Uath

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  Aicme Beithe   Aicme Muine
Beith Muin
Luis Gort
Fearn nGéadal
Sail Straif
Nion Ruis
  Aicme hÚatha   Aicme Ailme
Uath Ailm
Dair Onn
Tinne Úr
Coll Eadhadh
Ceirt Iodhadh
  Forfeda
Éabhadh
Ór
Uilleann
Ifín Peith
Eamhancholl

Uath, Old Irish Úath, hÚath (IPA: [wəθ]), is the sixth letter of the Ogham alphabet, , transcribed ⟨ʜ⟩ in manuscript tradition, but unattested in actual inscriptions. The kenning "a meet of hounds is huath" identifies the name as úath "horror, fear", although the Auraicept glosses "white-thorn":

comdal cuan huath (.i. sce L. om); no ar is uathmar hi ara deilghibh "a meet of hounds is huath (i.e. white-thorn); or because it is formidable (uathmar) for its thorns."

The original etymology of the name, and the letter's value, are, however, unclear.[1] McManus (1986) suggested a value [y] (i.e. the semivowel).[2] Peter Schrijver suggested that if úath "fear" is cognate with Latin pavere, a trace of PIE *p might have survived into Primitive Irish, but there is no independent evidence for this.[3]

Bríatharogam

In the medieval kennings, called Bríatharogam or Word Ogham the verses associated with Úath are:

condál cúan - "assembly of packs of hounds" in the Word Ogham of Morann mic Moín

bánad gnúise - "blanching of faces" in the Word Ogham of Mac ind Óc

ansam aidche - "most difficult at night"" in the Word Ogham of Culainn.[4]

References

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  4. Auraicept na n-Éces Calder, George, Edinburgh, John Grant (1917), reprint Four Courts Press (1995), ISBN 1-85182-181-3