See also: math. and maths

English

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Etymology 1

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Clipping of mathematics.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /mæθ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -æθ

Noun

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math (countable and uncountable, plural maths)

  1. (informal, uncountable, Canada, US, Philippines) Clipping of mathematics.
  2. (informal, uncountable, Canada, US, Philippines) Arithmetic calculations; (see do the math).
    If you do the math, you'll see that it’s not such a bargain.
    $170 a month? That doesn’t sound right. Let me check your math.
  3. (informal, countable, Canada, US, Philippines) A math course or class.
    They needed to take two more maths in order to graduate.
    Did you take math today? / What did you do in math today?
    • 2010, Claude Regis Vargo, Beyond My Horizon, →ISBN, page 108:
      Then, I further worked myself into an A+ panic attack with the realization that on top of the algebra, I would have to take three more maths, from a choice of calculus, finite math, statistics, logic, or differential equation.
Hyponyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Further reading
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Verb

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math (third-person singular simple present maths, present participle mathing, simple past and past participle mathed)

  1. (colloquial, informal) To perform mathematical calculations or mathematical analysis; to do math
  2. (slang) To add up, compute; (by extension) to make sense.
    Wait. This doesn't make sense. I mean, the math is not mathing.
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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From Middle English math, from Old English mǣþ (a mowing, that which is mown, cutting of grass), from Proto-Germanic *mēþą (a mowing), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂meh₁- (to mow); equivalent to mow +‎ -th. Cognate with German Mahd (a mowing, reaping), West Frisian mêd (area of land that can be mown in one day; domain, realm). Related also to Old English mǣd (mead, meadow, pasture). See meadow.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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math (plural maths)

  1. A mowing; what is gathered from mowing.
    Hyponyms: aftermath, foremath, lattermath
Derived terms
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Etymology 3

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Contraction of matha.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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math (plural maths)

  1. (Hinduism, Jainism) Clipping of matha.

Anagrams

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French

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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math f pl

  1. Alternative form of maths

Further reading

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Old Irish

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Etymology

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From Proto-Celtic *matus, commonly understood as a euphemistic derivation from *matis (good), cf. Proto-Germanic *berô (the brown one), Proto-Slavic *medvědь (honey-eater), Latvian lācis (stomper, pounder), Sanskrit भल्ल (bhalla, auspicious, favourable). A cognate is apparently attested in the Gaulish personal name Matugenos if this means born of a bear, and a possibly related Celtiberian matus of uncertain meaning is also attested.[1]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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math m (genitive matho)[2]

  1. bear

Inflection

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Masculine u-stem
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative math mathL mathae
Vocative math mathL mathu
Accusative mathN mathL mathu
Genitive mathoH, mathaH matho, matha mathaeN
Dative mathL mathaib mathaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
  • H = triggers aspiration
  • L = triggers lenition
  • N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

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  • Middle Irish: mathgamain
    • Irish: mathúin
    • Manx: maghouin
    • Scottish Gaelic: mathan

Mutation

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

References

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  1. ^ Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*mati-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 259
  2. ^ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “math”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Scottish Gaelic

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Old Irish maith, from Proto-Celtic *matis, from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-. Cognate with Welsh mad, Breton mad, Cornish mas. Compare Irish maith, Manx mie.

Adjective

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math (genitive singular masculine maith, genitive singular feminine maithe, nominative plural matha, comparative fheàrr, qualitative noun feabhas)

  1. good
    'S math sin.That's good.
    Dh'òl mi uisge-beatha math an-dè.I was drinking good whisky yesterday.
Declension
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Case Masculine singular Feminine singular Plural
Nominative math mhath matha
Vocative mhaith mhath matha
Genitive mhaith maithe/mhaith matha
Dative mhath mhaith matha
Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Derived terms
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Adverb

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math

  1. well
    Ciamar a tha thu? Meadhanach math.How are you? Reasonably well.
Derived terms
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Noun

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math m (genitive singular maith)

  1. good
  2. advantage, profit, use, utility
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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From Old Irish maithid (remits, excuses; pardons, forgives; remits, abates, withholds; gives up (claim to); renounces), from maith (good).

Verb

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math (past mhath, future mathaidh, verbal noun mathadh, past participle mathte)

  1. forgive, excuse, pardon, condone, remit
Alternative forms
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Mutation

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

Further reading

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Welsh

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Etymology

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A variation on bath (kind, sort). For similar instances of alternation between b and m, see benyw and menyw, beiddio and meiddio, bainc and mainc.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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math m (plural mathau)

  1. kind, sort, type
    Synonym: siort

Derived terms

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Mutation

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Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
math fath unchanged unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “math”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies