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The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 1999-2004 » 2002 (January-June) » Tusa and Tu fein « Previous Next »

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James
Posted on Tuesday, March 12, 2002 - 10:04 am:   Edit Post Print Post

I have been taken to task for "speaking" Irish on an inter-office e-mail. Without going into the long story, suffice it to say that many different languages were used to respond to an unintelligible message from IMD. I recognized some Scots gaelic and responded in Irish. I was told that if I was going to "speak" Gaelic to use "proper Scots Gaelic." and it ended with "Tha thu tuigsinn?"

I responded with a brief discussion of the Scotti and how Alba became "Scotti-land" and why the corrupted form of Gaelic is called "Alabanach." I finished with what I intended to be "Do you (emphasizing the word "you") understand.

Ta tusa féin thuigsinn?

Was this correct? I am having trouble with conjugations and I'm not completely sure of the use of "féin". Any criticism or corrections will be greatly appreciated.

Le meas.

James

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Seosamh
Posted on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 12:01 am:   Edit Post Print Post

If you want to respond in Irish Gaelic, then it would be

An dtuigeann tusa? (Do YOU understand?)

Or,

An dtuigeann tú féin? (Do you yourself understand? Which sounds better in Irish than in English.)

But would the Scotsman understand at all, lacking a proper present tense? And they say Irish and Scots Gaelic are really the same language!

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Fintan
Posted on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 12:09 am:   Edit Post Print Post

A Sheosamh,

*chuckle* Yeah, the same... just like Spanish and Portugese....

I've noticed how exceedingly precious SOME Scots are about 'their' language..i.e: the seeming belief that Gaidhlig SOMEHOW sprang fully formed from SOMEWHERE other than Gaeilge...... makes me chuckle really....

Fintan

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Seosamh Mac Bhl.
Posted on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 02:15 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

I wonder if the Scots Gaelic Bible, uses the present tense forms of verbs (tuigeann, cuireann, etc.) I know that the language in their translations (at least until recent years) was much closer to Irish Gaelic than their spoken language.

Gàidhlg is a fully formed language (and you could also read that sentence leaving out the article) and retains ancient features. Irish and Scots Gaelic spring from the same source -- just like Spanish and Portuguese spring from Latin.

When I studied Scots Gaelic, the worst student in the class was a native speaker of Irish Gaelic. She just assumed that they were essentially the same and didn't bother with the details or respect the basic way of Scots Gaelic. A Spaniard told me he failed in his attempt to learn Portuguese for the same reason.

Once in the office one of the younger reps put down the phone and said to me, "Can you handle a customer who's going to come by? He's from Brazil and wants someone who speaks Spanish." "They speak Portuguese in Brazil," I said abruptly. "I know, but he doesn't know English. He wants someone with Spanish." Since the rep's mother was from Spain I didn't see why he couldn't handle it, but I said OK. The Brazilian and his wife arrived. They were getting by in New York with a few basic phrases of English, but more Spanish, knowing it's the second language here. The problem was, what they were speaking was more Portuguese than Spanish! Buíochas le Dia, bhí staidéar éigin déanta agam ar an Phortaingéilis. Murach sin, bheadh sé i bhad ní ba dheacra.

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James
Posted on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 09:33 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

A Sheosamh,

Go raibh maith agat. I knew I was off the mark a bit. I did feel that the use of "fein" would be acceptable so that much was reassuring.

I'll get the hang of this language, yet. Bear with me and eventually my questions will be less annoying and more stimulating.

I've found myself in the same situation as your Brazilian accquaintance. Six weeks in Argentina and another three in Uruguay brought me into close contact with Brazilian Portuguese. Similar yes, interchangealbe----not at all. I also found difficulty crossing from Spain into France. I don't speak more than a few words of French but am fairly fluent in Spanish. Oddly, I found myself speaking Spanish in an effort to communicate. The French, in thier oh-so-endearing fashion, were less than understanding.

Anyway---thanks again for all your continued help.

Le meas,

James

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Seosamh
Posted on Thursday, March 14, 2002 - 11:41 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

And then there was the Brazilian woman who went into a store in Buenos Aires and asked for an 'escoba' ('escova' in Port.) so she could brush her teeth. That must have had them on the floor laughing.

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