aimser

Middle Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish aimser, from Proto-Celtic *amsterā (“time, moment”) (compare Middle Welsh amser), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂mh₁-eh₂, from the root *h₂meh₁- (“to mow, reap, harvest”). Stifter suggests derivation from Proto-Celtic *ammansterā or *ammanstero, related to Old Irish amm (“time”), derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂etmn̥ (“wandering”), from the root *h₂et- (“to go”), thus cognate with Latin annus (“year”) and Gothic *𐌰𐌸𐌽 (*aþn) or *𐌰𐌸𐌽𐍃 (*aþns, “year”) (attested in 𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌸𐌽𐌹 (ataþni, “year”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈamʲɕər/

Noun

aimser f (genitive aimsire, nominative plural aimsera)

1. time
   • c. 1000, anonymous author, edited by Rudolf Thurneysen, Scéla Mucca Meic Dathó, Dublin: Stationery Office, published 1935, § 1, page 1, line 8:

     Is ⟨s⟩í sin in chōiced bruden ro·boī i nHērinn isind aimsir sin, ocus bruden Da-Derg i crích Cūalann ocus bruden Ḟorgaill Manaich ocus bruden Me[i]c Da-Rēo i mBrēfni ocus bruden Da-Choca i n‑īarthur Midi.

     That is one of the five halls that were (lit. “That is the fifth hall that was”) in Ireland at that time, [the others being] also the hall of Da-Derg in the territory of Cúalu, and the hall of Forgall Manach, and the hall of Mac Dareo in Bréifne, and the hall of Da-Choca in the west of Meath.

Inflection

• Accusative/dative singular: aimsir

Descendants

• Irish: aimsir
• Manx: emshir
• Scottish Gaelic: aimsir

Mutation

Mutation of aimser

radical	lenition	nasalization
aimser	unchanged	n-aimser

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

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “aimser”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *amsterā (“time, moment”) (compare Middle Welsh amser), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂mh₁-eh₂, from the root *h₂meh₁- (“to mow, reap, harvest”). Stifter suggests derivation from Proto-Celtic *ammansterā or *ammanstero, related to amm (“time”), derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂etmn̥ (“wandering”), from the root *h₂et- (“to go”), thus cognate with Latin annus (“year”) and Gothic *𐌰𐌸𐌽 (*aþn) or *𐌰𐌸𐌽𐍃 (*aþns, “year”) (attested in 𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌸𐌽𐌹 (ataþni, “year”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈamʲsʲer]

Noun

aimser f (genitive aimsire, nominative plural aimsera)

1. point in time

   Synonyms: úar, tráth

   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 51^a18

     In tan imme·romastar són nach noíb, ara cuintea dílgud Dé isind aimsir sin.

     That is, when any saint sins, that he may seek the forgiveness of God at that time.

   • c. 845, St Gall Glosses on Priscian, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1975, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. II, pp. 49–224, Sg. 26^a6

     ɔ eperthae cía aiccent ⁊ cisí aimser derb thechtas

     so that it might be said what accent and what certain time it has

2. period of time, season

   Synonyms: tráth, ré, síst

3. age, epoch
4. rule, reign
5. season, weather
6. (phonology) length

Inflection

Feminine ā-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	aimserL	aimsirL	aimseraH
Vocative	aimserL	aimsirL	aimseraH
Accusative	aimsirN	aimsirL	aimseraH
Genitive	aimsireH	aimserL	aimserN
Dative	aimsirL	aimseraib	aimseraib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Derived terms

• aimseracht
• aimserad
• aimserdae

Descendants

• Middle Irish: aimser
  • Irish: aimsir
  • Manx: emshir
  • Scottish Gaelic: aimsir

Mutation

Mutation of aimser

radical	lenition	nasalization
aimser (pronounced with /h/ in h-prothesis environments)	unchanged	n-aimser

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

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “aimser”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language