math

See also: math. and maths

English

Etymology 1

Clipping of mathematics.

Alternative forms

• maths (UK, Australia)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mæθ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æθ

Noun

math (countable and uncountable, plural maths)

1. (informal, uncountable, Canada, US, Philippines) Clipping of mathematics.
2. (informal, uncountable, Canada, US, Philippines) Arithmetic calculations; (see do the math).

   If you do the math, you'll see that it’s not such a bargain.

   $170 a month? That doesn’t sound right. Let me check your math.

3. (informal, countable, Canada, US, Philippines) A math course or class.

   They needed to take two more maths in order to graduate.

   Did you take math today? / What did you do in math today?

   • 2010, Claude Regis Vargo, Beyond My Horizon, →ISBN, page 108:

     Then, I further worked myself into an A+ panic attack with the realization that on top of the algebra, I would have to take three more maths, from a choice of calculus, finite math, statistics, logic, or differential equation.

Hyponyms

• new math
• napkin math

Derived terms

• check the math
• discrete math
• do the math
• fuzzy math
• girl math
• harder than Chinese math
• math circle
• math grenade
• MathML
• math rock
• the math is mathing

 

Translations

short form of mathematics

• Afrikaans: wiskunde (af)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 數／数 (sou³)

• Czech: matika (cs) f
• Dutch: wiskunde (nl)
• Finnish: matikka (fi)
• French: maths (fr) f pl
• German: Mathe (de) f
• Italian: (rare) mate (it) f
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 数学 (ja) (sūgaku)
• Khmer: គណិត (gayaneut)
• Luganda: okubala
• Navajo: ałhiiʼnínáʼiidzóóh, ałhííʼnaʼííltaʼ
• Persian: ریاضی (fa) (riyâzi)
• Polish: matematyka (pl) f, matma (pl) f
• Russian: матика (ru) f (matika)
• Sanskrit: गणित (sa) n (gaṇita)
• Spanish: matemática (es) f
• Swedish: matte (sv)
• Tamil: கணிதம் (ta) (kaṇitam)
• Urdu: گنت m
• Vietnamese: toán (vi), toán học (vi)
• Volapük: matemat (vo)

Further reading

• mathematics on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

math (third-person singular simple present maths, present participle mathing, simple past and past participle mathed)

1. (colloquial, informal) to perform mathematical calculations or mathematical analysis; to do math
2. (slang) To add up, compute; (by extension) to make sense.

   Wait. This doesn't make sense. I mean, the math is not mathing.

Derived terms

• the math is mathing

Etymology 2

From Middle English math, from Old English mǣþ (“a mowing, that which is mown, cutting of grass”), from Proto-Germanic *mēþą (“a mowing”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂meh₁- (“to mow”); equivalent to mow +‎ -th. Cognate with German Mahd (“a mowing, reaping”), West Frisian mêd (“area of land that can be mown in one day; domain, realm”). Related also to Old English mǣd (“mead, meadow, pasture”). See meadow.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /mæθ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /mɑːθ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æθ, -ɑːθ

Noun

math (plural maths)

1. A mowing; what is gathered from mowing.

   Hyponyms: aftermath, foremath, lattermath

Derived terms

• aftermath
• beforemath
• foremath
• lattermath

 

Etymology 3

Contraction of matha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mʌt/, /mɑːt/

Noun

math (plural maths)

1. (Hinduism, Jainism) Clipping of matha.

Anagrams

• THAM, Tham

French

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

math f pl

1. Alternative form of maths

Further reading

• “math”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *matus, commonly understood as a euphemistic derivation from *matis (“good”), cf. Proto-Germanic *berô (“the brown one”), Proto-Slavic *medvědь (“honey-eater”), Latvian lācis (“stomper, pounder”), Sanskrit भल्ल (bhalla, “auspicious, favourable”). A cognate is apparently attested in the Gaulish personal name Matugenos if this means “born of a bear”, and a possibly related Celtiberian matus of uncertain meaning is also attested.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maθ/

Noun

math m (genitive matho)

1. bear

Inflection

Masculine u-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	math	mathL	mathae
Vocative	math	mathL	mathu
Accusative	mathN	mathL	mathu
Genitive	mathoH, mathaH	matho, matha	mathaeN
Dative	mathL	mathaib	mathaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• ⇒ Middle Irish: mathgamain
  • Irish: mathúin
  • Manx: maghouin
  • Scottish Gaelic: mathan

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
math also mmath after a proclitic	math pronounced with /β̃(ʲ)-/	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma/
• (Lewis, Harris, Skye) IPA^(key): /mah/
• (Islay) IPA^(key): /mɛ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish maith, from Proto-Celtic *matis, from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-. Cognate with Welsh mad, Breton mad, Cornish mas. Compare Irish maith, Manx mie.

Adjective

math (genitive singular masculine maith, genitive singular feminine maithe, nominative plural matha, comparative fheàrr, qualitative noun feabhas)

1. good

   'S math sin. ― That's good.

   Dh'òl mi uisge-beatha math an-dè. ― I was drinking good whisky yesterday.

Declension

Case	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Plural
Nominative	math	mhath	matha
Vocative	mhaith	mhath	matha
Genitive	mhaith	maithe/mhaith	matha
Dative	mhath	mhaith	matha

Synonyms

• deagh (slightly stronger); see also Thesaurus:math

Antonyms

• dona, olc, droch; see also Thesaurus:math

Derived terms

• an ìre mhath (“almost”)
• cho math ri sin (“furthermore”)
• math dha-rìribh (“excellent; genuine”)
• 's math a rinn thu! (“well done!”)
• math fhèin (“excellent”)

Adverb

math

1. well

   Ciamar a tha thu? Meadhanach math. ― How are you? Reasonably well.

Derived terms

• a cheart cho math
• is math le

Noun

math m (genitive singular maith)

1. good
2. advantage, profit, use, utility

Derived terms

• math na bà

Etymology 2

From Old Irish maithid (“remits, excuses; pardons, forgives; remits, abates, withholds; gives up (claim to); renounces”), from maith (“good”).

Verb

math (past mhath, future mathaidh, verbal noun mathadh, past participle mathte)

1. forgive, excuse, pardon, condone, remit

Alternative forms

• (verb): maith

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
math	mhath
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “math”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “maith”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “maithid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Welsh

Etymology

A variation on bath (“kind, sort”). For similar instances of alternation between b and m, see benyw and menyw, beiddio and meiddio, bainc and mainc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maːθ/
• Rhymes: -aːθ

Noun

math m (plural mathau)

1. kind, sort, type

   Synonym: siort

Derived terms

• pa fath o
• y fath

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
math	fath	unchanged	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “math”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies