liath
/ʎiə(h)/
The Scottish Gaelic word for gray is liath.
liath is used to describe a color that is somewhere between white and black, similar to the color of cinders.
Meaning: of a color somewhere between white and black, like cinders (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
liath is an invariable adjective, which means it does not change its form to agree with the gender or number of the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʎiə(h)/
Did you know?
- The ancient root of liath is also the ancestor of the English word 'pale'.
- In many Gaelic contexts, the word liath can also describe things that are 'silvery' or 'metallic' in appearance, not just a flat neutral shade.
- The spelling of liath features a 'th' that acts as a silent marker, which actually serves to change the quality of the preceding vowel sound.
Examples in context
- Tha mo sporan liath.My wallet is gray.
- Tha an cat liath.The cat is gray.
Example conversation
Angus and Eilidh are looking at the sky.
- AngusA bheil an t-adhar liath an-diugh?Is the sky gray today?
- EilidhTha, tha e gu math liath.Yes, it is very gray.
- AngusAn tuit an t-uisge a dh'aithghearr?Will it rain soon?
- EilidhIs dòcha, tha e coltach ri sin.Maybe, it looks like it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gray” translations and entries liath, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries liath, CC BY-SA 4.0.
I’m sorry, but you should have got someone to proofread your article. You don’t make the distinction between Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) and Irish (Gaelge) as two seperate languages. Your Gàidhlig is also incorrect.
The sentence “S e brògan glas a th’ airam.” makes zero sense. th’ airam is not a valid construction. “a th’ orm” or “a th’ agam” would have been more correct, but “a th’ airam” isn’t any kind of Gàidhlig spelling. For your translation “a th’ agam” would have been correct, but your pronunciation guide is waaaaaay off. (Pronounced: shay bro-ghan glahss a h-aram), should actually read something like (Pronounced: sheh brohg-an glahss a hak-am).
Please attend distance or in-person courses at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig or Ceòlas if you have a genuine interest in the Scottish Gaelic language. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig also run modules in Irish. There are some similar courses for the Irish language as well.
Tapadh leibh, Anne here. You’re right on both counts. That sentence is gone, the examples have been checked and the page now says plainly that it covers Scottish Gaelic.