fothain

Irish

Alternative forms

• fathain, foithin, fuithin, fuithint

Etymology

From Middle Irish foithin.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈfˠɪhənʲ/ (corresponding to the form foithin or fuithin)

Noun

fothain f (genitive singular fothana)

1. shelter

   Synonym: foscadh

   faoi fhothain ― sheltered, screened

2. covert (hiding place)
3. lee

   taobh na fothana ― the leeward side

4. secret-keeping ability

   Níl aon fhothain ionam.

   I can’t keep a secret.

   (literally, “There is no secret-keeping ability in me.”)

Declension

Declension of fothain

Third declension

Bare forms (no plural for this noun): Case Singular Nominative fothain Vocative a fhothain Genitive fothana Dative fothain

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Nominative an fhothain Genitive na fothana Dative leis an bhfothain don fhothain

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
fothain	fhothain	bhfothain
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• “fothain”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “foithin”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “foṫain”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 332
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “fuiṫin”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 340
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “fothain”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN