máthair

See also: màthair and Màthair

Irish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr

Proto-Celtic *mātīr

Old Irish máthir

Irish máthair

From Old Irish máthir, from Proto-Celtic *mātīr, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr.^[1]

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈmˠɑːhəɾʲ/^[2]
• (Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /ˈmˠɑːɾʲ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈmˠɑ̃hɪɾʲ/^[3], /ˈmˠahæɾʲ/^[4]

Noun

máthair f (genitive singular máthar, nominative plural máithreacha or máthaireacha or máthracha)

1. mother

   Tá Dia láidir agus máthair mhaith aige.

   God is strong and He has a good mother.

Declension

Declension of máthair (fifth declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative máthair máithreacha vocative a mháthair a mháithreacha genitive máthar máithreacha dative máthair máithreacha forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an mháthair na máithreacha genitive na máthar na máithreacha dative leis an máthair don mháthair leis na máithreacha

Alternative plural forms: máthaireacha, máthracha

Hypernyms

• tuismitheoir (“parent”)

Coordinate terms

• athair (“father”)
• iníon (“daughter”)
• mac (“son”)

Derived terms

• leasmháthair (“stepmother”)
• máithrigh (“mother, bear; foster”, verb)
• máthair shúigh (“squid”)
• máthairab (“abbess”)
• máthairchlár (“motherboard”)
• máthairtheanga (“mother tongue”)
• ríonmháthair (“queen mother”)
• seanmháthair (“grandmother”)

 

Related terms

• máithriúil (“motherly”, adjective)

Mutation

Mutated forms of máthair

radical	lenition	eclipsis
máthair	mháthair	not applicable

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

1. Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “máthair”, 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, § 86, page 46
3. Ó Searcaigh, Séamus (1925) Foghraidheacht Ghaedhilge an Tuaiscirt‎ (in Irish), Belfast: Brún agus Ó Nualláin [Browne and Nolan], § 5
4. Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 7, page 7

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “máthair”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Old Irish

Noun

máthair f (genitive máthar, nominative plural máithir)

1. Alternative spelling of máthir

Mutation

Mutation of máthair

radical	lenition	nasalization
máthair also mmáthair after a proclitic ending in a vowel	máthair pronounced with /β̃(ʲ)-/	unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.