beir

See also: beír

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʲɛɾʲ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish beirid, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-.

Verb

beir (present analytic beireann, future analytic béarfaidh, verbal noun breith, past participle beirthe) (transitive, intransitive)

1. bear, give birth to (of persons, usually autonomously with do)

   Rug sí lao. ― She bore a calf.

   Rugadh iníon di. ― She bore a daughter.

2. (of birds) lay
3. bear away, win
4. bring, take
5. proceed, advance

Conjugation

Conjugation of beir

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	beirim	beireann tú; beirir†	beireann sé, sí	beirimid; beireann muid	beireann sibh	beireann siad; beirid†	a bheireann; a bheireas / a mbeireann*; a mbeireas*	beirtear
	past	rug mé; rugas	rug tú; rugais	rug sé, sí	rugamar; rug muid	rug sibh; rugabhair	rug siad; rugadar	a rug / ar rug*	rugadh
	past habitual	bheirinn / mbeirinn‡‡	bheirteá / mbeirteᇇ	bheireadh sé, sí / mbeireadh sé, s퇇	bheirimis; bheireadh muid / mbeirimis‡‡; mbeireadh muid‡‡	bheireadh sibh / mbeireadh sibh‡‡	bheiridís; bheireadh siad / mbeiridís‡‡; mbeireadh siad‡‡	a bheireadh / a mbeireadh*	bheirtí / mbeirt퇇
	future	béarfaidh mé; béarfad	béarfaidh tú; béarfair†	béarfaidh sé, sí	béarfaimid; béarfaidh muid	béarfaidh sibh	béarfaidh siad; béarfaid†	a bhéarfaidh, a bhéarfas / a mbéarfaidh*, a mbéarfas*	béarfar
conditional		bhéarfainn / mbéarfainn‡‡	bhéarfá / mbéarfᇇ	bhéarfadh sé, sí / mbéarfadh sé, s퇇	bhéarfaimis; bhéarfadh muid / mbéarfaimis‡‡; mbéarfadh muid‡‡	bhéarfadh sibh / mbéarfadh sibh‡‡	bhéarfaidís; bhéarfadh siad / mbéarfaidís‡‡; mbéarfadh siad‡‡	a bhéarfadh / a mbéarfadh*	bhéarfaí / mbéarfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go mbeire mé; go mbeiread†	go mbeire tú; go mbeirir†	go mbeire sé, sí	go mbeirimid; go mbeire muid	go mbeire sibh	go mbeire siad; go mbeirid†	—	go mbeirtear
	past	dá mbeirinn	dá mbeirteá	dá mbeireadh sé, sí	dá mbeirimis; dá mbeireadh muid	dá mbeireadh sibh	dá mbeiridís; dá mbeireadh siad	—	dá mbeirtí
imperative		beirim	beir	beireadh sé, sí	beirimis	beirigí; beiridh†	beiridís	—	beirtear
verbal noun		breith
past participle		beirthe

*Indirect relative
† Dialect form
‡‡ Dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

In Munster, past indicative forms built on the form riug are encountered:

• riugas (1st person singular)
• riugais (2nd person singular)
• riug (analytic)
• riugamar (1st person plural)
• riugabhair (2nd person plural)
• riugadar (3rd person plural)

 

Derived terms

• beir ar (“catch; overtake”)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

beir

1. (literary, Munster) second-person singular future of bí

   Beir ana-shásta ansin.

   You will be very happy there.

Usage notes

The modern standard form is the analytic construction beidh tú.

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
beir	bheir	mbeir
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• "beir" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “beirid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

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Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʲerʲ/

Verb

·beir (present), beir (imperative)

1. third-person singular present conjunct of beirid
2. second-person singular imperative of beirid

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
·beir	·beir pronounced with /-v(ʲ)-/	·mbeir
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

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Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish beirid, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-.

Verb

beir (past rug, future beiridh, verbal noun breith, past participle beirte)

1. give birth to
2. ‘beir air’: carry, catch; catch up with; overtake; catch hold of
3. ‘beir’ without ‘air’: give birth to

Participles

Tense \ Voice	Active	Passive
Present	a' breith	--
Past	rug	rugadh
Future	beiridh	beirear
Conditional	bheireadh	bheirteadh

References

• “beir” in Edward Dwelly, Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary, 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, 1911, →ISBN.
• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “beirid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

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West Flemish

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch bēre, from Old Dutch *bero, from Proto-Germanic *berô.

Noun

beir m (plural beirn)

1. bear (large predatory mammal of the family Ursidae)
2. (figuratively) person who is physically impressive and/or crude

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch bêer, from Old Dutch *bēr, from Proto-Germanic *bairaz.

Noun

beir m (plural beirn)

1. boar (male swine)