n io, n. Later f. (long vowel not guaranteed by rhyme. Cf. 1 cleth, clíath?). n s. cleithi n-ordain iartair domain, AU an. 939 . cleithe n-óc nEmna, LL 2626 (cf. however: Clethe bretha name of a law-tract, Laws i 26.3 Comm. ) a s. a chléthe n-óchtarach, LU 1476 . n pl. cléithe, Críth G. 157 . g pl. fer da cleithe , Laws iv 350.22 . As f. d s. i cleithi áin, LL 29494 . g s. cecha cleithi , LL 400a42 .

(a) roof-tree, ridge-pole : ete iter cach dá ḟíthe ó ṡuidiu co c.¤ , Críth G. 100 . in clí isin tegdais ō lár co clēithi, Corm. Y 275 . is bēsad na cleithe (= g s. of 1 cleth), is balc oc lār, is caol oc clēit[h]e, ibid. (cf. Laws iv 358.13 ) = ina cliad, Thr. Ir. Gl. 10 s.v. clíí. Tech Midchúarda o cléithib co talmandae, LU 7207 ( BDD² 824 ). ró lá [cor n-iach n-erred] de i n-ar[da co ruc] a chléthe n-óchtarach din tig co mboí for cléthiu in tigi aile, LU 1476 ( MU² 953 - 4 ). dofet cliath cleithe .i. as remtechtai lium cliath ichtair in tighi do denam ar dus anas cleitine a mullaighi, O'Curry 1874 ( 23 P 3, f. 21 (23)a ). a breth fo clethe; a breth a nuaim into a building(?), Laws ii 128.15 Comm. (`into concealment'). atracht columu tenntide . . . co cleithe na heclaisi, Three Hom. 66.4 . secht stíalla umai ón damdabaich co c.¤ issin tig, TBFr. 76 . gur b' ionsamhail cleithi tre churcais reanna na sleagh tres an slios araill do Chelluch a ridge-pole protruding from a thatch of rushes(?), MR 272.13 . ? cf. fiacla cirí cleth i curghais (a derogatory description), IT iii 101 § 179 . Confused with clí: cli .i. ise a bés na cleithe, is trén ┐ is dírech, ┐ congaib ┐ congaibther . . . adcumuing o cleithiu co lar, Laws iv 358.22 , 23 (cf. also Corm. Y 275 above). ní bfuaramar dhar ttighthibh shoir / acht bun gach cleithe a ttalmhuin, Ériu i 22.108 .

(b) By synecdoche, (dwelling) house: biaid gol gacha cleiti .i. cacha tighe, H 3.18, 553a14 . dixit Pátricius nád bíad dē de cleithi la chenél and, Trip.² 1814 . Cf. YBL 136a27 . co na boi dei do clethe a n-Erinn forsna beth cíos doib, RC xii 62 § 25 . ol cét cech clethi i nHerind, LL 22416 . Cf. 27617 .

(c) More generally building : it hé insin .vii. c.¤ ó ndírenar cach bóaire (ref. to a list of seven buildings, a dwelling-house and six farm-buildings), Críth G. 157 . a ṡrethe tige, a ḟolud, a chléthe, a echṡréin, 432 . co n-innrucus ch.¤ `with a complete set of buildings' (Gloss.), 438 . ? trí dotcaid threbtha: gort salach, iarmur c.¤, tech drithlennach, Triads 65 . ?fer . . . na techta fo tuaith co leir na cleithe who owns no house throughout the territory (?), Laws iv 352.12 (`visibly or invisibly').

(d) As technical term for some kind of tenant or dependent: lethflaithem .i. fer da cleithe cona comorbuib techtaib `two cleithe- tenants', Laws iv 350.11 . flaithem oen escra .i. fer aen cleithe, 14 . Cf. senchléithe. do flaith rucu gu-breth for a celi .i. gu-fiadnaise im clethe, v 220.4 Comm.

(e) c.¤ (sg. or pl.) nime, aeóir, etc. the heavens, the firmament; the sky : a cléthib clithnimi, LU 1169 . lotar na suipp ṡesca . . . i cléthib aeóir ┐ firmiminti, TBC-LL¹ 6040 . na fóit . . . curit i cleithe ḟirmimenti, LL 24910 . ba h-urcur a cleithibh nime ┐ ba snam i n-aighid srotha, BB 419b37 . do eirgedh an detach co direch i cleitib in aeoir, Grail 3098 . Without qualifying gen. no rannad bledmila in mara immi . . . súas i n-ardda clethi, LL 12631 . fuath-nell . . . d'ár ceiled in cleithi coithcenn (sic) . . . os a cendaib, MR 240.5 . ? Cf. go ttarla C. fo chleithibh talmhain, TBC-LL¹ p. 561 n.6 (fo lintip an atha, St.).

