leath

See also: Leath

Irish

From Old Irish leth (“side”), from Proto-Celtic *letos, perhaps cognate with Latin latus (“side”), or from Proto-Celtic *ɸletos.[1]

Celtic cognates include Welsh lled (“breadth, width, half”), Middle Breton let, led (“large”), and Cornish les.

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

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 of leath

Second declension

Bare forms

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	leath	leatha
Vocative	a leath	a leatha
Genitive	leithe	leath
Dative	leath leith (in certain phrases)	leatha

leath (present analytic leathann, future analytic leathfaidh, verbal noun leathadh, past participle leata) (transitive, intransitive)

conjugation of leath (first conjugation – A)

		singular			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
	past	leath mé; leathas	leath tú; leathais	leath sé, sí	leathamar; leath muid	leath sibh; leathabhair	leath siad; leathadar	a leath / ar leath*	leathadh
	past habitual	leathainn	leatá	leathadh sé, sí	leathaimis; leathadh muid	leathadh sibh	leathaidís; leathadh siad	a leathadh / a leathadh*	leataí
future		leathfaidh mé; leathfad	leathfaidh tú; leathfair^†	leathfaidh sé, sí	leathfaimid; leathfaidh muid	leathfaidh sibh	leathfaidh siad; leathfaid^†	a leathfaidh; a leathfas	leathfar
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		leathaim	leath	leathadh sé, sí	leathaimis	leathaigí; leathaidh^†	leathaidís	—	leatar
verbal noun		leathadh
past participle		leata

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form

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