athair

See also: Athair

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish athair, from Proto-Celtic *ɸatīr, from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈahəɾʲ/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈæhəɾʲ/
• (Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /æːɾʲ/

Noun

athair m ‎(genitive singular athar, nominative plural aithreacha)

1. father (male parent; term of address for a priest; male ancestor more remote than a parent, a progenitor)

   Fuair m’athair bás.‎

   My father died.

   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, p. 21:

     ḱē n xȳ ə wil tū, ə æhŕ̥?

     conventional orthography: Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú, a athair?

     How are you, father? (could be addressed to one’s own father or to a priest, as in English)

   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, p. 22:

     mə æhŕəxə

     conventional orthography: m’aithreacha ‎(“my fathers, my ancestors”)

   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, p. 22:

     nə h-æhŕəxə n̄ȳfe

     conventional orthography: na haithreacha naofa ‎(“the Church Fathers”)

Declension

Declension of athair

Fifth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative athair aithreacha Vocative a athair a aithreacha Genitive athar aithreacha Dative athair aithreacha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an t-athair na haithreacha Genitive an athar na n-aithreacha Dative leis an athair don athair leis na haithreacha

• Archaic nominative/vocative plural: aithre
• Archaic genitive plural: aithreach
• Archaic dative plural: aithribh, aithreachaibh

Coordinate terms

• iníon ‎(“daughter”)
• máthair ‎(“mother”)
• mac ‎(“son”)

Derived terms

Terms derived from athair

• aithriúil
• athair altrama

• athair céile
• leasathair

• seanathair
• sean-seanathair

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
athair	n-athair	hathair	t-athair
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• “1 athair” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• “aṫair” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
• "athair" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.

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Old Irish

Alternative forms

• athir

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *ɸatīr, from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaθirʲ/

Noun

athair m ‎(genitive athar, nominative plural aithir)

1. father

Descendants

• Irish: athair
• Manx: ayr
• Scottish Gaelic: athair

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
athair	unchanged	n-athair
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• “1 athair” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

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Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish athair, from Proto-Celtic *ɸatīr, from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈahəɾʲ/

Noun

athair m ‎(genitive singular athar, plural athraichean)

1. father

Derived terms

• athair-baistidh ‎(“godfather”)
• athair-cèile ‎(“father-in-law”)
• bràthair-athar ‎(“paternal uncle”)
• piuthar-athar ‎(“paternal aunt”)
• taobh athar ‎(“paternal”)

Antonyms

• màthair

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
athair	n-athair	h-athair	t-athair
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• “1 athair” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.