méar

See also: mear

Irish

Alternative forms

• méir (Cois Fharraige)
• meur (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish mér (whence also Scottish Gaelic meur), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱrós. Cognates include Latin macer, Ancient Greek μακρός (makrós), and Old English mæger.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /mʲiːa̯ɾˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /mʲeːɾˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /mʲeːɾˠ/, [mʲɛːɾˠ]

Noun

méar f or m (genitive singular méire, nominative plural méara or méireasta)

1. (anatomy) digit; finger, toe
2. (nautical) belaying pin
3. leg (of crustaceans, mollusks, etc.)

Declension

Declension of méar (second declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative méar méara vocative a mhéar a mhéara genitive méire méar dative méar méir (archaic, dialectal) méara forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an mhéar na méara genitive na méire na méar dative leis an méar leis an méir (archaic, dialectal) don mhéar don mhéir (archaic, dialectal) leis na méara

• Alternative strong plural: méireasta (Kerry)

Synonyms

• (finger): méar threorach
• (toe): méar coise

Derived terms

• cúig méara (“starfish; five of trumps”)
• cúig mhéar Mhuire (“creeping cinquefoil”)
• méar an fháinne (“ring finger”)
• méar bheag (“pinkie”)
• méar cholbha (“forefinger”)
• méar coise (“toe”)
• méar eolais (“finger-post”)
• méar fhada (“middle finger”)
• méar láir (“middle finger”)
• méar mheáin (“middle finger”)
• méar thosaigh (“forefinger”)
• méar threorach (“finger”)
• méara (“fluting”)
• méara ime (“butterfingers”)
• méara maide (“butterfingers”)
• méara mara (“Alcyonium palmatum”)
• méara Muire (“lady's-fingers”)
• méaróg (“fingerstone”)

 

See also

• lúidín m, lúideog f (“little finger”)
• ordóg f (“thumb; claw, pincers; bit, piece, fragment”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of méar

radical	lenition	eclipsis
méar	mhéar	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) “méar”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN