Flaith

A flaith (Irish) or flath (Scottish Gaelic; plural flathan), in the Gaelic world, could refer to any member in general of a powerful family enjoying a high degree of sovereignty, and so is also sometimes translated as lord or aristocrat in the general sense, or can refer to sovereignty itself.

The later development in meaning, innocent in itself, allowed the term flaith to become confused with "chief" as that term is commonly understood in English, when in fact a Gaelic "chief" was very often technically a rí (king) of any one of three or more grades and holding a White Wand.

A flaith might not hold a White Wand; he might simply be a brother, nephew or some relation of the king.

The flaith might be the head of a junior sept of the royal kindred or a member of another great family which was somehow in the king's service.

However, illustrative of how flaith was principally a general term for a member of the high nobility, the personal names Gormflaith ("Blue Princess" or "Blue Sovereignty") and Órflaith ("Golden Princess") were understood to be female without the addition of the feminine affix.