Irish

Noun

aonar m ‎(genitive singular aonair)

1. (literary) one, lone, person
2. (with i and possessive pronoun) aloneness, solitariness

   Tá sí ina haonar.‎

   She is alone.

3. (in genitive) single, solitary

Declension

Usage notes

The meaning "alone" is achieved by combining this noun with the preposition i ‎(“in”) and the possessive determiner agreeing with the person of whom being alone is predicated, as:

• Rinne mé i m’aonar é.‎ ― I did it alone.
• Tá tú i do chónaí i d’aonar.‎ ― You (singular) are living alone.
• Bhí sé ina aonar.‎ ― He was alone.
• Tá sí ina haonar.‎ ― She is alone.
• Chuaimid ansin inár n-aonar.‎ ― We went there alone.
• Bhí sibh ag canadh in bhur n-aonar.‎ ― You (plural) were singing alone.
• Tá siad ag siúl ina n-aonar.‎ ― They are walking alone.

Derived terms

• aonarach ‎(“single, solitary, lone; isolated”, adj)
• aonaracht f ‎(“singularity, solitude”)
• aonarán m ‎(“single, solitary person”)
• comhrac aonair m ‎(“duel”)

Mutation

References

• "aonar" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• “oenar” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish oenar m ‎(“a single individual, one alone”), a compound of óen ‎(“one”) + fer m ‎(“man”).

Noun

aonar m

1. one

Usage notes

• Only used about persons (cf numerical noun).
• Usually used together with a prepositional pronoun derived from an (in) to express exclusiveness, loneliness etc:

  rinn i seo na h-aonar - she did this alone/solo/on her own (literally "she did this in her one")

  bha e na aonar - he was alone (literally "he was in his one")

  tha mi a' fuireach nam aonar - I live alone (literally "I am living in my one")

Related terms

• aon
• aonan

Mutation

References

• “oenar” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.