bóthar

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish bóthar, from Proto-Celtic *bow-itros (“cow path”), equivalent to *bāus + *itos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁itós. MacBain instead compares Ancient Greek βαίνω (baínō, “I walk”), from *gʷem- (“to step”).[1]

Cognate with Welsh beidr (“lane, track”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbˠoːhəɾˠ/
(Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠoːɾˠ/
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠɔhəɾˠ/

Noun

bóthar m (genitive singular bóthair, nominative plural bóithre or bóithrí) (abbreviated Br.)

road
Téigh trasna an bhóthair. ― Cross the road.
Synonyms: bealach, ród
way, manner
Synonym: bealach
stream (of blood, sweat)

Declension

Declension of bóthar

First declension

Bare forms:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	bóthar	bóithre
Vocative	a bhóthair	a bhóithre
Genitive	bóthair	bóithre
Dative	bóthar	bóithre

Forms with the definite article:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an bóthar	na bóithre
Genitive	an bhóthair	na mbóithre
Dative	leis an mbóthar don bhóthar	leis na bóithre

Alternative plural: bóithrí (Cois Fharraige)

Derived terms

bóithreán (“road dust”)
bóithreoir (“road-walker; traveller, vagrant”)
bóithrín (diminutive)
bóthar cuarach, cuarbhóthar
bóthar dola, bóthar paidhce
bóthar iarainn
bóthar mór (“main road”)
bóthar rochtana
bóthar trasna (“cross-road”)
crosbhóthar
deisitheoir bóithre (“road-mender”)
fobhóthar
go n-éirí an bóthar leat
leabhar bóithre (“road-book”)
léarscáil bóithre (“road-map”)
mórbhóthar
seachbhóthar
sliosbhóthar
suirbhéir bóithre (“road-surveyor”)
trébhóthar

Descendants

→ Yola: boagher, bogher, bargher

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
bóthar	bhóthar	mbóthar
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

MacBain, Alexander; Mackay, Eneas (1911), “bóthar”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Stirling, →ISBN, page 44