neamh-
Irish edit
Etymology edit
From Middle Irish nem-, from Old Irish neph- (compare Scottish Gaelic neo-, Manx neu-).
Prefix edit
neamh-
Usage notes edit
- This prefix in Irish is added to nouns and adjectives denoting lack or negated property. It lenites the word to which it attaches.
- neamh- + suim (“interest”) → neamhshuim (“disinterest”)
- neamh- + teoranta (“inhibited, limited, restricted”) → neamhtheoranta (“uninhibited”)
- neamh- + duine (“person”) → neamhdhuine (“a nobody”)
- Written with a hyphen when preceding a word beginning with m:
- neamh- + meisce (“drunkenness”) → neamh-mheisce (“sobriety”)
- In older words, the final mh of the prefix and the initial mh of the root merge into an unlenited m:
- neamh- + maiteach (“forgiving”) → neamaiteach (“unforgiving”)
Synonyms edit
Antonyms edit
Derived terms edit
References edit
- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “neamh-”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN