Ionsar
Ionsar translates to "towards" or "in the direction of". It is primarily found in Ulster Irish.
Preposition Conjugated Dative Ulster
Overview
This preposition is primarily used in Ulster. You may also see it written as ionns’ar or inseair.
Ionsar is a contraction of the phrase d’ionsaí ar, which literally translates to “to the approach on” or “approaching upon”.
Forms
| Pronoun | Form | Contrast Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | ionsorm | ionsormsa | towards me |
| You | ionsort | ionsortsa | towards you |
| He | ionsair | ionsairsean | towards him |
| She | ionsuirthi | ionsuirthise | towards her |
| We | ionsorainn | ionsorainne | towards us |
| You (pl) | ionsoraibh | ionsoraibhse | towards you |
| They | ionsorthu | ionsorthusan | towards them |
Mutations
Without an article
Base Ionsar + teach
Mutated Ionsar theach
Rule Lenition
With an article (Ulster)
Base Ionsar + an + gairdín
Mutated Ionsar an ghairdín
Rule Lenition
- General Rule — ionsar theach — towards a house — Ionsar causes lenition on nouns without the article.
- With the Article (Ulster) — ionsar an ghairdín — towards the garden — In Ulster, it causes lenition after the article.
- With the Article (Other Dialects) — ionsar an ngairdín — towards the garden — If used outside Ulster, it typically causes eclipsis (except on d, t).
Interrogatives
| Question | Meaning | What happens next? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cé + ionsar | Towards whom? | Indirect | Cé ionsorthu a bhfuil sé ag rith? |
| Cá + ionsar | Towards where/what? | Indirect | Cá hionsair a bhfuil tú ag dul? |
Usage
Direction & Motion
- Movement Towards — tar ionsar an teach — come towards the house.
- Orientation — druid ionsar… — turn/move in the direction of…