dóthain

Irish

Alternative forms

daochaint, daothain, dóchain, dóchaint, dóithin^[1]

Etymology

From Middle Irish doíthin.^[2]

Pronunciation

(Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠoːhənʲ(tʲ)/^[3]^[4]^[5], (Waterford, also) /ˈd̪ˠeːhənʲtʲ/
(Galway) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠoːnʲ/^[6] ~ /ˈd̪ˠuːnʲ/^[7]
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠɔːhənʲ/ ~ /ˈd̪ˠɔːxənʲ/, /ˈd̪ˠɔhən̠ʲtʲ/^[8]

Noun

dóthain f or m (genitive singular dóthain or dóthana)

enough, sufficiency
Tá mo dhóthain agam. ― I have enough.

An bhfuil do dhóthain bainne ann? ― Is there enough milk for you?

Usage notes

This noun is generally modified by a possessive determiner indicating the person who the sufficiency is for: mo dhóthain (“enough for me”), do dhóthain (“enough for you”), a dóthain (“enough for her”) etc., even when the “for me” etc. is not expressed in English.

The thing of which there is enough follows in the genitive:

Tá a ndóthain ama acu anois. ― They have enough time now.

In certain idiomatic expressions, this noun can be modified by a number, but this number is not to be taken literally:

Tá a dhá dhóthain le déanamh aige. ― He has his hands full. (literally, “He has his two sufficiencies to do.”)
Tá a seacht ndóthain le rá acu. ― They talk far too much. (literally, “They have their seven sufficiencies to say.”)

Declension

Declension of dóthain (fourth declension, no plural)

bare forms
	singular
nominative	dóthain
vocative	a dhóthain
genitive	dóthain
dative	dóthain

forms with the definite article
	singular
nominative	an dóthain
genitive	na dóthain
dative	leis an dóthain don dóthain

Variant declension

Declension of dóthain (third declension, no plural)

bare forms
	singular
nominative	dóthain
vocative	a dhóthain
genitive	dóthana
dative	dóthain

forms with the definite article
	singular
nominative	an dóthain
genitive	an dóthana
dative	leis an dóthain don dóthain

Derived terms

mórdhóthain (“more than enough”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of *dóthain*
radical	lenition	eclipsis
dóthain	dhóthain	ndóthain

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

References

^ “dóthain”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
^ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “doíthin”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
^ Breatnach, Risteard B. (1947) The Irish of Ring, Co. Waterford: A Phonetic Study, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, page 96, line 80
^ Dillon, Myles, Donncha Ó Cróinín (1961) Teach Yourself Irish, Sevenoaks, England: Hodder and Stoughton, →ISBN, page 224
^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish Dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 290, page 145
^ de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1977) Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge: An Deilbhíocht [The Irish of Cois Fharraige: Accidence] (in Irish), 2nd edition, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath [Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies], section 23, page 10
^ Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect] (in German), Zweiter Band: Wörterbuch [Second volume: Dictionary], Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 69
^ Hamilton, John Noel (1974) A Phonetic Study of the Irish of Tory Island, Co. Donegal (Studies in Irish Language and Literature, Department of Celtic, Q.U.B.; vol. 3), Institute of Irish Studies, The Queen’s University Belfast, page 271