cóir

See also: coir and còir

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /koːɾʲ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /kɔːɾʲ/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *kowwaris (“just, righful”), from *kom- (“with”) + *wīros (“true”).

Noun

cóir f (genitive singular córa, nominative plural córacha)

1. justice, equity
2. proper share, due
3. proper provision; accommodation
4. proper condition
5. proper equipment, (plural) requisites

Declension

Declension of cóir (third declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative cóir córacha vocative a chóir a chóracha genitive córa córacha dative cóir córacha forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an chóir na córacha genitive na córa na gcóracha dative leis an gcóir don chóir leis na córacha

Derived terms

• cóir leapa
• cóireáil
• éagóir

Adjective

cóir (genitive singular masculine cóir, genitive singular feminine córa, plural córa, comparative córa)

1. just, proper
2. decent, honest

Declension

Declension of cóir

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	cóir	chóir	córa; chóra2
vocative	chóir		córa
genitive		córa	córa	cóir
dative	cóir; chóir1	chóir	córa; chóra2
Comparative	níos córa
Superlative	is córa

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

Derived terms

• cóir máireach
• éagóir

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

cóir

1. nearness, proximity (used only in fixed phrases; see Derived terms)

Derived terms

• chóir
• de chóir

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

cóir m

1. inflection of cór:
   1. vocative/genitive singular
   2. nominative/dative plural

Mutation

Mutated forms of cóir

radical	lenition	eclipsis
cóir	chóir	gcóir

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

Old Irish

Alternative forms

• coair, coïr

Etymology

From Primitive Irish *ᚉᚑᚃᚐᚏᚔᚄ (*covaris), from Proto-Celtic *kowwaris (“proper, fitting”), from *kom- (“with”) + Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to heed”). Cognate with Welsh cywair (“orderly”).

Pronunciation

• (earlier) IPA^(key): /ˈko.irʲ/
• (later) IPA^(key): /ˈkoːrʲ/

Adjective

cóir (comparative córu)

1. proper, right, just

   Antonym: écóir

   • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 4^a27

     Coïr irnigde trá in so, act ní chumcam-ni ón, mani thinib in spirut.

     This, then, is the right way to pray, but we cannot do that unless the spirit inspires it.

   • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 15^d8

     Is dúibsi proficit; ba coïr dúibsi cía do·berthe testas dinni

     It is you that it benefits; it would be right for you if you gave testimony of us.

Inflection

i-stem
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	cóir	cóir	cóir
Vocative	cóir
Accusative	cóir	cóir
Genitive	cóir	córae	cóir
Dative	cóir	cóir	cóir
Plural	Masculine	Feminine/neuter
Nominative	córai	córai
Vocative	córai
Accusative	córai
Genitive	cóir* córae
Dative	córaib
Notes	*not when substantivized

Derived terms

• écóir

Descendants

• Middle Irish: cóir
  • Irish: cóir
  • Scottish Gaelic: còir
  • Manx: cair

Mutation

Mutation of cóir

radical	lenition	nasalization
cóir	chóir	cóir pronounced with /ɡ(ʲ)-/

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), “cóir”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language