sean-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "sean"

Irish

Etymology

PIE word
*sénos

From sean (“old”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃanˠ/
• (Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /ʃænˠ/

Prefix

sean-

1. old, aged; senior; mature; long-established, old-fashioned; (of calendar) old style
2. (intensifying) great, exceeding; over-

Usage notes

• Triggers lenition (except of d, s and t):
  • sean- + máthair → seanmháthair ("grandmother"; lit. 'old mother')
  • sean- + deasc → seandeasc ("old desk")

Derived terms

Irish terms prefixed with sean-

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
sean-	shean- after an, tsean-	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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