I've started reading Colmán Ó Drisceoil's short story for learners and need some translation help with the following:

Bhí an chuma ar an scéal go raibh Bronagh tar éis glacadh le scaradh a tuismitheoirí. Níor chuir sé isteach uirthí. Ach bhí imní ar Carla go raibh dochar á dhéanamh. Níor lig sí di féin machnamh an-domhain a dhéanamh air seo.

My interpretation, please correct/fill the gaps :)

It was the shape of the story that Bronagh accepted after the separation of her parents._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . But Carla was worried that she would do harm. She did not let herself contemplate very deeply_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ach ní bheadh sé ann i bhfad eile.

Does that translate as:

But he wouldn't be any longer (much longer)

Bhí an chuma ar an scéal = idiom for "it appeared"
Bronagh tar éis glacadh le = Brona was after accepting (bad english; it means Brona had accepted)
Níor chuir sé isteach uirthí = It (the separation) did not disturb her. (cur is a multifunction word!)

From an Foclóir Beag
cur isteach (caitheamh (cuir sé isteach a théarma); lorg (cur isteach ar phost); teacht salach ar (ná bí ag cur isteach orm)).

Ach bhí imní ar Carla go raibh dochar á dhéanamh Carla was worried that harm was being done (passive)

Níor lig sí di féin machnamh an-domhain a dhéanamh air seo. She didn't allow herself to dwell too deeply on this (the harm being done)

go raibh míle maith agat, a aonghus

expect more questions from me about this book ;)

Fáilte romhat, a Chormaic.

(btw: the correct vocative of Aonghus is "a Aonghuis" (which sounds painful ;-) ) )

thx...i suspected as much...

so when is 'aonghusa' used?

"Aonghusa" is never used in Irish but all the more often in Croatian, Serbian, Russian, Ukrainian and so on. ;-)

(It's both the accusative and the genitive form of Aonghus, making it extremly common - given that Aonghus goes to any of those countries)

Another one I'm having trioblóid with:

Litir a tugadh isteach de láimh a bhí ann.

Without knowing the context I'd say it means:

"It was a letter that had been delivered by hand."

that sounds right according to the context. so is this right then:

thugadh sé isteach = he had delivered
thugtaí isteach = one had delivered (had been delivered)
thug sé isteach = he delivered
tugann sé isteach = he delivers


a láimh = by hand

(Message edited by cormac on August 13, 2004)

also...?

thug mé isteach - I delivered
tugadh isteach - 'one' delivered (past autonomous, as is the case in the sentence).

therefore the translation would be...?

Litir a tugadh isteach de láimh a bhí ann.
A letter that one delivered by hand.
A letter that was delivered by hand.

Thugadh sé isteach is habitual past, i.e something he did over time.

thug sé isteach

tugadh isteach is passive, no subject, so "A letter that was delivered by hand". is the correct translation.

By the way. Aonghusa is used in the genetive quite frequently

Leabhar Aonghusa
Mac Aonghusa
Dún Aonghusa

So it is, how silly of me not to think about it. I've been to Dún Aonghusa umpteen times and talked about it in Irish at least as often. It has an archaic ring to it, though, don't you agree?

Aonghus is an archaic name....

he he, touché

Where does the alternate spelling Aengus come from?

What would it be in the vocative, genitive?

The spellings Oengus, Aonghus, and Aengus have all been used. Oengus has passed out of use.

A Aenguis
Aengusa would be my guess at vocative & genetive.