thar barr
The Irish word for "brilliant" (meaning highly intelligent) is thar barr.
thar barr is used to describe someone or something as being highly intelligent.
Meaning: highly intelligent (adj)
Did you know?
- The phrase thar barr literally translates to 'beyond the top' or 'above the summit'.
- The 'thar' in thar barr is a linguistic relative of the English word 'through', as both stem from the same Proto-Indo-European root meaning to cross over.
- The word barr can refer to the top of a hill or the crown of a head.
Examples in context
- Is bean thar barr í.She is a brilliant woman.
- An bhfuil an mac léinn thar barr?Is the student brilliant?
Example conversation
Siobhán and Oisín are discussing a classmate.
- SiobhánAn bhfuil an t-eileamh thar barr?Is the student brilliant?
- OisínTá, tá sé thar barr i gceist.Yes, he is brilliant in that regard.
- SiobhánIs mór an rud é sin, a Oisín.That is a great thing, Oisín.
- OisínTá sé thar barr iada go léir.He is the most brilliant of them all.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries barr, thar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
