ær

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse ær, from Proto-Germanic *awiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛaːɹ/

Noun

ær f (genitive singular ær, plural ær)

1. ewe

   ofta eigur svørt ær hvítt lamb.

   Black ewes often give birth to white lambs.

Declension

Derived terms

• áseyður
• ærkjøt

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aiːr/
• Rhymes: -aiːr

Etymology 1

From Old Norse ær, from Proto-Germanic *awiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Noun

ær f (genitive singular ær, nominative plural ær)

1. ewe

Declension

Etymology 2

From Old Norse ǿrr, from Proto-Germanic *wōrijaz. Cognate to Old English wērig (modern weary).

Adjective

ær (comparative ærari, superlative ærastur)

1. mad

Inflection

References

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon — Íslensk orðsifjabók, (1989). Reykjavík, Orðabók Háskólans. (Available on Málið.is under the “Eldra mál” tab.)

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse æðr (“eider”).

Noun

ær f or m (definite singular æra or æren, indefinite plural ærer, definite plural ærene)

1. eider

Synonyms

• ærfugl

Derived terms

• ederdun
• ederdunsdyne

Etymology 2

Verb

ær

1. imperative of ære

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Old Norse æðr.

Noun

ær f (definite singular æra, indefinite plural ærer, definite plural ærene)

1. eider

Usage notes

• The compound ærfugl is more commonly used.

Etymology 2

Verb

ær

1. imperative of æra

Etymology 3

Noun

ær n (definite singular æret, indefinite plural ær, definite plural æra)

1. (pre-2012) alternative form of arr

Etymology 4

From Old Norse yðr.

Alternative forms

• ør, øder

Pronoun

ær (possessive ærs)

1. (obsolete or dialectal) objective case of i

References

• “ær” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• Ivar Aasen (1850) chapter I, in Ordbog over det norske Folkesprog‎ (in Danish), Oslo: Samlaget, published 2000

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *airiz, originally a comparative form (=‘earlier’).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æːr/

Adjective

ǣr (comparative ǣrra, superlative ǣrest)

1. early, previous, former

Declension

Preposition

ǣr

1. before, (in negative sentences) until

   Hēo becōm ānre niht ǣr mē.

   She arrived one day before me.

   Earge sweltaþ manigum sīðum ǣr heora dēaðum.

   Cowards die many times before their deaths.

Conjunction

ǣr

1. before, (in negative sentences) until

   Ne telle man nānne mann ġesǣliġne ǣr hē biþ dēad.

   No one should be considered lucky until he is dead.

   Ǣr þon þe hē hit cwæþ, nyste hē nā hwæt hē cweðan wolde.

   Until he said it, he did not know what he was going to say.

2. rather than (in preference to)
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "THE PASSION OF THE APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL"

     "Paulus cwæð to Petre, "Broðer, þu wære Gode gecoren ær ic,

     Paul said to Peter, "Brother, thou wast chosen of God before me

Adverb

ær

1. previously
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "On the Purification of St. Mary"

     Uton fon nu on þæt godspel ðær we hit ǣr forlēton.

     Let us now resume the gospel where we previously left it.

2. already
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "For Palm Sunday"

     Þam folce wearð cūð þæt se Hælend arærde lytle ær Lazarum of deaðe, seðe læg stincende feower niht on byrgene: þa comon þa togeanes Criste þe geleaffulle wæron, mid þam wurðmynte, swa we ǣr cwædon.

     It was known to the people that Christ a little before had raised Lazarus from death, who had lain stinking four nights in the grave: then those, who were believing, came to meet Christ with the honours which we have already mentioned.

Descendants

• Middle English: er
  • English: ere
  • Scots: air
  • Yola: ear

Derived terms

• ǣrlīċe
• ǣrdæġ
• ǣrgōd
• ǣrra ġēola (“December”)

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *awiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Noun

ær f (genitive ær, plural ær)

1. ewe

Declension

Descendants

• Icelandic: ær
• Faroese: ær
• Norwegian Nynorsk: ærsaud, ærsau
• Danish: ålam (Thy dialect)

Old Swedish

Verb

ær

1. inflection of vara:
   1. first-person singular indicative present
   2. third-person singular indicative present