mainoff.gif
lastdyoff.gif
lastwkoff.gif
treeoff.gif
searchoff.gif
helpoff.gif
contactoff.gif
creditsoff.gif
homeoff.gif


The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 1999-2004 » 2003 (October-December) » Can someone translate this phrase for me? « Previous Next »

Author Message
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Miyagi Style
Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 04:29 am:   Edit Post Print Post

"Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Aonghus
Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 04:34 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Bhí an dealramh air ag an am gurbh déa smaoineamh a bhí ann.

Bhí an dealramh air - it seemed
ag an am - at the time
gurbh - that
déa smaoineamh - a good thought/idea
a bhí ann - it was

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Miyagi Style
Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 04:59 am:   Edit Post Print Post

I also heard that it was this...
"Shíl mé gur smaoineamh maith a bhí ann san am"
would it just be from a different region?

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Larry
Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 06:30 am:   Edit Post Print Post

A Chairde,

"san am" wouldn't make sense. "ag an am" is the correct way to say "at the time". "Shíl mé" translates as "I thought" rather than "it seemed".

The use of "gurbh" v "gur" is, however, confusing. I think that it should be gur déa-smaoineamh...

Please come back to me if I'm wrong on this.

Le meas,

Larry.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Aonghus
Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 09:02 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Miyagi
There is more than one way to translate almost any phrase, and I don't think there is anything specifically regional about my version or yours!

"san am" suggests an ongoing period of time to me, whereas "ag an am" is a specific point in time. I'd expect it to be "san am sin" - during that time.

Larry, my gut feeling is that it ought to be gurbh, but it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong....

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Miyagi Style
Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 09:44 am:   Edit Post Print Post

You guys are great... thanks

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Larry
Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 10:31 am:   Edit Post Print Post

You're very welcome Miyagi.

"Dea-" (no fada, I made a mistake initially) is a prefix which has a similar meaning to the adjective "maith", such as in the expression "dea-scéal" - good news - but both forms are correct. As Aonghus said, it's just another way of expressing the same thing.

Le meas,

Larry.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Aonghus
Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 11:47 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Fáilte romhat, Miyagi

Add Your Message Here
Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.


©Daltaí na Gaeilge