meanbh

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish menbach (“small”), from a derivation of the Proto-Indo-European root *mey- (“small, little”). Cognate with Latin minus, minor, minutus and Ancient Greek μινύθω (minúthō, “lessen”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛnɛv/

Adjective

meanbh (comparative meanbha)

1. small, minute, diminutive

Synonyms

• beag
• mean
• mion

Derived terms

• àmhainn meanbh-thonnach (“microwave oven”)
• meanbhan (“diminutive”)
• meanbh-chlàr (“compact disk (CD)”) - compact disk
• meanbh-chuileag (“midge, gnat”)
• meanbh-fhrìde (“insect”)

Mutation

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