aimser
Middle Irish
Etymology
From Old Irish aimser, from Proto-Celtic *amsterā (“time, moment”) (compare Middle Welsh amser), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂mh₁-eh₂, from the root *h₂meh₁- (“to mow, reap, harvest”).[1][2] Stifter suggests derivation from Proto-Celtic *ammansterā or *ammanstero, related to Old Irish amm (“time”), derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂etmn̥ (“wandering”), from the root *h₂et- (“to go”), thus cognate with Latin annus (“year”) and Gothic *𐌰𐌸𐌽 (*aþn) or *𐌰𐌸𐌽𐍃 (*aþns, “year”) (attested in 𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌸𐌽𐌹 (ataþni, “year”)).[3]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈamʲɕər/
Noun
aimser f (genitive aimsire, nominative plural aimsera)
- time
- c. 1000, Anonymous, published in (1935) Rudolf Thurneysen, editor, Scéla Mucca Meic Dathó (in Middle Irish), Dublin: Staionery Office, § 1, l. 8, page 1: “Is ⟨s⟩í sin in chōiced bruden ro·boī i nHērinn isind aimsir sin, ocus bruden Da-Derg i crích Cūalann ocus bruden Ḟorgaill Manaich ocus bruden Me[i]c Da-Rēo i mBrēfni ocus bruden Da-Choca i n‑īarthur Midi. ― That is one of the five halls that were (lit. “That is the fifth hall that was”) in Ireland at that time, [the others being] also the hall of Da-Derg in the territory of Cúalu, and the hall of Forgall Manach, and the hall of Mac Dareo in Bréifne, and the hall of Da-Choca in the west of Meath.”
Inflection
- Accusative/dative singular: aimsir
Mutation
| Middle Irish mutation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Radical | Lenition | Nasalization |
| aimser | unchanged | n-aimser |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | ||
References
- Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008) “ḫamešḫa-”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 5), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 281
- Matasović, Ranko (2009) “amstera”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 33-34
- David Stifter (2017) “Varia II. The Origin of Time”, in Ériu, volume 67, Royal Irish Academy, , pages 219–226
Further reading
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “aimser”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Old Irish
Etymology
From Proto-Celtic *amsterā (“time, moment”) (compare Middle Welsh amser), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂mh₁-eh₂, from the root *h₂meh₁- (“to mow, reap, harvest”).[1][2] Stifter suggests derivation from Proto-Celtic *ammansterā or *ammanstero, related to amm (“time”), derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂etmn̥ (“wandering”), from the root *h₂et- (“to go”), thus cognate with Latin annus (“year”) and Gothic *𐌰𐌸𐌽 (*aþn) or *𐌰𐌸𐌽𐍃 (*aþns, “year”) (attested in 𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌸𐌽𐌹 (ataþni, “year”)).[3]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈamʲsʲer]
Noun
aimser f (genitive aimsire, nominative plural aimsera)
- point in time
- c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 51a18
- In tan imme·romastar són nach noíb, ara cuintea dílgud Dé isind aimsir sin.
- That is, when any saint sins, that he may seek the forgiveness of God at that time.
- c. 845, St Gall Glosses on Priscian, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1975, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. II, pp. 49–224, Sg. 26a6
- ɔ eperthae cía aiccent ⁊ cisí aimser derb thechtas
- so that it might be said what accent and what certain time it has
- c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 51a18
- period of time, season
- age, epoch
- rule, reign
- season, weather
- (phonology) length
Inflection
| Feminine ā-stem | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
| Nominative | aimserL | aimsirL | aimseraH |
| Vocative | aimserL | aimsirL | aimseraH |
| Accusative | aimsirN | aimsirL | aimseraH |
| Genitive | aimsireH | aimserL | aimserN |
| Dative | aimsirL | aimseraib | aimseraib |
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
| |||
Derived terms
- aimseracht
- aimserad
- aimserdae
Mutation
| Old Irish mutation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Radical | Lenition | Nasalization |
| aimser | unchanged | n-aimser |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | ||
References
- Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008) “ḫamešḫa-”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 5), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 281
- Matasović, Ranko (2009) “amstera”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 33-34
- David Stifter (2017) “Varia II. The Origin of Time”, in Ériu, volume 67, Royal Irish Academy, , pages 219–226
Further reading
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “aimser”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language