snaidhm

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish snaidm, from Old Irish naidm, naidmm, with s- taken from snáth (“thread, yarn”) and related terms.

Pronunciation

• (Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /sˠn̪ˠiːmʲ/^[1]
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /sˠn̪ˠĩːmʲ/^[2]

Noun

snaidhm f (genitive singular snaidhme or snadhma, nominative plural snaidhmeanna or snadhmanna)

1. knot
2. (construction) tie, brace

Usage notes

This word can apparently also be masculine:

2020 February 22, 3:56 from the start, in Lá Le Mamó nó Daideo‎, season 1, episode 13, Johnny Cloherty (actor), TG4, retrieved 22 October 2023:

Fáisc an snaidhm!

Tighten the knot!

Declension

Declension of snaidhm (second declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative snaidhm snaidhmeanna vocative a shnaidhm a shnaidhmeanna genitive snaidhme snaidhmeanna dative snaidhm snaidhmeanna forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an tsnaidhm na snaidhmeanna genitive na snaidhme na snaidhmeanna dative leis an tsnaidhm don tsnaidhm leis na snaidhmeanna

Variant declension

Declension of snaidhm (third declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative snaidhm snadhmanna vocative a shnaidhm a shnadhmanna genitive snadhma snadhmanna dative snaidhm snadhmanna forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an tsnaidhm na snadhmanna genitive na snadhma na snadhmanna dative leis an tsnaidhm don tsnaidhm leis na snadhmanna

Verb

snaidhm (present analytic snaidhmeann, future analytic snaidhmfidh, verbal noun snaidhmeadh, past participle snaidhmthe)

1. to knot
2. to bind, tie, entwine
3. to join, unite
4. (anatomy) to knit

Conjugation

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	snaidhmim	snaidhmeann tú; snaidhmir†	snaidhmeann sé, sí	snaidhmimid	snaidhmeann sibh	snaidhmeann siad; snaidhmid†	a shnaidhmeann; a shnaidhmeas / a snaidhmeann*	snaidhmtear
	past	shnaidhm mé; shnaidhmeas	shnaidhm tú; shnaidhmis	shnaidhm sé, sí	shnaidhmeamar; shnaidhm muid	shnaidhm sibh; shnaidhmeabhair	shnaidhm siad; shnaidhmeadar	a shnaidhm / ar shnaidhm*	snaidhmeadh
	past habitual	shnaidhminn / snaidhminn‡‡	shnaidhmteá / snaidhmteᇇ	shnaidhmeadh sé, sí / snaidhmeadh sé, s퇇	shnaidhmimis; shnaidhmeadh muid / snaidhmimis‡‡; snaidhmeadh muid‡‡	shnaidhmeadh sibh / snaidhmeadh sibh‡‡	shnaidhmidís; shnaidhmeadh siad / snaidhmidís‡‡; snaidhmeadh siad‡‡	a shnaidhmeadh / a snaidhmeadh*	shnaidhmtí / snaidhmt퇇
future		snaidhmfidh mé; snaidhmfead	snaidhmfidh tú; snaidhmfir†	snaidhmfidh sé, sí	snaidhmfimid; snaidhmfidh muid	snaidhmfidh sibh	snaidhmfidh siad; snaidhmfid†	a shnaidhmfidh; a shnaidhmfeas / a snaidhmfidh*	snaidhmfear
conditional		shnaidhmfinn / snaidhmfinn‡‡	shnaidhmfeá / snaidhmfeᇇ	shnaidhmfeadh sé, sí / snaidhmfeadh sé, s퇇	shnaidhmfimis; shnaidhmfeadh muid / snaidhmfimis‡‡; snaidhmfeadh muid‡‡	shnaidhmfeadh sibh / snaidhmfeadh sibh‡‡	shnaidhmfidís; shnaidhmfeadh siad / snaidhmfidís‡‡; snaidhmfeadh siad‡‡	a shnaidhmfeadh / a snaidhmfeadh*	shnaidhmfí / snaidhmf퇇
subjunctive	present	go snaidhme mé; go snaidhmead†	go snaidhme tú; go snaidhmir†	go snaidhme sé, sí	go snaidhmimid; go snaidhme muid	go snaidhme sibh	go snaidhme siad; go snaidhmid†	—	go snaidhmtear
	past	dá snaidhminn	dá snaidhmteá	dá snaidhmeadh sé, sí	dá snaidhmimis; dá snaidhmeadh muid	dá snaidhmeadh sibh	dá snaidhmidís; dá snaidhmeadh siad	—	dá snaidhmtí
imperative		snaidhmim	snaidhm	snaidhmeadh sé, sí	snaidhmimis	snaidhmigí; snaidhmidh†	snaidhmidís	—	snaidhmtear
verbal noun		snaidhmeadh
past participle		snaidhmthe

conjugation of snaidhm (first conjugation – A)

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation

Mutated forms of snaidhm

radical	lenition	eclipsis
snaidhm	shnaidhm after an, tsnaidhm	not applicable

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

References

1. de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1977) Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge: An Deilbhíocht [The Irish of Cois Fharraige: Accidence] (in Irish), 2nd edition, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath [Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies], section 28, page 12
2. Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 125, page 48

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “snaidhm”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

• snaim

Etymology

From Middle Irish snaidm, from Old Irish naidm, naidmm.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s̪naim/

Noun

snaidhm m (genitive singular snaidhm, plural snaidhmean or snaidhmeannan)

1. knot

Derived terms

• cuir snaidhm air

Mutation

Mutation of snaidhm

radical	lenition
snaidhm	shnaidhm after "an", t-snaidhm

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