HeyRuaHow to say “semitonal” in Irish
- Irish:
- leath-thonach
- English:
- semitonal, halftone
- Word type:
- adjective
- More semitonal:
- níos leath-thonaí
- Most semitonal:
- is leath-thonaí
- Plural:
- leath-thonacha
- Pronunciation:
- “LAH-hun-akh” /ˈlʲahən̪ˠəx/
What does “leath-thonach” mean?
“Leath-thonach” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- semitonal
- Relating to or moving by semitones (half steps) in music.Also: chromatic, half-tone, halftone.
1 other meaning: halftone
- 2halftone
- Describing an image printed as a pattern of dots that gives shades of grey.Also: half-tone.
“Leath-thonach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is leath-thonach after scála (bowl, masculine), after abairt (sentence, feminine) and after a plural.
séimhiú (the h) the ending
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, leath-thonacha.
More semitonal, most semitonal, very semitonal
Tá an píosa seo níos leath-thonaí ná an ceann eile. This piece is more chromatic than the other one.
| more semitonal | níos leath-thonaí | in the past tense: ní ba leath-thonaí |
|---|---|---|
| most semitonal | is leath-thonaí | in the past tense: ba leath-thonaí |
| as semitonal as | chomh leath-thonach le | no change after chomh |
| very semitonal | an-leath-thonach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too semitonal | róleath-thonach | ró- lenites |
“Leath-thonach” in a sentence: Irish examples
With a masculine noun, a feminine noun, a plural, a comparison and on its own.
Other adjectives in Irish
More everyday Irish adjectives to learn next.
Semitonal in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for semitonal?
The Irish for semitonal is leath-thonach (pronounced “LAH-hun-akh”). It comes after the noun: scála leath-thonach, a semitonal bowl; abairt leath-thonach, a semitonal sentence.
How do you say more semitonal and most semitonal in Irish?
níos leath-thonaí is more semitonal and is leath-thonaí is most semitonal. In the past tense they become ní ba leath-thonaí and ba leath-thonaí.
What is the plural of leath-thonach?
With a plural noun leath-thonach becomes leath-thonacha: scálaí leath-thonacha, abairtí leath-thonacha.
How do you say very semitonal in Irish?
an-leath-thonach. Too semitonal is róleath-thonach, and as semitonal as is chomh leath-thonach le.
Does leath-thonach have more than one meaning?
Yes. Leath-thonach can mean semitonal or halftone, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Why is there a hyphen in leath-thonach?
Leath is joined with a hyphen to a word beginning with t, so tonach becomes leath-thonach, with lenition after leath.
