Samain

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *samonios (compare Gaulish samoni-), either from Proto-Indo-European *sam (“together”) (compare Old High German saman (“together”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰 (samana, “together, in common”), Sanskrit समन (samaná, “together”), सम् (sám, “with”), Avestan 𐬵𐬀, 𐬵𐬀𐬨‎ (ha, ham, “together”)), or alternatively from Proto-Celtic *samo- (“summer”) (compare sam (“summer”), Welsh haf (“summer”)).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsaṽinʲ/

Proper noun

Samain f

November
Halloween
(Christianity) All Saints' Day, All Hallows
(paganism) Samhain
- ca. 1200, John Strachan and J. G. O'Keeffe,, editors, The Táin Bó Cúailnge from the Yellow Book of Lecan with variant readings from the Lebor na hUidre, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, published 1912, page 5, line 81:
  In lúan iar Samain is and documlaiset.
  The Monday after Samhain they set out.

Descendants

Irish: Samhain
Manx: Sauin
Scottish Gaelic: Samhain

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
Samain	Ṡamain	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “samain”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN