saor
Irish
Etymology 1
From Middle Irish saer, from Old Irish sóer, from Proto-Celtic *su-wiros (“good man”).
Adjective
saor (genitive singular masculine saoir, genitive singular feminine saoire, plural saora, comparative saoire)
- free (not imprisoned; unconstrained; without obligations; (of software) with very few restrictions on distribution or improvement)
- (literary) having freeman status, enfranchised; noble
- independent
- disengaged
- unrestrained, unrestricted
- not fixed or combined
- blameless, innocent (ar, ó (“of”))
- immune, exempt (ar, ó (“from”))
- safe (ó (“from”))
- (literary, of things) choice
- (grammar) autonomous (of Celtic verb forms similar in meaning to the passive voice)
- cheap, inexpensive
Usage notes
Although ‘free’ is the most common translation of this word, it does not mean ‘free of charge, gratis’, but rather ‘cheap, inexpensive’ in reference to goods or services being exchanged. The term for ‘free of charge’ is in aisce.
Declension
Singular | Plural (m/f) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Positive | Masculine | Feminine | (strong noun) | (weak noun) |
Nominative | saor | shaor | saora; shaora² | |
Vocative | shaoir | saora | ||
Genitive | saoire | saora | saor | |
Dative | saor; shaor¹ |
shaor; shaoir (archaic) |
saora; shaora² | |
Comparative | níos saoire | |||
Superlative | is saoire |
¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.
Antonyms
- (cheap, inexpensive): daor
Verb
saor (present analytic saorann, future analytic saorfaidh, verbal noun saoradh, past participle saortha) (transitive)
Conjugation
singular | plural | relative | autonomous | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | ||||
indicative | present | saoraim | saorann tú; saorair† |
saorann sé, sí | saoraimid | saorann sibh | saorann siad; saoraid† |
a saorann; a saoras / a saorann*; a saoras* |
saortar |
past | saor mé; saoras | saor tú; saorais | saor sé, sí | saoramar; saor muid | saor sibh; saorabhair | saor siad; saoradar | a saor / ar saor* |
saoradh | |
past habitual | saorainn | saortá | saoradh sé, sí | saoraimis; saoradh muid | saoradh sibh | saoraidís; saoradh siad | a saoradh / ar saoradh* |
saortaí | |
future | saorfaidh mé; saorfad |
saorfaidh tú; saorfair† |
saorfaidh sé, sí | saorfaimid; saorfaidh muid |
saorfaidh sibh | saorfaidh siad; saorfaid† |
a saorfaidh; a saorfas / a saorfaidh*; a saorfas* |
saorfar | |
conditional | saorfainn | saorfá | saorfadh sé, sí | saorfaimis; saorfadh muid | saorfadh sibh | saorfaidís; saorfadh siad | a saorfadh / ar saorfadh* |
saorfaí | |
subjunctive | present | go saora mé; go saorad† |
go saora tú; go saorair† |
go saora sé, sí | go saoraimid; go saora muid |
go saora sibh | go saora siad; go saoraid† |
— | go saortar |
past | dá saorainn | dá saortá | dá saoradh sé, sí | dá saoraimis; dá saoradh muid |
dá saoradh sibh | dá saoraidís; dá saoradh siad |
— | dá saortaí | |
imperative | saoraim | saor | saoradh sé, sí | saoraimis | saoraigí; saoraidh† |
saoraidís | — | saortar | |
verbal noun | saoradh | ||||||||
past participle | saortha |
* Indirect relative
† Archaic or dialect form
Derived terms
- saoirse (“freedom”)
- cluiche saor (“bye”)
Etymology 2
From Middle Irish saer, from Old Irish sáer, from Proto-Celtic *saɸiros, from Proto-Indo-European *sapiros, from *sap- (“skill”).
Declension
First declension
Bare forms:
|
Forms with the definite article:
|
Mutation
Irish mutation | ||
---|---|---|
Radical | Lenition | Eclipsis |
saor | shaor after an, tsaor |
not applicable |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
References
- "saor" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
- Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Alexander MacBain, Eneas Mackay, 1911
- “1 saer” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
- “2 saer” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [sɯːɾ]
Etymology 1
From Old Irish sóer, from Proto-Celtic *su-wiros (“good man”).
Declension
Case | Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Plural |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative | saor | shaor | saora |
Vocative | shaoir | shaor | saora |
Genitive | shaoir | shaoir/saoire | saora |
Dative | shaor | shaoir | saora |
Antonyms
- (cheap): daor
Derived terms
- làithean-saora, saor-làithean (“holidays”)
- saoirse (“freedom”)
- saoranach (“citizen”)
- saoranachd (“citizenship”)
- saor o mhàl (“rent-free”)
- saorsa (“freedom; salvation”)
- saor-thoil (“free will”)
- saor-thoileach (“voluntary; spontaneous”)
Etymology 2
From Old Irish sáer, from Proto-Celtic *saɸiros, from Proto-Indo-European *sapiros, from *sap- (“skill”).
References
- Faclair Gàidhlig Dwelly Air Loidhne, Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
- Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Alexander MacBain, Eneas Mackay, 1911
- “1 saer” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
- “2 saer” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.