Seán

See also: Appendix:Variations of "sean"

Irish

Alternative forms

• Seaán, Seaghán (superseded)

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French Jehan, from Latin Iōhannēs, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), contraction from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (yōḥānān, literally “God is gracious”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ʃɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ʃɑːnˠ/, /ʃɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ʃaːnˠ/, /ʃaːn̪ˠ/

Proper noun

Seán m (genitive Seáin)

1. a male given name from Old French, equivalent to English John or French Jean

Declension

Declension of Seán

First declension

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative Seán Vocative a Sheáin Genitive Seáin Dative Seán

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Nominative an Seán Genitive an tSeáin Dative leis an Seán don Seán

Derived terms

• Seáinín
• Seán báite (“watered whiskey”)
• Seán Buí (“John Bull”)
• Seán na gealaí (“jack-o’-lantern”)

 

Related terms

• Eoin

Descendants

• → English: Sean, Shaun, Shawn, Shon

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
Seán	Sheán after an, tSeán	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “Seán”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN