Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
lig ar. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
lig ar, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
lig ar in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
lig ar you have here. The definition of the word
lig ar will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
lig ar, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Irish
Etymology
From Middle Irish léicid for (“to feign”). The second sense is calqued from English let on.
Verb
lig ar
- to pretend
Tá sé ag ligean air féin go bhfuil sé bodhar.- He's pretending to be deaf.
- to let on (to reveal or indicate)
1939, Peig Sayers, “Inghean an Cheannaidhe”, in Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Description d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études; 270) (overall work in French), Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, page 196:Do ghlac rabharta feirge an captaen, ach níor leig sé aon nídh air.- A flood of rage seized captain was filled with rage, but he didn’t let on.
Usage notes
The preposition ar is reflexive in this construction: its object agrees with the subject of the verb:
- ligim orm ― I let on
- ligeann tú ort ― you let on
- ligeann sé air ― he lets on