greim

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish greimm, from Proto-Celtic *gremman, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- *-mn̥.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ɟɾʲəimʲ/, [ɟɾʲëimʲ]
• (Galway) IPA^(key): /ɟɾʲiːmʲ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ɟɾʲɪmʲ/

Noun

greim m (genitive singular greama, nominative plural greamanna)

1. grip, hold
   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect], volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 136:

     hug šē ǵŕīm eŕ.

     [Thug sé greim air.]

     He took hold of him.

     n̄ā tōŕ hū hēn fȳ jŕīm lē ēn ńī.

     [Ná tabhair thú féin faoi ghreim le aon ní.]

     Do not put yourself under the hold of anything.

2. bite
   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect], volume II (overall work in German), Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 136:

     ȷ ī mē ǵŕīm rān.

     [D’ith mé greim arán.]

     I ate a bite of bread.

3. (sewing) stitch

Declension

Declension of greim (third declension)

bare forms case singular plural nominative greim greamanna vocative a ghreim a ghreamanna genitive greama greamanna dative greim greamanna forms with the definite article case singular plural nominative an greim na greamanna genitive an ghreama na ngreamanna dative leis an ngreim don ghreim leis na greamanna

Derived terms

• bain greim as (“bite”, verb)
• gasghreim m (“stem stitch”)
• gearrghreamannach (“captious”, adjective)
• greamachán m (“holdfast; adhesive”)
• greamacht f (“graft”)
• greamaigh (“attach”, verb)
• greamaire m (“pliers”)
• greamán m (“grip, catch”)
• greamannach (“biting”, adjective)
• greim an tsiosúir m (“scissors hold”)
• greim dearnála m (“darning-stitch”)
• greim fáithime m (“hemstitch”)

 

Mutation

Mutated forms of greim

radical	lenition	eclipsis
greim	ghreim	ngreim

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

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “greim”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “greim”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “greim”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

• grèim

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ̥ɾɤim/
• (Lewis) IPA^(key): /ɡ̥ðeːm/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish greimm, from Proto-Celtic *gremman, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- *-mn̥.

Noun

greim m (genitive singular greime, plural greimeannan)

1. bit, bite, morsel, piece of food
2. grip, hold, clutch, grasp
3. catch
4. stitch, pang
5. (neurology) seizure
6. (pathology) pneumonia, pleurisy

Mutation

Mutation of greim

radical	lenition
greim	ghreim

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

Etymology 2

Verb

greim (past ghreim, future greimidh, verbal noun greimeadh, past participle greimte)

1. grip, grasp, clutch, cling, grapple