saor

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /sˠeːɾˠ/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /sˠiːɾˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /sˠiːɾˠ/, (older) /sˠɯːɾˠ/

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish saer, from Old Irish sóer, from Proto-Celtic *su-wiros (“good man”).

Adjective

saor (genitive singular masculine saoir, genitive singular feminine saoire, plural saora, comparative saoire)

1. free (not imprisoned; unconstrained; without obligations; (of software) with very few restrictions on distribution or improvement)
   1. (literary) having freeman status, enfranchised; noble
   2. independent
   3. disengaged
   4. unrestrained, unrestricted
   5. not fixed or combined
   6. blameless, innocent (ar, ó (“of”))
   7. immune, exempt (ar, ó (“from”))
   8. safe (ó (“from”))
   9. (literary, of things) choice
2. (grammar) autonomous (of Celtic verb forms similar in meaning to the passive voice)
3. cheap, inexpensive

Usage notes

Although ‘free’ is the most common translation of this word, it does not mean ‘free of charge, gratis’, but rather ‘cheap, inexpensive’ in reference to goods or services being exchanged. The term for ‘free of charge’ is in aisce.

Declension

Declension of saor

	singular		plural (m/f)
Positive	masculine	feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
nominative	saor	shaor	saora; shaora2
vocative	shaoir		saora
genitive		saoire	saora	saor
dative	saor; shaor1	shaor; shaoir (archaic)	saora; shaora2
Comparative	níos saoire
Superlative	is saoire

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “cheap, inexpensive”): daor

Verb

saor (present analytic saorann, future analytic saorfaidh, verbal noun saoradh, past participle saortha) (transitive)

1. (literary) raise to free status, enfranchise
2. free, liberate
3. save, redeem
4. acquit, exonerate
5. free, exempt, deliver (ar, ó (“from”))
6. (with de) rid of

Conjugation

conjugation of saor (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	saoraim	saorann tú; saorair†	saorann sé, sí	saoraimid	saorann sibh	saorann siad; saoraid†	a saorann; a saoras / a saorann*	saortar
	past	saor mé; saoras	saor tú; saorais	saor sé, sí	saoramar; saor muid	saor sibh; saorabhair	saor siad; saoradar	a saor / ar saor*	saoradh
	past habitual	saorainn	saortá	saoradh sé, sí	saoraimis; saoradh muid	saoradh sibh	saoraidís; saoradh siad	a saoradh / a saoradh*	saortaí
future		saorfaidh mé; saorfad	saorfaidh tú; saorfair†	saorfaidh sé, sí	saorfaimid; saorfaidh muid	saorfaidh sibh	saorfaidh siad; saorfaid†	a saorfaidh; a saorfas / a saorfaidh*	saorfar
conditional		saorfainn	saorfá	saorfadh sé, sí	saorfaimis; saorfadh muid	saorfadh sibh	saorfaidís; saorfadh siad	a saorfadh / a saorfadh*	saorfaí
subjunctive	present	go saora mé; go saorad†	go saora tú; go saorair†	go saora sé, sí	go saoraimid; go saora muid	go saora sibh	go saora siad; go saoraid†	—	go saortar
	past	dá saorainn	dá saortá	dá saoradh sé, sí	dá saoraimis; dá saoradh muid	dá saoradh sibh	dá saoraidís; dá saoradh siad	—	dá saortaí
imperative		saoraim	saor	saoradh sé, sí	saoraimis	saoraigí; saoraidh†	saoraidís	—	saortar
verbal noun		saoradh
past participle		saortha

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form

Derived terms

• saoirse (“freedom”)
• cluiche saor (“bye”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish saer, from Old Irish sáer, from Proto-Celtic *saɸiros, from Proto-Indo-European *sapiros, from *sap- (“skill”). Cognate with Welsh saer (“carpenter; mason”).

Noun

saor m (genitive singular saoir, nominative plural saoir)

1. craftsman
2. (stone)mason
3. artificer

Declension

Declension of saor (first declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative saor saoir vocative a shaoir a shaora genitive saoir saor dative saor saoir forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an saor na saoir genitive an tsaoir na saor dative leis an saor don saor leis na saoir

Mutation

Mutated forms of saor

radical	lenition	eclipsis
saor	shaor after an, tsaor	not applicable

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “saor”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “saor”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[1], Stirling, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 saer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 saer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 49

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s̪ɯːɾ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish sóer, from Proto-Celtic *su-wiros (“good man”).

Adjective

saor (comparative saoire)

1. free
2. cheap

Declension

Declension of saor (type I adjective)

	masculine	feminine	plural
nominative	saor	saor	saora
genitive	saoir	saoire	saora
dative	saor	saoir	saora
vocative	saoir	saor	saora

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “cheap”): daor

Derived terms

• làithean-saora, saor-làithean (“holidays”)
• saoirse (“freedom”)
• saor o mhàl (“rent-free”)
• saor-thoil (“free will”)
• saor-thoileach (“voluntary; spontaneous”)
• saoranach (“citizen”)
• saoranachd (“citizenship”)
• saorsa (“freedom; salvation”)

 

Verb

saor (past shaor, future saoraidh, verbal noun saoradh, past participle saorte)

1. free, rescue, save
2. clear, redeem
3. cheapen

Etymology 2

From Old Irish sáer, from Proto-Celtic *saɸiros, from Proto-Indo-European *sapiros, from *sap- (“skill”).

Noun

saor m (genitive singular saoir, plural saoir)

1. joiner
2. carpenter

Mutation

Mutation of saor

radical	lenition
saor	shaor after "an", t-saor

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “saor”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[2], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “saor”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎^[3], Stirling, →ISBN, page 302
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 saer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 saer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Venetan

Alternative forms

• saore

Etymology

From Latin sapor, sapōrem. Compare Italian sapore.

Noun

saor m (plural saori)

1. taste, flavour
2. sauce