Rath
/ræθ/noun
An archaic or dialectal word meaning a fortified stronghold, especially in Ireland.
Did you know?In Irish archaeology, a rath is the earthen ringfort associated with early medieval settlement, and the word survives in many Irish place-names like Rathmines and Rathfarnham.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*rewH-
“to make a hole or open space; possibly the remote source of words for a cleared or enclosed area”
Old Irish
OIr
ráth
“a fort, enclosure, or ringfort”
Middle Irish
MIr
ráth
“a fortified residence or earthwork enclosure”
Modern English
Eng
rath
“a ringfort or fortified enclosure, especially in Irish historical and archaeological contexts”