different between maar vs mair

English

Etymology

From German Maar; English usage from 1825, from Vulgar Latin *mara (“standing water”), from Latin mare (“sea”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /m??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /m???/
• Rhymes: -??(?)
• Homophone: mar

Noun

maar (plural maars or maare)

1. (geology) A broad volcanic crater, usually filled with water to form a lake.

See also

• crater lake

Anagrams

• -rama, ARMA, Amar, Aram, Mara, Rama, R?ma, mara

Afrikaans

Alternative forms

• ma' (Cape Afrikaans)
• maa' (Cape Afrikaans)
• mar (colloquial, dialectal)

Etymology

From Dutch maar, from Middle Dutch maer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m??r/

Adverb

maar

1. only; solely; just

2. slightly; a bit; a little

3. please

4. feel free; please

5. quite; really

6. so long or just (often apologetically)

7. still; continuously

Usage notes

Maar has many synonyms which is often used alongside it with no change in meaning, however to the native ear the use of maar without these synonyms can in some contexts sound odd. In some cases using maar with one of its synonyms helps to clear up ambiguity.

Synonyms

Conjunction

maar

1. but; however

Synonyms

• dog

See also

• egter

Noun

maar (plural maars or mare)

1. (uncommon) but

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma?r/
• Hyphenation: maar
• Rhymes: -a?r

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch maer, m?re, mar, mer, apheretic variant of nemaer, nem?re, from earlier newaer, neware (“except, however, only”), from ne ware (“were not”).

Adverb

maar

1. only, just
   • 1971, Ben Cramer, "De clown".

   Het was maar een vraag! / Het is maar een kwestie van tijd!

   It was only a question! / It is only a matter of time!

2. as long as; only
3. just; a modal particle indicating a certain degree of indifference towards the result.

   Leg het lepeltje maar op het schoteltje van het koffiekopje.

   Just (go ahead and) place the spoon on the saucer of the coffee cup.

Derived terms

• nog maar
• zeg maar
• maar liefst

Descendants

• Afrikaans: maar

Conjunction

maar

1. but
   • 1971, Ben Cramer, "De clown".

2. yet; only
3. but then

Derived terms

• maren

Descendants

• Afrikaans: maar

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

maar

1. first-person singular present indicative of maren
2. imperative of maren

Anagrams

• raam

Finnish

Etymology

From Maria (“Mary, mother of Jesus Christ”)

Interjection

maar

1. (dialectal, Turku region) Used as fortifier after e.g. words kyllä (“yes”), totta (“true”).

Anagrams

• Mara, mara

English

Etymology

From Middle English mair, mare, from Old English m?ra (“more”), from Proto-Germanic *maizô. More at more.

Pronunciation

• (UK, Geordie) IPA^(key): /m??/

Adjective

mair (not comparable)

1. (Tyneside) more

Adverb

mair (not comparable)

1. (Tyneside) more

Anagrams

• Amir, Irma, Mari, Mira, RIMA, amir, raim, rami, rima

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish maraid, mairid (“persist, remain alive”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m?a??/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /m????/ (as if spelled moir)

Verb

mair (present analytic maireann, future analytic mairfidh, verbal noun maireachtáil, past participle mairthe)

1. live, remain, survive

2. last (“endure, hold out, continue”)
   • 1899, Franz Nikolaus Finck, Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, p. 199:

     m???? n w?n d?? kai??š el?.

     conventional orthography: Mairfidh an mhóin dúinn coicís eile.

     The turf will last us another fortnight.

Conjugation

Alternative verbal nouns: maireachtaint, mairstean

Derived terms

• maireachtáil (“living (noun)”)
• go maire tú an lá (“happy birthday”)

Mutation

Manx

Etymology

From Old Irish mér, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *mh??rós.

Noun

mair f (genitive singular mair, plural meir)

1. (anatomy) finger, digit
2. prong
3. key (of piano)
4. hand (of clock)
5. tributary (of river)

Derived terms

Mutation

Occitan

Noun

mair f (plural mairs)

1. (Gascony) mother
2. (Gascony) riverbed

References

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /me?r/

Etymology 1

From northern Middle English mare, from Old English m?ra (compare English more), from Proto-Germanic *maizô.

Adjective

mair (not comparable)

1. bigger, greater

Adverb

mair (not comparable)

1. more

Derived terms

• mair by taiken
• mair oot ower
• the mair

Related terms

• mae

Etymology 2

From Middle English meyr, from Old French maire (“head of a city or town government”), from Latin maior (“bigger, greater, superior”), comparative of magnus (“big, great”).

Noun

mair (plural mairs)

1. (archaic) mayor

Derived terms

• mair o fee
• mairship
• shirra-mair

Etymology 3

From Old English m?r.

Alternative forms

• muir

Noun

mair (plural mairs)

1. (South Scots) moor

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish maraid, mairid (“persist, remain alive”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma??/

Verb

mair (past mhair, future mairidh, verbal noun mairsinn or maireann or maireachdainn, past participle mairte)

1. last, continue

Synonyms

• seas

Derived terms

• maireannach
• nach maireann