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Definition 2024

abair

Irish

Verb

abair ‎(present analytic deir, future analytic déarfaidh, verbal noun rá, past participle ráite)

say, utter
mean, refer to
Ní tú a deirim.‎ ― I don’t mean you; I’m not referring to you.
(In the 2nd sing. imperative or 1st plural imperative) say, suppose (to state for illustrative or approximate purposes)

abair is nach mbeadh sé ann‎ ― supposing he weren’t there

fiche punt, abair‎ ― twenty pounds, say

Conjugation

Conjugation of abair

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third	relative	autonomous
indicative	present	deirim	deir tú; deireann tú; deirir^†	deir sé, sí; deireann sé, sí	deirimid; deir muid; deireann muid	deir sibh; deireann sibh	deir siad; deireann siad; deirid^†	a deir; a deireas; a deireann / a ndeir; a ndeireas; a ndeireann*	deirtear
	past	dúirt mé; dúras; dúrt	dúirt tú; dúrais	dúirt sé, sí	dúramar; dúirt muid	dúirt sibh; dúrabhair	dúirt siad; dúradar	a dúirt / a ndúirt*	dúradh
	past habitual	deirinn	deirteá	deireadh sé, sí	deirimis; deireadh muid	deireadh sibh	deiridís; deireadh siad	a deireadh / a ndeireadh*	deirtí
	future	déarfaidh mé; déarfad	déarfaidh tú; déarfair^†	déarfaidh sé, sí	déarfaimid; déarfaidh muid	déarfaidh sibh	déarfaidh siad; déarfaid^†	a déarfaidh; a déarfas / a ndéarfaidh; a ndéarfas	déarfar
conditional		déarfainn	déarfá	déarfadh sé, sí	déarfaimis; déarfadh muid	déarfadh sibh	déarfaidís; déarfadh siad	a déarfadh / a ndéarfadh*	déarfaí
subjunctive	present	go ndeire mé; go ndeiread^†	go ndeire tú; go ndeirir^†	go ndeire sé, sí	go ndeirimid; go ndeire muid	go ndeire sibh	go ndeire siad; go ndeirid^†	—	go ndeirtear
subjunctive	past	dá ndeirinn	dá ndeirteá	dá ndeireadh sé, sí	dá ndeirimis; dá ndeireadh muid	dá ndeireadh sibh	dá ndeiridís; dá ndeireadh siad	—	dá ndeirtí
imperative		abraim	abair	abradh sé, sí	abraimis	abraigí; abraidh^†	abraidís	—	abairtear
verbal noun		rá
past participle		ráite

* Indirect relative
† Dialect form

In the older literary language, and sometimes in the spoken language, additional forms built on the stem abr- are found:

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third	relative	autonomous
indicative	present dependent	abraim	abrann tú; abrair	abrann sé, sí	abraimid; abrann muid	abrann sibh	abrann siad; abraid	a n-abrann; a n-abras	abarthar
	past habitual dependent	abrainn	abartá	abradh sé, sí	abraimis; abradh muid	abradh sibh	abraidís; abradh siad	a n-abradh*	abartaí
	future dependent	abróidh mé; abród; abróchaidh mé	abróidh tú; abróir; abróchaidh tú	abróidh sé, sí; abróchaidh sé, sí	abróimid; abróidh muid; abróchaimid; abróchaidh muid	abróidh sibh; abróchaidh sibh	abróidh siad; abróid; abróchaidh siad	a n-abróidh; a n-abrós; a n-abróchaidh; a n-abróchas	abrófar; abróchar
conditional dependent		abróinn; abróchainn	abrófá; abróchthá	abródh sé, sí; abróchadh sé, sí	abróimis; abródh muid; abróchaimis; abróchadh muid	abródh sibh; abróchadh sibh	abróidís; abródh siad; abróchadh siad	a n-abródh; a n-abróchadh	abrófaí; abróchaí
subjunctive	present	go n-abra mé; go n-abrad	go n-abra tú; go n-abrair	go n-abra sé, sí	go n-abraimid; go n-abra muid	go n-abra sibh	go n-abra siad; go n-abraid	—	go n-abarthar
subjunctive	past	dá n-abrainn	dá n-abartá	dá n-abradh sé, sí	dá n-abraimis; dá n-abradh muid	dá n-abradh sibh	dá n-abraidís; dá n-abradh siad	—	dá n-abartaí

* Indirect relative

Usage notes

The d-initial forms of this verb are immune to lenition. They do, however, undergo eclipsis.

Synonyms

inis
labhair

Derived terms

abair le ‎(“say to, tell, inform”)
ná habair é ‎(“don’t mention it”)
abartha ‎(“given to repartee”, adj)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
abair	n-abair	habair	t-abair
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-17336-1, page 305
"abair" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
"rá" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
“abair” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
“adeirim” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
“ráḋ” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
Franz Nikolaus Finck, 1899, Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, 78.
E. C. Quiggin, A Dialect of Donegal, page 125, § 370.
“as-beir” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
“rád” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Middle Irish at·beir, from Old Irish as·beir, from Proto-Celtic *ess- (compare Latin ex) + Proto-Celtic *bereti, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈapɪɾʲ]

Adverb

abair

Used as a modifier, suggesting excitement, much in the way that "how" is used.

Abair oillteil!‎ ― How dreadful!

Abair gur àlainn e an-diugh!‎ ― How beautiful that it is today!

Verb

abair ‎(past thuirt, future their, verbal noun ràdh, past participle ráite)

Participles

Tense \ Voice	Active	Passive
Present	ag ràdh	--
Past	thuirt	thuirteadh
Future	their	theirear
Conditional	theireadh	theirteadh

Derived terms

air dhomh/dhuinn sin a ràdh

References

Faclair Gàidhlig Dwelly Air Loidhne, Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, ISBN 0 901771 92 9
“as-beir” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Etymology

From Middle Irish at·beir, from Old Irish as·beir, from Proto-Celtic *ess- (compare Latin ex) + *bereti, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-.

The verbal noun is from Old Irish rád (compare Scottish Gaelic ràdh), from the verb rádid ‎(“talks”), from Proto-Celtic *rādī-, from Proto-Indo-European *reh₂dʰ- ‎(“perform successfully”). Cognate with Sanskrit राध्नोति ‎(rādhnoti, “succeeds”), Old Church Slavonic радити ‎(raditi, “take care of, work”), Gothic 𐍂𐍉𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 ‎(rōdjan, “talk”), Lithuanian rodýti ‎(“show”). The past participle is from the same stem.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈabˠəɾʲ/

Definify.com

Definition 2024

abair

abair

Irish

Verb

Conjugation

Usage notes

Synonyms

Derived terms

Mutation

References

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adverb

Verb

Participles

Derived terms

References

Etymology

Pronunciation

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