géar

See also: gear, Gear, and gèar

Irish

Alternative forms

• geur (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle Irish gér, from Old Irish gér (compare Scottish Gaelic geur, Manx gear, geayr, geyre).

Pronunciation

• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ɟeːɾˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ɟeːɾˠ/, [ɟɛːɾˠ]

Adjective

géar (genitive singular masculine géir, genitive singular feminine géire, plural géara, comparative géire)

1. sharp (with fine edge or point; painful to touch; of thin features)

   Synonym: (literary) aichear

2. steep, abrupt
3. keen, biting, severe
4. piercing, shrill
5. cutting, sarcastic
6. acid(ic), sour, pungent
7. intent, acute (of senses, mind)
8. brisk (full of liveliness and activity)
9. close (accurate, careful, precise)
10. (nominalized, masculine) sharp object
11. (music, both adjectival and nominalized, masculine) sharp

Declension

Declension of géar

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	géar	ghéar	géara; ghéara²
Vocative	ghéir		géara
Genitive		géire	géara	géar
Dative	géar; ghéar¹	ghéar; ghéir (archaic)	géara; ghéara²
Comparative	níos géire
Superlative	is géire

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

• barrghéar (“sharp-pointed”)
• géar dúbailte (“double sharp”)
• géaraigh (“to sharpen”)
• géarleanúint (“persecution”)
• géartheangach (“sharp-tongued”)
• taos géar (“sourdough”)

 

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
géar	ghéar	ngéar
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “géar”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “géar”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “géar”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024