beirt

See also: beírt

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish beirt (“pair, two (people)”), from bert (“burden, load; bundle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʲɛɾˠtʲ/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /bˠɞɾʲtʲ/ (as if spelled boirt)
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /bʲɨ̞ɾˠtʲ/

Noun

beirt f (genitive singular beirte, nominative plural beirteanna) (triggers lenition (except of d, s, and t))

1. (a group of) two, a pair
   1. (of persons)

      Tá beirt deartháireacha agam.

      I have two brothers.

      Bhí filíocht ag an mbeirt.

      The two composed poetry.

      • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 48:

        ə rug tøsə klȧn̄ riəv? rugəs, rug mḗ šešŕ̥, tā ḱǡŕ ȷīb agm̥, agəs kȧĺū bøŕc.

        [An rug tusa clann riamh? Rugas, rug mé seisear, tá ceathrar díobh agam, agus cailleadh beirt.]

        Did you ever have children? Yes, I had six, I have four [still] and two died.

   2. (of things, without dependent noun)

      Tá beirt de chaoirigh bhána sa ghort.

      There are a pair of white sheep in the field.

Usage notes

• Generally used with the genitive plural when referring to human beings and the preposition de when referring to other things. With pronouns, either de or ag may be used:

  Bhí an bheirt againn ann. ― Both of us were there.

  Fuair beirt díobh bás ina naíonáin. ― Two of them died in infancy.

Declension

Declension of beirt

Second declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative beirt beirteanna Vocative a bheirt a bheirteanna Genitive beirte beirteanna Dative beirt beirteanna

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an bheirt na beirteanna Genitive na beirte na mbeirteanna Dative leis an mbeirt don bheirt leis na beirteanna

See also

• dhá/dá (“two”, non-personal)
• dís

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
beirt	bheirt	mbeirt
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “beirt”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 64
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “beirt”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic

Noun

beirt f sg

1. genitive singular of beart

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
beirt	bheirt
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.