sámh

See also: samh and Samh

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Galway) IPA^(key): /sˠɑːvˠ/, /sˠɑ̃ːvˠ/
• (Mayo) IPA^(key): /sˠɑːw/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /sˠaːw/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish sám, from Proto-Celtic *sāmos. According to Matasović (p. 321), this adjective is a vṛddhi formation on Proto-Indo-European *somos (“same”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one, same”) and parallel to German sanft, English soft.

However, as Matasović notes, "the semantic side of the connection leaves much to be desired".

Adjective

sámh (genitive singular masculine sáimh, genitive singular feminine sáimhe, plural sámha, comparative sáimhe)

1. calm, peaceful, easy, pleasant
2. drowsy, lazy

   Synonym: leisciúil

Declension

Declension of sámh

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	sámh	shámh	sámha; shámha2
vocative	sháimh		sámha
genitive		sáimhe	sámha	sámh
dative	sámh; shámh1	shámh; sháimh (archaic)	sámha; shámha2
Comparative	níos sáimhe
Superlative	is sáimhe

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

• sáimhe
• sámhas

Etymology 2

From Old Irish sámae, from Proto-Celtic *sāmyā, based on the adjective stem above.

Noun

sámh f (genitive singular sáimhe)

1. peace, tranquillity, rest

Declension

Declension of sámh (second declension, no plural)

bare forms case singular nominative sámh vocative a shámh genitive sáimhe dative sámh forms with the definite article case singular nominative an tsámh genitive na sáimhe dative leis an tsámh don tsámh

Further reading

• “sámh”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “sám”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “sáṁ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 590
• Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 321
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish Dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 29