v1.0
Published 01/10/24
acaire f. [ˈaʰkəɾʲə],
Cf. (Barra) [ɑxkir´ɔ̆] (Borgstrøm 1940, 218; 1937, 220), (Skye) [ɑxkïr’ə] (Borgstrøm 1941, 43), also acair [ˈaʰkəɾʲ] with apocope, (Lewis) [ˈahkər’] (Oftedal 1972, 120), (specifically Leurbost) /ɑkəð/ (Oftedal 1956, 55; 1983, 155), (specfically Bernera) [ɑhkəð̥´] (Borgstrøm 1940, 218), (Ross-shire) [ahkər´], [ahkir´] (Borgstrøm 1941, 101, 106, 108), (specifically Gairloch) [ɑhkər̬’] (Wentworth 2003, s.v. anchor).
gen. acrach,
Cf. (Bernera) [ɑhkrəx] (Borgstrøm 1940, 90).
’anchor’ is derived
Craigie (1894, 156); MacBain (1896; 1911); Henderson (1910, 138, 255); Marstrander (1915a, 129); MacLennan (1925); Borgstrøm (1937, 79; 1940, 218; 1941, 43); Christiansen (1938, 4, 13); Oftedal 1956, 55; 1972, 120; 1983, 155); McDonald (1972, 19); McDonald (2009, 338).
from ON akkeri nt. ‘anchor’ (< Lat. ancora, perhaps via Old Frisian or Old English (de Vries 1962; OED˄); contrast Norw. anker), which yields EG accaire,
Meyer (1906, 9); Marstrander (1910, 401; 1915a, 61, 80, 94, 100); de Vries (1962); Schulze-Thulin (1996, 103).
hence SG acaire
Shaw 1780: accaire.
(with anticipated preaspiration before an original post-stress geminate) and Manx aker (Marstrander 1932, 49, 63, 75, 265, 284); on the other hand, EG ancaire, along with its variant ingor, derives from Lat. ancora (eDIL˄),
Perhaps under the influence of Ir. acaire (see below), as the final of Lat. ancora would not formally yield Ir. -aire.
hence Ir. ancaire (e.g. Ó Curnáin 2007: (Galway) ancaire, eancaire, angaire),
Although Greene (1976, 79) derives Ir. ancaire from ON akkeri, ‘influenced by Lat. anchora’ (anchora being an alternative spelling form of Lat. ancora); so also Lucas (1966, 71).
although Ir. acaire also occurs (Dinneen 1947; Ó Dónaill 1977).
O’Reilly 1864: accaire; so also Bugge 1912, 292.
Derivatives and compounds: (with the general sense ‘anchorage’ or ‘bay with anchorage’) acaireachd f. ‘anchorage’ (Dwelly 1911) with a nominally abstract suffix; acair-pholl m. (Armstrong 1825; Dwelly 1911; MacLennan 1925: acairpholl [akir-foul]), a closed compound with primary stress on acair (in the radical case) used adjectively; and poll-acairidh (Shaw 1780: poll-acairaidh), poll-acarsaid, poll-acaireachd and poll-acraiche (Dwelly 1911), all masc., open compounds with primary stress on the final element (a noun or verbal noun
Cf. the derivative verb acraich ‘to moor or anchor’.
in the genitive case) used adjectively. For the nominal element, s.v. poll.
For Irish, Dinneen 1947 gives the two entries acar-pholl and acarsuidhe (the latter glossed ‘also acarsóid’, s.v. acarsaid), which de Bhaldraithe (1996, 213–16: 215) suggests were probably artifically generated for the purpose of compiling a sea-related wordlist, the former likely drawn from Scottish Gaelic,
Cf. Ir. ábhar, s.v. tàbh.
the latter an attempt to nativise acarsóid.
Although one would normally expect lenition of the second element in acarsuidhe, as in acar-pholl.
Watson (2022, 101) transcribes SG (Easter Ross) /ɑŋɡər/ as ancair’, with apocope, cf. Ir. ancaire, although /ɑŋɡər/ (which might be spelt angar) is probably a direct loan from Scots anker (anchor) ‘anchor’.