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idir. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
idir, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
idir in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
idir you have here. The definition of the word
idir will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
idir, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Irish
Etymology
From Old Irish eter,[1] from Proto-Indo-European *h₁enter (“between”). Cognate with Latin inter (“between”) and Sanskrit अन्तर् (antár, “between, within, into”). Compare Scottish Gaelic eadar.
Pronunciation
Preposition
idir (plus nominative in singular, dative in plural, triggers lenition except in certain constructions with distance, time, difference, or opposition)
- between
- idir fhir agus mhná ― between men and women
2014, Bruno Coulais (lyrics and music), “Amhrán Na Farraige [Song of the Sea]”:Idir ann is idir as. Idir thuaidh is idir theas.- Between in and between out. Between north and between south.
- both (paired with agus (“and”))
- idir chait agus mhadraí ― both cats and dogs
- partly...partly..., half...half... (paired with agus (“and”))
- idir bheith ag caint agus chanadh ― half talking, half singing
Usage notes
- In modern usage, has inflected forms only in the plural. Is used with nouns and singular pronouns in combination with another noun or pronoun:
- idir é agus mé ― between him and me
- In the sense of strictly "between", does not trigger lenition when a definite path can be traced between the things being described; often occurs with distance, time, and difference and almost always occurs with opposition:
- idir Maigh Eo agus Gaillimh ― between Mayo and Galway
- idir fómhar agus geimhreadh ― between autumn and winter
- an difríocht idir maith agus olc ― the difference between good and evil
- cogadh idir tíortha ― war between countries
- cluiche idir Baile Átha Cliath agus Corcaigh ― a game between Dublin and Cork
- But:
- idir thithe ― between houses (indistinct, cannot be represented by a definite path)
- idir shaoirí ― between holidays
- cur idir dhaoine ― to interfere between people
- When mutation does occur, the s in agus blocks mutation of d, s, and t in the following word even though it is not the trigger:
- idir Phádraig agus Tadhg ― between Patrick and Tadhg
- idir rith agus siúl ― half running, half walking
- idir shonas agus deora ― between happiness and tears
Inflection
References
- ^ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “eter, etir or dil.ie/20789”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- ^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish Dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 78
- ^ Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect] (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 88
- ^ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 34
Scottish Gaelic
Etymology
From Middle Irish , from Old Irish etir (“at all”), originally 3rd person sg. neut. form of Old Irish eter (“between”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈitʲɪɾʲ/
- Hyphenation: idir
Adverb
idir
- (not) at all
- Chan eil idir. ― Not at all.
References
- Edward Dwelly (1911) “idir”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
- MacLennan, Malcolm (1925) A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Edinburgh: J. Grant, →OCLC
- Colin Mark (2003) “idir”, in The Gaelic-English dictionary, London: Routledge, →ISBN
- Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “etir”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language