Samhain

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish Samhain, q.v.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsaʊ.wən/, /ˈsaʊ.wɪn/
  • (file)

Proper noun

Samhain

  1. A holiday, falling on the night of October 31 to November 1, celebrated by the ancient Celts and by modern neo-pagans as the beginning of winter and the new year, and a time during which the spirits of the dead could return to the earth.

Synonyms

Translations

See also

Anagrams

Irish

FWOTD – 31 October 2012

Etymology

From Old Irish Samain (Halloween), from Proto-Celtic *Samonyos (compare Gaulish samoni-) or a genitive *samonis, either from Proto-Indo-European *smH-on- (together; reunion, assembly) (compare Old High German saman (together), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰 (samana, together, in common), Sanskrit समन (samaná, together), सम् (sám, with), Avestan 𐬵𐬀 (ha), 𐬵𐬀𐬨 (ham, together)), from the root *sem- (together, whole), or alternatively from the same element found in the compound *kentusamonyos (beginning of summer), a derivation from Proto-Celtic *samos (summer) (compare Old Irish sam (summer), Welsh haf (summer)) from Proto-Indo-European *sm̥h₂ós (summer) < *semh₂-.

Pronunciation

  • (Munster) IPA(key): /sˠaunʲ/, /sˠounʲ/
  • (Connacht) IPA(key): /sˠəunʲ/, /ˈsˠɑvˠən/
  • (Ulster) IPA(key): /ˈsˠãuwənʲ/

Noun

Samhain f (genitive singular Samhna, nominative plural Samhnacha)

  1. November
    • 21 January 1919, Constitution of Dáil Éireann, Fourth Article
      Beidh an tAireach freagarthach don Dáil san airgead a gheobhfar mar sin agus leagfaidh sé cúntaisí mionscrúduighthe ar chaitheamh an airgid fé bhrághaid na Dála dhá uair sa bhliadhain – um Shamhain is um Bealtaine.
      The Ministry shall be answerable to the Dáil for such moneys, and the accounts shall be audited with regard to the spending of money for the Dáil twice yearly – in November and May.
    • 18 September 2012, Foinse, Deir Mitt Romney go bhfuil vótálaithe Obama 'ag brath ar an rialtas' i bhfíseán a sceitheadh
      Is cosúil go bhfuil Romney ag labhairt le grúpa deontóirí saibhre níos luaithe i mbliana san fhíseán agus é ag labhairt go hoscailte faoina straitéis le díriú ar an bpíosa beag den daonra nach bhfuil cinneadh déanta acu go fóill i dtaobh toghchán na Samhna ...
      Romney appears to be talking to a group of rich donors earlier this year in the video, and he's talking openly about the strategy of targeting the small portion of the population who still haven't made a decision about November's election ...
  2. Samhain (Celtic festival); (more generally) the first of November.

Declension

Derived terms

  • Mí na Samhna (Month of November)
  • Oíche Shamhna f (Halloween)
  • Sean-Samhain

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
Samhain Shamhain
after an, tSamhain
not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

See also

Further reading

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsaũ.iɲ/

Proper noun

Samhain f (genitive Samhna)

  1. (with article: an t-Samhain) November
  2. All Saints' Day
  3. All Souls' Day

Derived terms

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical Lenition
SamhainShamhain
after "an", t-Samhain
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

See also

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