spéir

See also: speir

Irish

Alternative forms

• spéar, speur

Etymology

From Middle Irish spéir, from Latin sphēra, sphaera (“ball, globe, sphere”), from Ancient Greek σφαῖρα (sphaîra, “ball, globe”). Doublet of sféar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sˠpʲeːɾʲ/

Noun

spéir f (genitive singular spéire, nominative plural spéartha)

1. sky; air
2. airiness, brightness, light
3. (literary) sphere, circle
4. (literary) orbit

Declension

Declension of spéir

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative spéir spéartha Vocative a spéir a spéartha Genitive spéire spéartha Dative spéir spéartha

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an spéir na spéartha Genitive na spéire na spéartha Dative leis an spéir don spéir leis na spéartha

Synonyms

• (sky, air): aer

Derived terms

• spéir dhroim an ronnaigh
• spéir ronnach
• spéirbhean
• spéirbhruinneall
• spéirghealach
• spéirghlan
• spéirghorm
• spéiriúil
• spéirléas

 

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “spéir”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “spéir”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page {{{1}}}
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “spéir”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “spéir”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 61
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 38