amháin

See also: a-mhàin

Irish edit

Etymology edit

From Middle Irish amáin, from Old Irish nammá (“only, merely”), a petrified phrase derived from a negated form of má (“more”) (a comparative form of mór, már (“great”)), thus “not more”.

Pronunciation edit

(Munster) IPA^(key): /əˈvˠɑːnʲ/, [əˈvɑ̃ːi̯nʲ]^[1]
(Connacht) IPA^(key): /əˈwɑːnʲ/^[2]
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /əˈwãːnʲ/^[3]

Adverb edit

amháin

one
Synonym: aon

capall amháin ― one horse
only
mise amháin ― only me
the same (after aon + noun)
Tá siad ina gcónaí san aon teach amháin.
They live in the same house

Derived terms edit

Mutation edit

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

References edit

^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 29
^ Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 100
^ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 93