abair

See also: Abair

Irish

Etymology

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

See rá for the etymology of the verbal noun and past participle.

Pronunciation

Verb

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

  1. say, utter
    amhrán a rá ― to sing a song
  2. mean, refer to
    Ní tú a deirim. ― I don’t mean you; I’m not referring to you.
  3. (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

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

Conjugation of abair
singular plural relative autonomous
first second third first second third
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
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
† Archaic or dialect form

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

singular plural relative autonomous
first second third first second third
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
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

Synonyms

Derived terms

Mutation
Irish mutation
RadicalEclipsiswith h-prothesiswith t-prothesis
abair n-abair habair not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

The verbal noun is from Old Irish rád (compare Irish rá), from the verb ráidid (“talks”), from Proto-Celtic *rādīti, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁dʰ- (“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): /ˈapɪɾʲ/
  • (Lewis, Uist) IPA(key): [ˈapɪð]

Adverb

abair

  1. 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 it is today!

Verb

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

  1. say
    Abair ach beag is abair gu math e. ― Say little, but say it well.

Inflection
Conjugation of abair (irregular)
singular plural impersonal
first second third m/f first second third
independent past simple thuirt mi thuirt thu thuirt e/i thuirt sinn thuirt sibh thuirt iad thuirteadh
emphatic thubhairt mi thubhairt thu thubhairt e/i thubhairt sinn thubhairt sibh thubhairt iad thubhairteadh
future their mi
canaidh mi		 their thu
canaidh tu		 their e/i
canaidh e/i		 their sinn
canaidh sinn		 their sibh
canaidh sibh		 their iad
canaidh iad		 theirear
canar
conditional theirinn
chanainn		 theireadh tu
chanadh tu		 theireadh e/i
chanadh e/i		 theireadh sinn
theireamaid
chanadh sinn
chanamaid		 theireadh sibh
chanadh sibh		 theireadh iad
chanadh iad		 theirte(adh)
theirist(e)1
chante(adh)
chanaist(e)1
negative past simple cha tuirt mi cha tuirt thu cha tuirt e/i cha tuirt sinn cha tuirt sibh cha tuirt iad cha tuirteadh
emphatic cha tubhairt mi cha tubhairt thu cha tubhairt e/i cha tubhairt sinn cha tubhairt sibh cha tubhairt iad cha tubhairteadh
future chan abair mi
cha chan mi		 chan abair thu
cha chan thu		 chan abair e/i
cha chan e/i		 chan abair sinn
cha chan sinn		 chan abair sibh
cha chan sibh		 chan abair iad
cha chan iad		 chan abrar
cha chanar
conditional chan abrainn
cha chanainn		 chan abradh tu
cha chanadh tu		 chan abradh e/i
cha chanadh e/i		 chan abradh sinn
chan abramaid
cha chanadh sinn
cha chanamaid		 chan abradh sibh
cha chanadh sibh		 chan abradh iad
cha chanadh iad		 chan abairte(adh)
chan abairist(e)1
cha chante(adh)
cha chanaist(e)1
affirmative
interrogative		 past simple an tuirt mi? an tuirt thu? an tuirt e/i? an tuirt sinn? an tuirt sibh? an tuirt iad? an tuirteadh?
emphatic an tubhairt mi? an tubhairt thu? an tubhairt e/i? an tubhairt sinn? an tubhairt sibh? an tubhairt iad? an tubhairteadh?
future an abair mi?
an can mi?		 an abair thu?
an can thu?		 an abair e/i?
an can e/i?		 an abair sinn?
an can sinn?		 an abair sibh?
an can sibh?		 an abair iad?
an can iad?		 an abrar?
an canar?
conditional an abrainn?
an canainn?		 an abradh tu?
an canadh tu?		 an abradh e/i?
an canadh e/i?		 an abradh sinn?
an abramaid?
an canadh sinn?
an canamaid?		 an abradh sibh?
an canadh sibh?		 an abradh iad?
an canadh iad?		 an abairte(adh)?
an abairist(e)?1
an cante(adh)?
an canaist(e)?1
negative
interrogative		 past simple nach tuirt mi? nach tuirt thu? nach tuirt e/i? nach tuirt sinn? nach tuirt sibh? nach tuirt iad? nach tuirteadh?
emphatic nach tubhairt mi? nach tubhairt thu? nach tubhairt e/i? nach tubhairt sinn? nach tubhairt sibh? nach tubhairt iad? nach tubhairteadh?
future nach abair mi?
nach can mi?		 nach abair thu?
nach can thu?		 nach abair e/i?
nach can e/i?		 nach abair sinn?
nach can sinn?		 nach abair sibh?
nach can sibh?		 nach abair iad?
nach can iad?		 nach abrar?
nach canar?
conditional nach abrainn?
nach canainn?		 nach abradh tu?
nach canadh tu?		 nach abradh e/i?
nach canadh e/i?		 nach abradh sinn?
nach abramaid?
nach canadh sinn?
nach canamaid?		 nach abradh sibh?
nach canadh sibh?		 nach abradh iad?
nach canadh iad?		 nach abairte(adh)?
nach abairist(e)?1
nach cante(adh)?
nach canaist(e)?1
relative future (a) their mi
(a) chanas mi		 (a) their thu
(a) chanas tu		 (a) their e/i
(a) chanas e/i		 (a) their sinn
(a) chanas sinn		 (a) their sibh
(a) chanas sibh		 (a) their iad
(a) chanas iad		 (a) theirear
(a) chanar
imperative abram!
canam!		 abair!
can!		 abradh e/i!
canadh e/i!		 abramaid!
canamaid!		 abraibh!
canaibh!		 abradh iad!
canadh iad!		 abrar!
canar!
verbal noun ràdh
past participle ràite, cante

1 Lewis dialect form
Forms of the verb can are more often used in place of abair, particularly colloquial language, in the tenses where they are listed in italics here. Abair forms are more typical of high registers of the language, particularly ecclesiastical language, and some southern dialects which are now rarely spoken.

Derived terms

References
  • Edward Dwelly (1911), “abair”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
  • G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “as-beir”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
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