Yerra
A Munster interjection meaning roughly 'oh well', 'sure now', 'I don't know'. Used to introduce a comment whose substance the speaker is not quite committing to: 'Yerra, who knows.' 'Yerra, it might happen yet.'
Etymology
Probably from an Irish-language exclamation - 'a Dhia, ár' (= O God, our) or similar - reshaped through generations of Munster-English use. The exact phrase of origin is contested; Foclóir Ó Dónaill records the form as a Munster discourse marker without committing on derivation. The 'y-' onset is the Hiberno-English pronunciation of the slender Irish 'i' or 'í'.
In a sentence
"Yerra, sure it'll all work out one way or the other."
Historical notes
Yerra is one of the most Munster-specific Hiberno-English interjections. Heard in Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick; rare in Ulster and uncommon in Dublin. Its tonal range is wide - it can be dismissive, resigned, sympathetic, or simply throat-clearing. The construction 'yerra, sure' is the standard southern equivalent of Ulster's 'ach, sure'.
Sources
- Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (Ó Dónaill). · dictionary