(f) Other applications. top, crown (of head, more freq. c.¤ cinn or c.¤ cennmullaig): in buinne díriuch dondḟala atracht a fírchlethe a chendmullaig, LU 6475 (TBC). roben Gola i clethi a chind, SR 5871 . cora chomthócbaiset a lonna láith ósa cleithib, LL 32509 ( TTr. 1707 ). imon cathbharr im a cleithi, BB 297a 41 . in mong . . . tria cleithi a ceandmullaich, RC xxiv 196.17 . co ruc clethi a chinn de co n-apad, xxiii 325 § 14 n. Of the tops of trees, woods, mountains, a city: ba cosmail fri cleithe caille cetamain . . . cechtar a da gruad, LL 253a47 (cf. Aen. 1926 and IT iii 186.13 s.v. forcléithe, also forcle). suas gu clethi na crand, BB 497a4 . a bun cleithi na crand, 13 . cleithe na uruachtur sleibhe Erix, CCath. 1382 . sliab nOlimp, isa cenn ┐ isa clethi fil . . . , BB 488b2 . ós cleithi na cathrach, CCath. 1321 . c.¤ .i. uachdar tighe, tulcha no cnuic, O'Cl.

(g) Freq. in Laws Comm. meaning something of considerable value, a matter of importance, high rank(?) (oppd. to lú, q.v.): mas a seachtar faiche [ro gatait na beich] . . ., gid maigin . . . gid sechtar maigin, gid cutrumus lui gid cutrumus clethe . . . mas a maigin ┐ is cutrumus cleithi is lanenecland. Mas a chutrumus lui, is leitheinecland. Masa seachtar maigin ┐ is cutrumus clethe is leithenecland. Masa cutrumus lui is uii.adh neneclaindi, O'D. 1041 (H.2.15, 25). dá trian diri dula urraidh d'urradh ina dúil; aen trian diri dula deoraidh do deoradh ina dúil, ┐ eneclann do cechtar de fo aicned lui no cleithi according to his lesser or greater standing(?), 1366 (E. 3.5, 24a). rig . . . beires bretha gua, cid im lu, cid im cleithi `whether it be concerning a small thing or a large', Laws i 54.18 Comm. cid bec .i. im lu; cid mor .i. im cleithi, iii 38.y Comm. noco nuil deithbir lui na cleithi im in cumail sin `no difference of major or minor (higher or lower rank)', 110.6 Comm. ma ro gatait seoit uaithib ris in ré sin, eneclann do cechtar de ann fo aicned lai no cleithi `minor or major value' (rank?), 144.15 Comm. corab e in tainmrainde sin da eneclainn bes do co na ferthain ar in rob is cleithi, ┐ a leth ina ferthain ar in rob is lu, 358.y Comm. a nderbḟorgeall clethe for na huaislib . . . a nderbforgeall clethe for islib an affirmation concerning an important matter, 396.6 - 8 Comm. gufiadnaise im clethe, no im forcruidh fognuma im clethe `about a great (matter), or about excess of service in a great (matter)', v 220.4-5 Comm. But cléithe are divided into large and small: ce ro ghata da cleithi o duine, .i. clethe beg ┐ clethe mor, O'Curry 1665 ( 23 Q 6, 23 b ). cemadh mo re hic naithgina in clethi mor na in clethi beg nocha mo re hic smachta na dire na eneclainne e na in clethi bec, 1666 ( 23 Q 6 23 b ). Cf. clethe .i. mor no uasal, O'Dav. 558 .

(h) Fig. perfection, culmination; chief, head : i suthemlacht cech berlai co clethi to (or with?) perfection, LU 661 ( ACC 26 gl . baí sab súithe cec dind). acht na roigh co cleithe `but he does not reach to the top (of scholarship)', Laws iv 356.7 . ceand ┐ cléthi cacha bíd int iasc ár dothomail Issu he, Thr. Ir. Gl. 24 s.v. iasc. cléithi .i. rogha ut est cléithi tech n Erenn, H 3.18, 650b24 . ba cleithi ach don Erind bas meic Erca, Dinds. 114 . cléthe .i. formna, no in t-art fine .i. intí is airdi don fine, ut est co cléthi fine fosaighther cina, O'Dav. 486 . for cléithib na Cráeb-rúaide `chiefs' (Gloss.), Metr. Dinds. iv 130.82 . sáifiter slúaig con mae re secht c.¤ slúaig Ulad, LL 11628 (TBC rhet.). clethe Laighen leighnidhe, TFrag. 188.5 . tiagha[ir] gusan gcathraigh, dotaott gussan gclēithe (i.e. to the chief personage in the town), ZCP vii 305.3 . araile fealmac fēigh don Mumhain . . . atnacobrustor mnáoi siú rosiacht clēithe the perfection of his art(?), 304.27 . as go c.¤ tuaithe tiagaid filidh fuigheall fria forus fáth, Ériu xiii 33.31 . Ua Suanaich . . . / Eiríu ard amre . . . / ised a c.¤ clerech, BB 233b35 . imm imthecor do dērce as cend ┐ as cléthe inna huile timna, Otia ii 97 § 31 . is é cléthi ┐ forair in fhorcetail diada in dearc, PH 5789 . mad intii adcobra rosá cléthe foirbthetad `who desires to reach the pitch of perfectness', Ériu vii 154 § 6 . comad ead clethi soethair cech duine, áine ┐ érnaigthi, RC xii 438.1 . combadh si budh cenn ┐ budh cleithe d'eccailsibh Érenn, AFM i 142.x .