méin

See also: mein, and Mein

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mʲeːnʲ/

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish méin (“bent, disposition, temperament; nature, quality”).

Noun

méin f (genitive singular méine)

1. mind, disposition
2. mien, bearing

Declension

Declension of méin

Second declension

Bare forms (no plural form of this noun) Case Singular Nominative méin Vocative a mhéin Genitive méine Dative méin

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an mhéin Genitive na méine Dative leis an méin don mhéin

Derived terms

• dea-mhéin (“goodwill, benevolence”)
• méiniúil (“well-disposed, kind, friendly; fruitful, fertile”, adjective)

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 méin (‘disposition’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “méinn”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 478
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “méin”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

méin

1. (archaic, dialectal) dative singular of mian

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
méin	mhéin	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Middle Irish

Etymology

Probably the same word as Old Irish méin (“mineral”); the original nominative singular may have been mían.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mʲeːnʲ/

Noun

méin f

1. bent, disposition, temperament; nature, quality

Descendants

• Irish: méin

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “méin”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʲeːnʲ]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *meinis.

Noun

méin f (genitive míana)

1. (mining) mineral, ore; metal

Inflection

Feminine i-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	méin	méinL	méiniH
Vocative	méin	méinL	méiniH
Accusative	méinN	méinL	méiniH
Genitive	míanoH, míanaH	míanoH, míanaH	méineN
Dative	méinL	méinib	méinib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Middle Irish: méin
  • Irish: méin
• Middle Irish: mían, méin
  • Manx: meain
  • Scottish Gaelic: mèinn

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

méin n or m

1. genitive singular of mían (“desire, inclination”)

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
méin also mméin after a proclitic ending in a vowel	méin pronounced with /β̃(ʲ)-/	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 méin (‘mineral, ore’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language