méar

See also: mear

Irish

Alternative forms

• méir (Cois Fharraige)
• meur (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish mér (whence also Scottish Gaelic meur), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱrós. Cognates include Latin macer, Ancient Greek μακρός (makrós), and Old English mæger.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /mʲiːa̯ɾˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /mʲeːɾˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /mʲeːɾˠ/, [mʲɛːɾˠ]

Noun

méar f or m (genitive singular méire, nominative plural méara or méireasta or méaracha)

1. digit; finger, toe
2. (nautical) belaying pin
3. leg (of crustaceans, mollusks, etc.)

Declension

Declension of méar (second declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative méar méara vocative a mhéar a mhéara genitive méire méar dative méar méir (archaic, dialectal) méara forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an mhéar na méara genitive na méire na méar dative leis an méar leis an méir (archaic, dialectal) don mhéar don mhéir (archaic, dialectal) leis na méara

• Alternative strong plurals:

  méireanna, méireanta, méireasta (Kerry)

  méaracha (Galway)

Synonyms

• (finger): méar threorach
• (toe): méar coise

Derived terms

• barr méire (“fingertip”)
• cúig méara (“starfish; five of trumps”)
• cúig mhéar Mhuire (“creeping cinquefoil”)
• méar an fháinne (“ring finger”)
• méar bheag (“pinkie”)
• méar cholbha (“forefinger”)
• méar coise (“toe”)
• méar eolais (“finger-post”)
• méar fhada (“middle finger”)
• méar láir (“middle finger”)
• méar mheáin (“middle finger”)
• méar thosaigh (“forefinger”)
• méar threorach (“finger”)
• méara (“fluting”)
• méara ime (“butterfingers”)
• méara maide (“butterfingers”)
• méara mara (“Alcyonium palmatum”)
• méara Muire (“lady's-fingers”)
• méaróg (“fingerstone”)

See also

• lúidín m, lúideog f (“little finger”)
• ordóg f (“thumb”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of méar

radical	lenition	eclipsis
méar	mhéar	not applicable

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• A. Palandri, Ú. Bhreathnach, M. Měchura, G. Ó Cleircín, and B. Ó Raghallaigh, (2026), “méar”, in Taisce Chanúintí na Gaeilge - Repository of Irish Dialects‎^[1] (in Irish and English), Dublin City University
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927), “méar”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla [Irish and English Dictionary], 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 727; reprinted with additions 1996, →ISBN
• “méar”, in Foclóir Nua Gaeilge (in Irish), Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “méar”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN