gearr

See also: geàrr and gearr-

Irish

Alternative forms

• geárr (superseded)

Etymology

From Middle Irish gerr. The verb is from Middle Irish gerraid.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɟɑːɾˠ/
• IPA^(key): /ɟaːɾˠ/

Adjective

gearr (genitive singular feminine giorra, plural gearra, comparative giorra)

1. short

   Synonym: gairid

   Antonym: fada

2. curt
3. deficient, inadequate
4. near, close

Declension

Declension of gearr

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	gearr	ghearr	gearra; ghearra²
Vocative	ghearr		gearra
Genitive		giorra	gearra	gearr
Dative	gearr; ghearr¹	ghearr	gearra; ghearra²
Comparative	níos giorra
Superlative	is giorra

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

• Alternative vocative/genitive singular masculine and archaic dative singular feminine: girr

Derived terms

• gearr sa radharc (“short-sighted”)
• gearr-
• gearró (“recently”)
• i bhfad agus i ngearr (“far and near”)
• i ngearr aimsire (“in a short time”)

 

Verb

gearr (present analytic gearrann, future analytic gearrfaidh, verbal noun gearradh, past participle gearrtha)

1. cut; shorten, reduce

   Ghearr mé mo lámh ar maidin.

   I cut my hand this morning.

2. (card games) cut
3. (dentistry, of teeth) cut (of child); grind
4. (of wounding speech) make a cutting remark to someone; backbite; nag
5. castrate
6. levy, impose, allocate (from fund)

Conjugation

conjugation of gearr (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	gearraim	gearrann tú; gearrair†	gearrann sé, sí	gearraimid	gearrann sibh	gearrann siad; gearraid†	a ghearrann; a ghearras / a ngearrann*	gearrtar
	past	ghearr mé; ghearras	ghearr tú; ghearrais	ghearr sé, sí	ghearramar; ghearr muid	ghearr sibh; ghearrabhair	ghearr siad; ghearradar	a ghearr / ar ghearr*	gearradh
	past habitual	ghearrainn / ngearrainn‡‡	ghearrtá / ngearrtᇇ	ghearradh sé, sí / ngearradh sé, s퇇	ghearraimis; ghearradh muid / ngearraimis‡‡; ngearradh muid‡‡	ghearradh sibh / ngearradh sibh‡‡	ghearraidís; ghearradh siad / ngearraidís‡‡; ngearradh siad‡‡	a ghearradh / a ngearradh*	ghearrtaí / ngearrta퇇
future		gearrfaidh mé; gearrfad	gearrfaidh tú; gearrfair†	gearrfaidh sé, sí	gearrfaimid; gearrfaidh muid	gearrfaidh sibh	gearrfaidh siad; gearrfaid†	a ghearrfaidh; a ghearrfas / a ngearrfaidh*	gearrfar
conditional		ghearrfainn / ngearrfainn‡‡	ghearrfá / ngearrfᇇ	ghearrfadh sé, sí / ngearrfadh sé, s퇇	ghearrfaimis; ghearrfadh muid / ngearrfaimis‡‡; ngearrfadh muid‡‡	ghearrfadh sibh / ngearrfadh sibh‡‡	ghearrfaidís; ghearrfadh siad / ngearrfaidís‡‡; ngearrfadh siad‡‡	a ghearrfadh / a ngearrfadh*	ghearrfaí / ngearrfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go ngearra mé; go ngearrad†	go ngearra tú; go ngearrair†	go ngearra sé, sí	go ngearraimid; go ngearra muid	go ngearra sibh	go ngearra siad; go ngearraid†	—	go ngearrtar
	past	dá ngearrainn	dá ngearrtá	dá ngearradh sé, sí	dá ngearraimis; dá ngearradh muid	dá ngearradh sibh	dá ngearraidís; dá ngearradh siad	—	dá ngearrtaí
imperative		gearraim	gearr	gearradh sé, sí	gearraimis	gearraigí; gearraidh†	gearraidís	—	gearrtar
verbal noun		gearradh
past participle		gearrtha

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
gearr	ghearr	ngearr
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “gerr”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “gerraid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “geárr”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 357
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “gearraim”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 357
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “gearr”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “gearr”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “gearr”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 24

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Scottish Gaelic

Noun

gearr f (genitive singular gearra, plural gearran)

1. Alternative form of geàrr

Verb

gearr (past ghearr, future gearraidh, verbal noun gearradh, past participle gearrta)

1. Alternative form of geàrr

Adjective

gearr

1. Alternative form of geàrr