Seán

See also: Appendix:Variations of "sean"

Irish

Alternative forms

• Seaán, Seaghán (superseded)

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French Jehan, from Latin Iōhannēs, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), contraction from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (yōḥānān, literally “God is gracious”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ʃɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ʃɑːnˠ/, /ʃɑːn̪ˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ʃaːnˠ/, /ʃaːn̪ˠ/

Proper noun

Seán m (genitive Seáin)

1. a male given name from Old French, equivalent to English John or French Jean

Declension

Declension of Seán (first declension, no plural)

bare forms case singular nominative Seán vocative a Sheáin genitive Seáin dative Seán forms with the definite article case singular nominative an Seán genitive an tSeáin dative leis an Seán don Seán

Derived terms

• Seáinín
• Seán báite (“watered whiskey”)
• Seán Buí (“John Bull”)
• Seán na gealaí (“jack-o’-lantern”)

 

Related terms

• Eoin

Descendants

• → English: Sean, Shaun, Shawn, Shon, Shane

Mutation

Mutated forms of Seán

radical	lenition	eclipsis
Seán	Sheán after an, tSeán	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) “Seán”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN