saoil

Irish

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sˠiːlʲ/

Verb

saoil (present analytic saoileann, future analytic saoilfidh, verbal noun saoileadh, past participle saoilte)

1. Alternative form of síl (“to think; expect”)

Conjugation

conjugation of saoil (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	saoilim	saoileann tú; saoilir†	saoileann sé, sí	saoilimid	saoileann sibh	saoileann siad; saoilid†	a shaoileann; a shaoileas / a saoileann*	saoiltear
	past	shaoil mé; shaoileas	shaoil tú; shaoilis	shaoil sé, sí	shaoileamar; shaoil muid	shaoil sibh; shaoileabhair	shaoil siad; shaoileadar	a shaoil / ar shaoil*	saoileadh
	past habitual	shaoilinn / saoilinn‡‡	shaoilteá / saoilteᇇ	shaoileadh sé, sí / saoileadh sé, s퇇	shaoilimis; shaoileadh muid / saoilimis‡‡; saoileadh muid‡‡	shaoileadh sibh / saoileadh sibh‡‡	shaoilidís; shaoileadh siad / saoilidís‡‡; saoileadh siad‡‡	a shaoileadh / a saoileadh*	shaoiltí / saoilt퇇
future		saoilfidh mé; saoilfead	saoilfidh tú; saoilfir†	saoilfidh sé, sí	saoilfimid; saoilfidh muid	saoilfidh sibh	saoilfidh siad; saoilfid†	a shaoilfidh; a shaoilfeas / a saoilfidh*	saoilfear
conditional		shaoilfinn / saoilfinn‡‡	shaoilfeá / saoilfeᇇ	shaoilfeadh sé, sí / saoilfeadh sé, s퇇	shaoilfimis; shaoilfeadh muid / saoilfimis‡‡; saoilfeadh muid‡‡	shaoilfeadh sibh / saoilfeadh sibh‡‡	shaoilfidís; shaoilfeadh siad / saoilfidís‡‡; saoilfeadh siad‡‡	a shaoilfeadh / a saoilfeadh*	shaoilfí / saoilf퇇
subjunctive	present	go saoile mé; go saoilead†	go saoile tú; go saoilir†	go saoile sé, sí	go saoilimid; go saoile muid	go saoile sibh	go saoile siad; go saoilid†	—	go saoiltear
	past	dá saoilinn	dá saoilteá	dá saoileadh sé, sí	dá saoilimis; dá saoileadh muid	dá saoileadh sibh	dá saoilidís; dá saoileadh siad	—	dá saoiltí
imperative		saoilim	saoil	saoileadh sé, sí	saoilimis	saoiligí; saoilidh†	saoilidís	—	saoiltear
verbal noun		saoileadh
past participle		saoilte

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “saílid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “saoilim”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 592

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• saoghail (superseded)

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /sˠeːlʲ/ (corresponding to the form saoghail)
• (Connacht, Ulster) IPA^(key): /sˠiːlʲ/

Noun

saoil

1. genitive singular of saol

Mutation

Mutated forms of saoil

radical	lenition	eclipsis
saoil	shaoil after an, tsaoil	not applicable

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish saílid.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s̪ɯːl/

Verb

saoil (past shaoil, future saoilidh, verbal noun saoilsinn, past participle saoilte)

1. suppose, think (=believe), imagine

   Shaoil mi. ― I thought. I believed (that). I imagined.

   An saoil thu? ― Do you think?

   Shaoileadh duine. ― One should suppose.

   Shaoil e gur e nàmhaid a bh' ann. ― He thought he was an enemy.

   Nach saoil thu? ― Do you not think?

   ma shaoileas tu ― if you think or judge

   C' àit' an deach e, saoil thu? ― Where do you think he has gone.

2. seem

Synonyms

• smaoinich

Mutation

Mutation of saoil

radical	lenition
saoil	shaoil after "an", t-saoil

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “saoil”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• MacLennan, Malcolm (1925) A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Edinburgh: J. Grant, →OCLC