méar

See also: mear

Irish

Alternative forms

méir (Cois Fharraige)
meur (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish mér, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱros. Cognates include Latin macer, Ancient Greek μακρός (makrós), Old English mæger, and Scottish Gaelic meur.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mʲeːɾˠ/

Noun

méar f, m (genitive singular méire, nominative plural méara)

(anatomy) digit; finger, toe
1. (nautical) belaying pin
leg (of crustaceans, mollusks, etc.)

Declension

Declension of méar

Second declension

Bare forms

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	méar	méara
Vocative	a mhéar	a mhéara
Genitive	méire	méar
Dative	méar méir (archaic, dialectal)	méara

Forms with the definite article

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an mhéar	na méara
Genitive	na méire	na méar
Dative	leis an méar leis an méir (archaic, dialectal) don mhéar don mhéir (archaic, dialectal)	leis na méara

Synonyms

(finger): méar threorach
(toe): méar coise

Derived terms

Terms derived from méar

an mhéar fhada, mhéar láir, mhéar mheáin (“the middle finger”)
an mhéar thosaigh, mhéar cholbha (“the forefinger, index finger”)
cúig mhéar Mhuire (“creeping cinquefoil”)
méara (“fluting”)

méara ime, méara maide (“butter-fingers”)
méara mara (“Alcyonium palmatum”)
méara Muire (“lady's-fingers”)
méar an fháinne (“the ring-finger”)

méar bheag (“little finger, pinkie”)
méar eolais (“finger-post”)
méaróg (“fingerstone, pebble; fingerlike object; neat little girl, saucy girl”)
na cúig méara (“starfish; the five of trumps”)

Related terms

lúidín m, lúideog f (“little finger”)
ordóg f (“thumb; claw, pincers; bit, piece, fragment”)

Mutation

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

References

"méar" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
“1 mér” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

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