) (compare Latin palma, Ancient Greek παλάμη (palámē)).

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /l̪ˠɑːvˠ/, /l̪ˠɑ̃ːvˠ/^[2]
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /l̪ˠãːw/^[3]

Noun

lámh f (genitive singular láimhe, nominative plural lámha)

1. hand (part of the forelimb; pointer of a clock; style of penmanship); arm
2. handle
3. signature
4. hand (unit of measurement): (of horses) four inches, (of fish, plants, etc.) three inches

Declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative lámh lámha Vocative a lámh a lámha Genitive láimhe lámh Dative láimh lámha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an lámh na lámha Genitive na láimhe na lámh Dative leis an láimh don láimh leis na lámha

Declension of lámh

Second declension

• Dual: dhá láimh

Derived terms

• an lámh a bheith in uachtar agat (“to have the upper hand”)
• as láimh (“immediately”)
• báisín lámh (“wash-hand basin”)
• bille láimhe (“hand-bill”)
• délámhach (“two-handed”, adjective)
• dólámhach (“two-handed”, adjective)
• faoi do láimh (“ready to hand”)
• gearrlámhach (“short-handed”, adjective)
• i bhfad ó láimh (“hard to get at”)
• i láimh a chéile (“by degrees”)
• in aice láimhe (“near at hand”)
• láimh le (“close by, beside”)
• lámh chuidithe (“helping hand”)
• lámh chúnta (“helping hand”)
• lámh fhuar (“white caterpillar”)
• lámh liath (“white caterpillar”)
• lámhacán m (“crawling (on all fours)”)
• lámhach m (“firing (a weapon)”)
• lámhainn f (“glove”)
• lámhcheardaíocht f (“handicraft”)
• lámhcheird f (“handicraft”)
• lámhchrann (“handle, crank”)
• lámhdhéanamh m (“deal (of cards)”)
• lámhdhéanta (“handmade”, adjective)
• lámhfhada
• lámhfhíodóireacht f (“handweaving”)
• lámhscríbhneoireacht f (“handwriting”)
• lán na lámh (“armful, great deal”)
• leathlámh f (“one hand, one arm”)
• mála láimhe (“handbag”)
• obair láimhe f (“manual work”)
• scáthán láimhe m (“hand-mirror”)
• síneadh láimhe m (“tip, gratuity”)

 

References

1. Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “lám”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
2. Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 54, page 29
3. Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 148, page 58

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “láṁ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 416
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “lámh”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN