abair

Irish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA: [ˈabˠəɾʲ]

Verb

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

1. to say, utter
2. to 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

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	deirtear
	past	dúirt mé; dúras; dúrt	dúirt tú; dúrais	dúirt sé, sí	dúramar; dúirt muid	dúirt sibh; dúrabhair	dúirt siad; dúradar	a dúirt	dúradh
	past habitual	deirinn	deirteá	deireadh sé, sí	deirimis; deireadh muid	deireadh sibh	deiridís; deireadh siad	a deireadh	deirtí
	future	déarfaidh mé; déarfad	déarfaidh tú; déarfair†	déarfaidh sé, sí	déarfaimid; déarfaidh muid	déarfaidh sibh	déarfaidh siad; déarfaid†	a déarfaidh; a déarfas	déarfar
conditional		déarfainn	déarfá	déarfadh sé, sí	déarfaimis; déarfadh muid	déarfadh sibh	déarfaidís; déarfadh siad	a déarfadh	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

† 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
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-abartar
	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

Usage notes

The d-initial forms of this verb are immune to lenition. They also do not undergo eclipsis after the interrogative particle an.

Synonyms

• inis
• labhair

Derived terms

• abair le (“to say to, tell, inform”)
• ná habair é (“don't mention it”)

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

• "abair", "adeirim" in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
• Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, vol. II, 78.
• E. C. Quiggin, A Dialect of Donegal, page 125, § 370.

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Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA: [ab̊ɪɾʲ]

Etymology

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

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 that it is today!)

Verb

abair (present participle form ràdh)

1. say

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