saor

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /sˠeːɾˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /sˠiːɾˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /sˠiːɾˠ/, (older) /sˠɯːɾˠ/

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish saer, from Old Irish sóer, from Proto-Celtic *su-wiros (“good man”).

Adjective

saor (genitive singular masculine saoir, genitive singular feminine saoire, plural saora, comparative saoire)

1. free (not imprisoned; unconstrained; without obligations; (of software) with very few restrictions on distribution or improvement)
   1. (literary) having freeman status, enfranchised; noble
   2. independent
   3. disengaged
   4. unrestrained, unrestricted
   5. not fixed or combined
   6. blameless, innocent (ar, ó (“of”))
   7. immune, exempt (ar, ó (“from”))
   8. safe (ó (“from”))
   9. (literary, of things) choice
2. (grammar) autonomous (of Celtic verb forms similar in meaning to the passive voice)
3. cheap, inexpensive

Usage notes

Although ‘free’ is the most common translation of this word, it does not mean ‘free of charge, gratis’, but rather ‘cheap, inexpensive’ in reference to goods or services being exchanged. The term for ‘free of charge’ is in aisce.

Declension

Declension of saor

Positive	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine	strong noun	weak noun
nominative	saor	shaor	saora; shaora2
vocative	shaoir		saora
genitive		saoire	saora	saor
dative	saor; shaor1	shaor; shaoir (archaic)	saora; shaora2
Comparative	níos saoire
Superlative	is saoire

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

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “cheap, inexpensive”): daor

Verb

saor (present analytic saorann, future analytic saorfaidh, verbal noun saoradh, past participle saortha) (transitive)

1. (literary) raise to free status, enfranchise
2. free, liberate
3. save, redeem
4. acquit, exonerate
5. free, exempt, deliver (ar, ó (“from”))
6. (with de) rid of

Conjugation

Conjugation of saor (first conjugation – A)

indicative	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present	saoraim	saorann tú; saorair†	saorann sé, sí	saoraimid; saorann muid	saorann sibh	saorann siad; saoraid†	a shaorann; a shaoras	saortar
past	shaor mé; shaoras	shaor tú; shaorais	shaor sé, sí	shaoramar; shaor muid	shaor sibh; shaorabhair	shaor siad; shaoradar	a shaor	saoradh
past habitual	shaorainn / saorainn‡	shaortá / saortá‡	shaoradh sé, sí / saoradh sé, sí‡	shaoraimis; shaoradh muid / saoraimis‡; saoradh muid‡	shaoradh sibh / saoradh sibh‡	shaoraidís; shaoradh siad / saoraidís‡; saoradh siad‡	a shaoradh	shaortaí / saortaí‡
	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	saorfaidh mé; saorfad	saorfaidh tú; saorfair†	saorfaidh sé, sí	saorfaimid; saorfaidh muid	saorfaidh sibh	saorfaidh siad; saorfaid†	a shaorfaidh; a shaorfas	saorfar
conditional	shaorfainn / saorfainn‡	shaorfá / saorfá‡	shaorfadh sé, sí / saorfadh sé, sí‡	shaorfaimis; shaorfadh muid / saorfaimis‡; saorfadh muid‡	shaorfadh sibh / saorfadh sibh‡	shaorfaidís; shaorfadh siad / saorfaidís‡; saorfadh siad‡	a shaorfadh	shaorfaí / saorfaí‡
subjunctive	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present	go saora mé; go saorad†	go saora tú; go saorair†	go saora sé, sí	go saoraimid; go saora muid	go saora sibh	go saora siad; go saoraid†	—	go saortar
past	dá saorainn	dá saortá	dá saoradh sé, sí	dá saoraimis; dá saoradh muid	dá saoradh sibh	dá saoraidís; dá saoradh siad	—	dá saortaí
imperative	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
—	saoraim	saor	saoradh sé, sí	saoraimis	saoraigí; saoraidh†	saoraidís	—	saortar
past participle	saortha
verbal noun	saoradh

^† archaic or dialect form
^‡ dependent form

Derived terms

• saoirse (“freedom”)
• cluiche saor (“bye”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish saer, from Old Irish sáer, from Proto-Celtic *saɸiros, from Proto-Indo-European *sapiros, from *sap- (“skill”). Cognate with Welsh saer (“carpenter; mason”).

Noun

saor m (genitive singular saoir, nominative plural saoir)

1. craftsman
2. (stone)mason
3. artificer

Declension

Declension of saor (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative saor saoir vocative a shaoir a shaora genitive saoir saor dative saor saoir forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an saor na saoir genitive an tsaoir na saor dative leis an saor don saor leis na saoir

Derived terms

• Baile an tSaoir (“Ballinteer”, literally “Town of the Stonemason”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of saor

radical	lenition	eclipsis
saor	shaor after an, tsaor	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

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “saor”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• MacBain, Alexander; Mackay, Eneas (1911), “saor”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[1], Stirling, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 saer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 saer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906), A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 49

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s̪ɯːɾ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish sóer, from Proto-Celtic *su-wiros (“good man”).

Adjective

saor (comparative nas saoire, superlative as saoire)

1. free
2. cheap

Declension

Declension of saor (type I adjective)

	masculine	feminine	plural
nominative	saor	saor	saora
genitive	saoir	saoire	saora
dative	saor	saoir	saora
vocative	saoir	saor	saora

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “cheap”): daor

Derived terms

• làithean-saora, saor-làithean (“holidays”)
• saoirse (“freedom”)
• saor o mhàl (“rent-free”)
• saor-thoil (“free will”)
• saor-thoileach (“voluntary; spontaneous”)
• saoranach (“citizen”)
• saoranachd (“citizenship”)
• saorsa (“freedom; salvation”)

Verb

saor (past shaor, future saoraidh, verbal noun saoradh, past participle saorte)

1. free, rescue, save
2. clear, redeem
3. cheapen

Etymology 2

From Old Irish sáer, from Proto-Celtic *saɸiros, from Proto-Indo-European *sapiros, from *sap- (“skill”).

Noun

saor m (genitive singular saoir, plural saoir)

1. joiner
2. carpenter

Mutation

Mutation of saor

radical	lenition
saor	shaor after "an", t-saor

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

References

• Edward Dwelly (1911), “saor”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• MacBain, Alexander; Mackay, Eneas (1911), “saor”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[2], Stirling, →ISBN, page 302
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 saer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 saer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Venetan

Alternative forms

• saore

Etymology

From Latin sapor, sapōrem. Compare Italian sapore.

Noun

saor m (plural saori)

1. taste, flavour
2. sauce