ro-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ro"

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɾˠə/

Prefix

ro-

1. Cois Fharraige form of ró-

Mohawk

Prefix

ro-

1. pronominal prefix for

   He ____ (patient)

   It/she ____ him

   He ____ him

Alternative forms

-	Initial consonant
Environment	t/s/h/k	n/r/w/’	a	e/en	o/on	i	y
Word-Initial	ro-	ro-	ro-	raw-	ra-	ro-	ro-

References

• Nora Deering, Helga H. Delisle (1976) Mohawk: A teaching grammar (preliminary version), Quebec: Manitou College, pages 303, 384

Old Irish

Alternative forms

• ru-

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *ɸro-, from Proto-Indo-European *pro- (“forth, forward”), from the root *per- (“to go forth, cross”). Cognate with Ancient Greek πρό (pró), Latin prō, and Old English fram.

In Old Irish ro- is the main preverb used as the augment indicating resultative or potential action. In pre-Old Irish its function was to turn an atelic verb into a telic verb, shown by the fact that certain inherently telic verbs remain immune to augmentation with ro- (or similar preverbs). It can therefore be inferred to have previously been a marker of the perfective aspect, but this can no longer be said to be the case in Old Irish proper.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /r͈o/

Prefix

ro-

1. indicates anterior completion
   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 51^c9

     is in núall do·ngniat hó ru·maith fora naimtea remib

     it is the cry that they make [unaugm.] when their enemies are/have been routed [augm.] before them

2. (with the preterite) forms a non-narrative past tense (sometimes called the perfect, used to denote that an event is to be considered outside of the strictly chronological order)
   • c. early 8th century, Notes in the Book of Armagh, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. 2, pp. 238-43: p. 141.14-16

     Is di-sin didiu fu·rráith Fiacc Find Dubthach 7 berrsi Pátricc 7 baitzisi. Du·bbert grád n-epscoip fair conic é epscop insin cita-ru·oirtned la Laigniu 7 du·bbert Pátricc cumtach du Fíacc

     It is thereupon, then, that Fiacc the Fair took [unaugm.] the place of Dubthach, and Patrick tonsured [unaugm.] him and baptized [unaugm.] him. He conferred [unaugm.] the order of bishop upon him, so that he is the bishop who was first ordained [augm.] among the Leinstermen, and Patrick gave [unaugm.] a case to Fíacc.

3. indicates possibility or ability
   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 51^c14

     air ní-ru·guigter gnímai Dé

     for the works of God cannot be falsified

   Synonym: con·icc

4. (with subjunctive) used to change jussive subjunctive into a weaker expression of wish
   • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 30^a10

     ní-ro·héla úait

     may it not escape from you

5. (with an adjective) indicates a high degree: very

   ‎ro- (“very”) + ‎bec (“small”) → ‎rubec (“very small”)

   ‎ro- (“very”) + ‎már (“large”) → ‎romár (“very large”)

   ‎ro- (“very”) + ‎ocus (“near”) → ‎ro-ocus (“very near”)

Derived terms

Old Irish terms prefixed with ro-

Further reading

• Thurneysen, Rudolf (1940) D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, pages 339–43; reprinted 2017
• McCone, Kim (1997) The Early Irish Verb (Maynooth Monographs 1), 2nd edition, Maynooth: An Sagart, →ISBN, pages 89-126

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

See ro.

Prefix

ro-

1. pre-

   ‎ro- (“pre-”) + ‎ràit (“speaking”) → ‎ro-ràite (“previously mentioned”)

   ‎ro- (“pre-”) + ‎suidhich (“arrange”) → ‎ro-shuidhich (“to pre-arrange; to schedule”)

2. ultra-, extremely

   ‎ro- (“very”) + ‎mòr (“large”) → ‎ro-mhòr (“huge; vast”)

   ‎ro- (“very”) + ‎tioram (“dry”) → ‎ro-thioram (“very dry; arid”)

3. over-, too (comparative)

   ‎ro- (“too”) + ‎bruich (“cooked”) → ‎ro-bhruich (“over-cooked”)

   ‎ro- (“too”) + ‎meud (“many; much”) → ‎ro-mheud (“too many; too much”)

Derived terms

Scottish Gaelic terms prefixed with ro-

Related terms

• ro