eochair

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔxəɾʲ/
• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈɞxəɾʲ/

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish eochair, from Old Irish eochair, from Proto-Celtic *exs-koris, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“turn, curve”) (whence Latin curvus). Compare Scottish Gaelic iuchair.

Noun

eochair f (genitive singular eochrach, nominative plural eochracha)

1. key

   An bhfuil eochair an tí agat? ― Do you have the house key?

2. (music) key; clef

Declension

Declension of eochair

Fifth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative eochair eochracha Vocative a eochair a eochracha Genitive eochrach eochracha Dative eochair eochracha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an eochair na heochracha Genitive na heochrach na n-eochracha Dative leis an eochair don eochair leis na heochracha

Derived terms

• dordeochair
• eochair altach
• eochair an doird
• eochair an teanóir
• eochair cloig
• eochair cóid
• eochair cruite
• eochair na tribile
• eochair sáibh
• eochair thochraiste
• eochair veidhlín
• eochairchlár
• eochairdheacracht
• eochairfhreagracht
• eochairléacht
• eochairthosaíocht
• faoi ghlas is eochair
• poll eochrach
• siogairlín eochrach

 

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “eochair”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “eoċair”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 287
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 eochair, echair”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish ochair, a specialized use of fochair (“nearness, proximity”).

Noun

eochair f (genitive singular eochrach, nominative plural eochracha)

1. brim, brink, edge, border

Declension

Declension of eochair

Fifth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative eochair eochracha Vocative a eochair a eochracha Genitive eochrach eochracha Dative eochair eochracha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an eochair na heochracha Genitive na heochrach na n-eochracha Dative leis an eochair don eochair leis na heochracha

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “eochair”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “eoċair”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 287
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “7 eochair, ochair”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Etymology 3

From Middle Irish iuchair.

Noun

eochair f (genitive singular eochra, nominative plural eochraí)

1. Alternative form of eochraí (“spawn, fish roe”)

Declension

Declension of eochair

Third declension

Bare forms: Case Singular Plural Nominative eochair eochraí Vocative a eochair a eochraí Genitive eochra eochraí Dative eochair eochraí

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Plural Nominative an eochair na heochraí Genitive na heochra na n-eochraí Dative leis an eochair don eochair leis na heochraí

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “eochair”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “eoċair”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 287
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “iuchair”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
eochair	n-eochair	heochair	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *exs-koris, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“turn, curve”) (whence cor and more distantly Latin curvus).

Noun

eochair f

1. key
   • Old Irish treatise on the Psalter, published in Hibernica Minora, (1894, Oxford: Clarendon Press), edited and with translations by Kuno Meyer, line 216

     Is foa n-indas-sin ro·gab in saltair .i. forgnuis óin-libuir dianechtair ocus ilsailm hi mmedón, fo chosmailius nacha tegdaise adamra co scrínaib ilardaib co n-itsudaib mrechtnaigdib, co n-eochraib saingnustaib do erslocud cach aí. Atá didiu eochair saingnuste ré cach salm .i. a thitul.

     In [that way] is the Psalter, to wit, the form of one book [on the outside], and many psalms within, like some glorious building with many shrines, with various treasure-houses, with special keys to open each one of them. There is however a special key before each psalm, to wit, its title.

Inflection

Feminine i-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	eochair	eochairL	eochraiH
Vocative	eochair	eochairL	eochraiH
Accusative	eochairN	eochairL	eochraiH
Genitive	eochroH, eochraH	eochroH, eochraH	eochraeN
Dative	eochairL	eochraib	eochraib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Feminine k-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	eochair	eochraigL	eochraig
Vocative	eochair	eochraigL	eochracha
Accusative	eochraigN	eochraigL	eochracha
Genitive	eochrach	eochrach	eochrachN
Dative	eochraigL	eochrachaib	eochrachaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Middle Irish: eochair, echair
  • Irish: eochair
  • Scottish Gaelic: iuchair
  • Manx: ogher

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
eochair (pronounced with /h/ in h-prothesis environments)	unchanged	n-eochair
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 eochair, echair”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language