ær

See also: -ær, ær-, and Appendix:Variations of "aer"

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse ær, from Proto-Germanic *awiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛaːɹ/

Noun

ær f (genitive singular ær, plural ær)

1. ewe

   ofta eigur svørt ær hvítt lamb.

   Black ewes often give birth to white lambs.

Declension

f20	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ær	ærin	ær	ærnar
accusative	ær	ærina	ær	ærnar
dative	ær	ærini	óm	ónum
genitive	ær	ærinnar	áa	áanna

Derived terms

• áseyður
• ærkjøt

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aiːr/
• Rhymes: -aiːr

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Norse ær, from Proto-Germanic *awiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Noun

ær f (genitive singular ær, nominative plural ær)

1. ewe

Declension

Declension of ær (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ær	ærin	ær	ærnar
accusative	á	ána	ær	ærnar
dative	á	ánni	ám	ánum
genitive	ær	ærinnar	áa	ánna

Etymology 2

From Old Norse ǿrr, from Proto-Germanic *wōrijaz. Cognate to Old English wērig (modern weary).

Adjective

ær (comparative ærari, superlative ærastur)

1. mad

Declension

Positive forms of ær

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	ær	ær	ært
	accusative	æran	æra
	dative	ærum	ærri	æru
	genitive	ærs	ærrar	ærs
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	ærir	ærar	ær
	accusative	æra
	dative	ærum
	genitive	ærra
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	æri	æra	æra
	acc/dat/gen	æra	æru
	plural (all-case)	æru

Comparative forms of ær

weak declension (definite)		masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular (all-case)	ærari	ærari	ærara
	plural (all-case)	ærari

Superlative forms of ær

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	ærastur	ærust	ærast
	accusative	ærastan	ærasta
	dative	ærustum	ærastri	ærustu
	genitive	ærasts	ærastrar	ærasts
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	ærastir	ærastar	ærust
	accusative	ærasta
	dative	ærustum
	genitive	ærastra
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	ærasti	ærasta	ærasta
	acc/dat/gen	ærasta	ærustu
	plural (all-case)	ærustu

References

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989) Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse æðr (“eider”).

Noun

ær f or m (definite singular æra or æren, indefinite plural ærer, definite plural ærene)

1. eider

Synonyms

• ærfugl

Derived terms

• ederdun
• ederdunsdyne

Etymology 2

Verb

ær

1. imperative of ære

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Old Norse æðr.

Noun

ær f (definite singular æra, indefinite plural ærer, definite plural ærene)

1. eider

Usage notes

• The compound ærfugl is more commonly used.

Etymology 2

Verb

ær

1. imperative of æra

Etymology 3

Noun

ær n (definite singular æret, indefinite plural ær, definite plural æra)

1. (pre-2012) alternative form of arr

Etymology 4

From Old Norse yðr.

Alternative forms

• ør, øder

Pronoun

ær (possessive ærs)

1. (obsolete or dialectal) objective case of i

References

• “ær” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• Ivar Aasen (1850) “i”, in Ordbog over det norske Folkesprog‎^[1] (in Danish), Oslo: Samlaget, published 2000

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *airiz, originally a comparative form (=‘earlier’).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æːr/

Adjective

ǣr (comparative ǣrra, superlative ǣrest)

1. early, previous, former

Declension

Declension of ǣr — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ǣr	ǣr	ǣr
Accusative	ǣrne	ǣre	ǣr
Genitive	ǣres	ǣrre	ǣres
Dative	ǣrum	ǣrre	ǣrum
Instrumental	ǣre	ǣrre	ǣre
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ǣre	ǣra, ǣre	ǣr
Accusative	ǣre	ǣra, ǣre	ǣr
Genitive	ǣrra	ǣrra	ǣrra
Dative	ǣrum	ǣrum	ǣrum
Instrumental	ǣrum	ǣrum	ǣrum

Declension of ǣr — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ǣra	ǣre	ǣre
Accusative	ǣran	ǣran	ǣre
Genitive	ǣran	ǣran	ǣran
Dative	ǣran	ǣran	ǣran
Instrumental	ǣran	ǣran	ǣran
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ǣran	ǣran	ǣran
Accusative	ǣran	ǣran	ǣran
Genitive	ǣrra, ǣrena	ǣrra, ǣrena	ǣrra, ǣrena
Dative	ǣrum	ǣrum	ǣrum
Instrumental	ǣrum	ǣrum	ǣrum

Preposition

ǣr

1. before, (in negative sentences) until
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     Til biþ sē þe his trēowe ġehealdeþ, · ne sċeal nǣfre his torn tō ryċene
     beorn of his brēostum ācȳþan, · nemþe hē ǣr þā bōte cunne,
     eorl mid elne ġefremman. · Wel bið þām þe him āre sēċeð,
     frōfre tō fæder on heofonum, · þǣr ūs eal sēo fæstnung stondeð.

     Good is that keeps his belief, should not ever unfold his wrath,
     fighter of his breasts, too quickly, unless before this help he would
     know how to help out a man with strength. It's good for him who seeks
     help from the Father in heavens, where this whole fastening stands for us.

   Hēo becōm ānre niht ǣr mē.

   She arrived one day before me.

   Earge sweltaþ manigum sīðum ǣr heora dēaðum.

   Cowards die many times before their deaths.

Conjunction

ǣr

1. before, (in negative sentences) until
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     forþon ne mæġ wearþan wīs · wer, ǣr hē āge
     wintra dǣl in woruldrīċe. · Wita sċeal ġeþyldiġ.

     thus a man cannot become wise, before he would own
     a part of years in world-kingdom. A wise man must be patient.

   Ne telle man nānne mann ġesǣliġne ǣr hē biþ dēad.

   No one should be considered lucky until he is dead.

   Ǣr þon þe hē hit cwæþ, nyste hē nā hwæt hē cweðan wolde.

   Until he said it, he did not know what he was going to say.

2. rather than (in preference to)
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "THE PASSION OF THE APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL"

     "Paulus cwæð to Petre, "Broðer, þu wære Gode gecoren ær ic,

     Paul said to Peter, "Brother, thou wast chosen of God before me

Adverb

ǣr

1. previously
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "On the Purification of St. Mary"

     Uton fon nu on þæt godspel ðær we hit ǣr forlēton.

     Let us now resume the gospel where we previously left it.

2. already
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "For Palm Sunday"

     Þam folce wearð cūð þæt se Hælend arærde lytle ær Lazarum of deaðe, seðe læg stincende feower niht on byrgene: þa comon þa togeanes Criste þe geleaffulle wæron, mid þam wurðmynte, swa we ǣr cwædon.

     It was known to the people that Christ a little before had raised Lazarus from death, who had lain stinking four nights in the grave: then those, who were believing, came to meet Christ with the honours which we have already mentioned.

Descendants

• Middle English: er
  • English: ere
  • Scots: air
  • Yola: ear

Derived terms

• ǣrlīċe
• ǣrdæġ
• ǣrgōd
• ǣrra ġēola (“December”)

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *awiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Noun

ær f (genitive ær, plural ær)

1. ewe

Declension

Declension of ær (strong i-stem)

feminine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ær	ærin	ær	ærnar
accusative	á	ána	ær	ærnar
dative	á	ánni	ám	ánum
genitive	ær	ærinnar	á	ánna

Descendants

• Icelandic: ær
• Faroese: ær
• Norwegian Nynorsk: ærsaud, ærsau
• Danish: ålam (Thy dialect)

Old Swedish

Verb

ær

1. inflection of vara:
   1. first-person singular indicative present
   2. third-person singular indicative present