scinn

Irish

Alternative forms

• sceinn (superseded)
• sgeinn, sginn (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Irish sceindid,^[1] from Proto-Celtic *skanndeti (whence Welsh ysgain), from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to jump”) (whence Sanskrit स्कन्द् (skand, “to jump, leap”), Latin scandō (“to ascend, mount”).^[2]

Verb

scinn (present analytic scinneann, future analytic scinnfidh, verbal noun scinneadh, past participle scinnte) (intransitive)

1. to spring (forth), gush (forth)
2. to start (jerk suddenly in surprise), shy (jump back in fear)
3. to dart (fly or pass swiftly), fly off, fly out, dash, shoot (move very quickly and suddenly), scurry
4. to depart suddenly, vanish [with ó ‘from’]

   scinn chun siúil ― to rush off

5. to escape [with ó ‘from’]

   Scinn an focal uaim.

   The word escaped my lips.

6. to glance (strike and fly off in an oblique direction to dart aside), glance off [with de]
7. to graze (rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing) [with de]
8. to skim (glide along near the surface)

Conjugation

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	scinnim	scinneann tú; scinnir†	scinneann sé, sí	scinnimid	scinneann sibh	scinneann siad; scinnid†	a scinneann; a scinneas	scinntear
	past	scinn mé; scinneas	scinn tú; scinnis	scinn sé, sí	scinneamar; scinn muid	scinn sibh; scinneabhair	scinn siad; scinneadar	a scinn / ar scinn*	scinneadh
	past habitual	scinninn	scinnteá	scinneadh sé, sí	scinnimis; scinneadh muid	scinneadh sibh	scinnidís; scinneadh siad	a scinneadh / a scinneadh*	scinntí
future		scinnfidh mé; scinnfead	scinnfidh tú; scinnfir†	scinnfidh sé, sí	scinnfimid; scinnfidh muid	scinnfidh sibh	scinnfidh siad; scinnfid†	a scinnfidh; a scinnfeas	scinnfear
conditional		scinnfinn	scinnfeá	scinnfeadh sé, sí	scinnfimis; scinnfeadh muid	scinnfeadh sibh	scinnfidís; scinnfeadh siad	a scinnfeadh / a scinnfeadh*	scinnfí
subjunctive	present	go scinne mé; go scinnead†	go scinne tú; go scinnir†	go scinne sé, sí	go scinnimid; go scinne muid	go scinne sibh	go scinne siad; go scinnid†	—	go scinntear
	past	dá scinninn	dá scinnteá	dá scinneadh sé, sí	dá scinnimis; dá scinneadh muid	dá scinneadh sibh	dá scinnidís; dá scinneadh siad	—	dá scinntí
imperative		scinnim	scinn	scinneadh sé, sí	scinnimis	scinnigí; scinnidh†	scinnidís	—	scinntear
verbal noun		scinneadh
past participle		scinnte

conjugation of scinn (first conjugation – A)

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form

Alternative verbal noun: sceinm

References

1. Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “sceinnid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
2. Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*skan-n-d-o-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 339–40

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “sceinnim”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 607
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “scinn”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN