mair

See also: Mair and maïr

Contents

English

Etymology

From Middle English mair, mare, from Old English māra (“more”), from Proto-Germanic *maizô. More at more.

Pronunciation

• (UK, Geordie) IPA^(key): /mɛə/

Adjective

mair (not comparable)

1. (Geordie) more

Adverb

mair (not comparable)

1. (Geordie) more

Anagrams

• Amir, Irma, Mari, Mira, RIMA, amir, raim, rami, rima

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Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish maraid, mairid (“persist, remain alive”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mˠaɾʲ/

Verb

mair (present analytic maireann, future analytic mairfidh, verbal noun maireachtáil, past participle mairthe)

1. live, remain, survive

   Go maire tú é.

   May you live to enjoy it.

   Maireann croí éadrom a bhfad.

   A light heart lives long.

   Mairim anseo.

   I live here.

   Sláinte chuig na fir agus go maire na mná go deo!

   Health to the men and may the women live forever!

2. last (“endure, hold out, continue”)
   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, p. 199:

     mŭȧŕə n wūn dūń kaiḱīš elə.

     conventional orthography: Mairfidh an mhóin dúinn coicís eile.

     The turf will last us another fortnight.

Conjugation

First Conjugation (A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	mairim	maireann tú; mairir†	maireann sé, sí	mairimid	maireann sibh	maireann siad; mairid†	a mhaireann; a mhaireas / a maireann*; a maireas*	mairtear
	past	mhair mé; mhaireas	mhair tú; mhairis	mhair sé, sí	mhaireamar; mhair muid	mhair sibh; mhaireabhair	mhair siad; mhaireadar	a mhair / ar mhair*	maireadh
	past habitual	mhairinn	mhairteá	mhaireadh sé, sí	mhairimis; mhaireadh muid	mhaireadh sibh	mhairidís; mhaireadh siad	a mhaireadh / ar mhaireadh*	mhairtí
	future	mairfidh mé; mairfead	mairfidh tú; mairfir†	mairfidh sé, sí	mairfimid; mairfidh muid	mairfidh sibh	mairfidh siad; mairfid†	a mhairfidh; a mhairfeas / a mairfidh*; a mairfeas*	mairfear
conditional		mhairfinn / mairfinn‡‡	mhairfeá / mairfeᇇ	mhairfeadh sé, sí / mairfeadh sé, s퇇	mhairfimis; mhairfeadh muid / mairfimis‡‡; mairfeadh muid‡‡	mhairfeadh sibh / mairfeadh sibh‡‡	mhairfidís; mhairfeadh siad / mairfidís‡‡; mairfeadh siad‡‡	a mhairfeadh / ar mhairfeadh*	mhairfí / mairf퇇
subjunctive	present	go maire mé; go mairead†	go maire tú; go mairir†	go maire sé, sí	go mairimid; go maire muid	go maire sibh	go maire siad; go mairid†	—	go mairtear
	past	dá mairinn	dá mairteá	dá maireadh sé, sí	dá mairimis; dá maireadh muid	dá maireadh sibh	dá mairidís; dá maireadh siad	—	dá mairtí
imperative		mairim	mair	maireadh sé, sí	mairimis	mairigí; mairidh†	mairidís	—	mairtear
verbal noun		maireachtáil
past participle		mairthe

* Indirect relative
† Archaic or dialect form
‡‡ Dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Derived terms

• go maire tú an lá (“happy birthday”)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
mair	mhair	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

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Manx

Etymology

From Old Irish mér, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱros.

Noun

mair f (genitive singular mair, plural meir)

1. (anatomy) finger, digit
2. prong
3. key (of piano)
4. hand (of clock)
5. tributary (of river)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• mair chass, mair choshey (“toe”)
• mair-chlaare (“keyboard, fingerboard”)
• mair-chooilleeney (“masturbation”)

• mair choshey veg, mair veg ny coshey (“little toe”)
• mair ny fainey (“ring finger”)

• mair veg (“little finger”)
• mair vooar (“middle finger”)

Mutation

Manx mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
mair	vair	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

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Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /meːr/

Etymology 1

From Old English māra (compare English more).

Adjective

mair (not comparable)

1. bigger, greater

Adverb

mair (not comparable)

1. more

Derived terms

• mair by taiken
• mair oot ower
• the mair

Related terms

• mae

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Old French maire (“head of a city or town government”), from Latin maior (“bigger, greater, superior”), comparative of magnus (“big, great”).

Noun

mair (plural mairs)

1. (archaic) mayor

Derived terms

• mair o fee
• mairship
• shirra-mair

Etymology 3

From Old English mōr.

Alternative forms

• muir

Noun

mair (plural mairs)

1. (South Scots) moor

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Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish maraid, mairid (“persist, remain alive”).

Verb

mair (past mhair, future mairidh, verbal noun mairsinn or maireann or maireachdainn, past participle mairte)

1. last, continue

Synonyms

• seas

Derived terms

• maireannach
• nach maireann