géar

See also: gear, Gear, and gèar

Irish

Alternative forms

• geur (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle Irish gér, from Old Irish gér (compare Scottish Gaelic geur, Manx gear, geayr, geyre).

Pronunciation

• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ɟeːɾˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ɟeːɾˠ/, [ɟɛːɾˠ]

Adjective

géar (genitive singular masculine géir, genitive singular feminine géire, plural géara, comparative géire)

1. sharp (with fine edge or point; painful to touch; of thin features)

   Synonym: (literary) aichear

2. angular, steep, abrupt
3. keen, biting; severe, painful; brilliant, intense; piercing, shrill; cutting, sarcastic
4. acid, sour, pungent; keen, hungry
5. keen, intent; intellectually acute (of senses, mind)
6. brisk, quick; keenly contested; close; trying
7. artful, tricky; petty, mean
8. (music) sharp

Declension

Declension of géar

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	géar	ghéar	géara; ghéara²
Vocative	ghéir		géara
Genitive		géire	géara	géar
Dative	géar; ghéar¹	ghéar; ghéir (archaic)	géara; ghéara²
Comparative	níos géire
Superlative	is géire

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Derived terms

• barrghéar (“sharp-pointed”)
• géaraigh (“to sharpen”)
• géarleanúint (“persecution”)
• géartheangach (“sharp-tongued”)
• taos géar (“sourdough”)

 

Noun

géar m (genitive singular géir, nominative plural géara)

1. sharp object
2. (music) sharp

Declension

Declension of géar

First declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative géar ga Vocative a ghéir a ghéara Genitive géir géar Dative géar ga

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an géar na ga Genitive an ghéir na ngéar Dative leis an ngéar don ghéar leis na ga

Derived terms

• géar dúbailte (“double sharp”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
géar	ghéar	ngéar
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “géar”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “gér”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Entries containing “géar” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “géar” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 35