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Definition 2024


Samhain

Samhain

English

Proper noun

Samhain

  1. A holiday, falling on the night of 31 October to 1 November, celebrated by the ancient Celts and by modern neo-pagans as the beginning of winter and the new year, and a time during the spirits of the dead could return to the earth.

Synonyms

See also


Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish Samain (Halloween), from Proto-Celtic *samonyos (compare Gaulish samoni-), either from Proto-Indo-European *sam (together) (compare Old High German saman (together), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰 (samana, together, in common), Sanskrit समन (samaná, together), सम् (sám, with), Avestan [script needed] (ha(m), together)), or alternatively from Proto-Celtic *samo- (summer) (compare Old Irish sam (summer), Welsh haf (summer)).

Pronunciation

  • (Munster) IPA(key): /sˠaunʲ/, /sˠounʲ/
  • (Connacht) IPA(key): /sˠəunʲ/, /ˈsˠɑvˠən/
  • (Ulster) IPA(key): /ˈsˠauwənʲ/

Noun

Samhain f (genitive singular Samhna, nominative plural Samhnacha)

  1. November.
    • 21 January 1919, Constitution of Dáil Éireann, Fourth Article
      Beidh an tAireach freagarthach don Dáil san airgead a gheobhfar mar sin agus leagfaidh sé cúntaisí mionscrúduighthe ar chaitheamh an airgid fé bhrághaid na Dála dhá uair sa bhliadhain – um Shamhain is um Bealtaine.
      The Ministry shall be answerable to the Dáil for such moneys, and the accounts shall be audited with regard to the spending of money for the Dáil twice yearly – in November and May.
    • 18 September 2012, Foinse, Deir Mitt Romney go bhfuil vótálaithe Obama 'ag brath ar an rialtas' i bhfíseán a sceitheadh
      Is cosúil go bhfuil Romney ag labhairt le grúpa deontóirí saibhre níos luaithe i mbliana san fhíseán agus é ag labhairt go hoscailte faoina straitéis le díriú ar an bpíosa beag den daonra nach bhfuil cinneadh déanta acu go fóill i dtaobh toghchán na Samhna ...
      Romney appears to be talking to a group of rich donors earlier this year in the video, and he's talking openly about the strategy of targeting the small portion of the population who still haven't made a decision about November's election ...
  2. Samhain (Celtic festival); (more generally) the first of November.

Declension

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
Samhain Shamhain
after an, tSamhain
unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

See also


Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsaũ.iɲ/

Proper noun

Samhain f (genitive Samhna)

  1. (with article: an t-Samhain) November
  2. All Saints' Day
  3. All Souls' Day

Derived terms

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical Lenition
Samhain Shamhain
after "an", t-Samhain
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.