athair

See also: Athair

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈɑhəɾʲ/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈæhəɾʲ/
• (Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /æːɾʲ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈahæɾʲ/ (as if spelled atháir)

Etymology 1

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

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^[1], Marburg: N. G. Elwert'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung:

     ḱē n xȳ ə wil tū, ə æhŕ̥?

     Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú, a athair? (conventional orthography)

     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^[2], Marburg: N. G. Elwert'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung:

     mə æhŕəxə

     m’aithreacha (conventional orthography)

     my fathers, my ancestors

   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart‎^[3], Marburg: N. G. Elwert'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung:

     nə h-æhŕəxə n̄ȳfe

     na haithreacha naofa (conventional orthography)

     the Church Fathers

2. ancestor
3. sire

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

• Aithreacha na Cathrach
• aithriúil
• ardathair
• Ár nAthair
• athair altrama
• athair céile
• athair críonna
• athair faoistine
• Athair-Mhac
• athair mór
• athair muintire
• athair naofa
• Athair Naofa
• Athair Síoraí
• Dia an tAthair
• leasathair
• seanathair
• sin-seanathair
• uasalathair

 

Further reading

• "athair" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 athair”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• “athair” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1st ed., 1904, by Patrick S. Dinneen, page aṫair.
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 14

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

athair f (genitive singular athrach)

1. creeper
2. Alternative form of nathair (“snake”)

Declension

Declension of athair

Fifth declension

Bare forms (no plural for this noun): Case Singular Nominative athair Vocative a athair Genitive athrach Dative athair

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Nominative an athair Genitive na hathrach Dative leis an athair don athair

Derived terms

• athair thalún (“milfoil, yarrow”)

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.

---

Old Irish

Alternative forms

• athir

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈaθɨrʲ]

Noun

athair m (genitive athar, nominative plural aithir)

1. father

Inflection

Masculine r-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	athair	athairL	aithir
Vocative	athair	athairL	aithrea
Accusative	athairN	athairL	aithrea
Genitive	athar	athar	aithreN, athraeN
Dative	athairL	aithrib, athraib	aithrib, athraib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Derived terms

• athramail

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.

Further reading

• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 athair”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

---

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

Antonyms

• màthair

Derived terms

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

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

• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 athair”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language