seomra (Irish)
Where does "seomra" come from?
The Irish noun 'seomra', meaning 'room' or 'chamber', was borrowed from the Old French term 'chambre'[1]. Old French had inherited this from Latin 'camera' (or medieval 'cambra'), denoting a room or chamber[1][3]. Latin had in turn adopted the word from Ancient Greek 'καμάρα' (kamára), which referred to a vaulted chamber, an arch, or anything with a curved covering[1][2].
Open questions
- The origin of Ancient Greek 'καμάρα' is debated, with proposals linking it either to an Old Iranian borrowing from Proto-Indo-European '*kh₂em-' ('to bend, curve') or to Proto-Indo-European '*h₂éḱmō' ('heavenly vault, anvil, meteorite'). [4]
Full etymology tree
- seomra (Irish), 'room, chamber'
- borrowed chambre (Old French), 'room'
- derived cambra (Latin), 'medieval spelling of camera'
- derived camera (Latin), 'A chamber in its various senses, including:'
- borrowed καμάρα (kamára) (Ancient Greek), 'anything with an arched cover such as a covered carriage or boat, a vaulted chamber; vault, span'
- derived camera (Latin), 'A chamber in its various senses, including:'
- derived cambra (Latin), 'medieval spelling of camera'
- borrowed chambre (Old French), 'room'
Ancestors
- chambre (Old French)
- camera (Latin)
- καμάρα (Ancient Greek)
Descendants and derived words
- aersheomra (Irish)
- comrádaí seomra (Irish)
- proinnseomra (Irish)
- seomra bia (Irish)
- seomra codlata (Irish)
- seomra folctha (Irish)
- seomra suí (Irish)
- seomra tinnis (Irish)
Related words
Sources
- seomra (Irish) - Wiktionary
- camera (Latin) - Wiktionary
- chambre (Old French) - Wiktionary
- καμάρα (kamára) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- h₂éḱmō (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris