Fara
Fara primarily translates to "together with" or "beside". It is an older preposition, now rare in general usage but found in Munster dialects, official texts, and religious literature.
Preposition Conjugated Dative Rare
Overview
Forms
| Pronoun | Form | Contrast Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | faram | faramsa | with/beside me |
| You | farat | faratsa | with/beside you |
| He | fairis | fairis-san | with/beside him |
| She | farae | faraese | with/beside her |
| We | farainn | farainne | with/beside us |
| You (pl) | faraibh | faraibhse | with/beside you |
| They | faru | farusan | with/beside them |
In modern speech, forms of in éineacht le are often used instead. You may also hear phrases like fara liom (using the preposition le redundantly) or dialect variations like fros/frois in Cois Fhairrge.
Mutations
Without article
Base Fara + duine
Mutated Fara duine
Rule No mutation
With article
Base Fara + an + duine
Mutated Fairis/Farais an duine
Rule No mutation
Usage
Accompaniment & Proximity
- Together with — bhí Mícheál faru — Michael was with them — Indicating company.
- Beside — ná suífeá farainn? — wouldn’t you sit beside us? — Indicating physical closeness.
- Staying with — buachaill atá fanta faram — a boy who has stayed with me.
Comparison & Addition
- Addition — punt fara do cheart — a pound along with/in addition to your right — Meaning “as well as”.
- Comparison — is beag é fara a bhfuair tusa — it is little compared to what you got.
- Instead of — fara a bheith… — instead of being…
The Origin of Freisin
The common word for “also” or “as well” in Irish, freisin, originated from a combination of fara and the demonstrative sin.
- Fairis sin (along with that / beside that) → Freis sin → Freisin.