bearna

See also: Bearna

Irish

Alternative forms

• bearn
• beárn (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle Irish bern, berna, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“to pierce”). Cognate with Scottish Gaelic beàrn.

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connemara, Mayo) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲɑːɾˠn̪ˠə/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲaːɾˠn̪ˠə/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbʲaːɾˠn̪ˠiː/ (as if spelled bearnaí)

Noun

bearna f (genitive singular bearna, nominative plural bearnaí)

1. gap (opening made by breaking or parting, allowing passage or entrance, or implying a breach or defect)

Declension

Declension of bearna (fourth declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative bearna bearnaí vocative a bhearna a bhearnaí genitive bearna bearnaí dative bearna bearnaí forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an bhearna na bearnaí genitive na bearna na mbearnaí dative leis an mbearna don bhearna leis na bearnaí

• Alternative genitive singular: bearnadh, bearnan
• Alternative dative singular: bearnain
• Alternative plural: bearnacha

Derived terms

• Bearna (place name)
• bearna bhaoil (“gap of danger, breach (in battle)”)
• bearna chustaim (“toll-bar”)
• bearna ghiorria (“harelip, cleft lip”)
• bearna mhíl (“harelip, cleft lip”)
• bearnán (“small gap”)
• craobh-bhearna (“branch gap”)

Related terms

• bearnas (“mountain pass”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of bearna

radical	lenition	eclipsis
bearna	bhearna	mbearna

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) “bearna”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “bearna”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “bearna”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025

Old English

Noun

bearna

1. genitive plural of bearn