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The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 2005- » 2005 (September-October) » Archive through September 06, 2005 » The First Hundred Centuries « Previous Next »

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Fear_na_mbróg
Member
Username: Fear_na_mbróg

Post Number: 773
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Friday, September 02, 2005 - 03:54 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

It's a common little brain-teaser among learners of Irish to ask someone to translate from English into Irish the term, "The First Hundred Centuries". Someone here asked it in a separate thread a little while ago.

"century" is most commonly translated into Irish as "aois"... although for the purpose of this trick, the alternate and lesser-used translation of "céad" is used.

If we break it down:

a hundred centuries = céad céad (or "céad aois")

the first century = an chéad chéad (or "an chéad aois")

Before you put them together, things you have to consider:
a) When plurals are involved, "an chéad" becomes "na chéad": the first steps = na chéad chéimeanna
b) The plural form is used for numbers, eg. "The First Ten Years": Ná Chéad Deich mBliana. "The First Eight Projects": Na Chéad Ocht dTionscadal.
c) But I don't know for sure though if it's only "dhá" to "deich" that take "na chéad", because I've seen before: "an chéad fiche ionstraim" and "an chéad chéad punt".

I haven't got a grammar book that clears this up definitively, so, in the absence of clarity, I'd presume it's:

The First Hundred Centuries
An Chéad Chéad Céad

or An Chéad Chéad Aois

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Lughaidh
Member
Username: Lughaidh

Post Number: 674
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Friday, September 02, 2005 - 05:31 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

I’d say "na chéad chéad céad". (plural, cf na chéad daoine = the first people)

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Fear_na_mbróg
Member
Username: Fear_na_mbróg

Post Number: 774
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Friday, September 02, 2005 - 05:39 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Here's an excerpt from one of the laws in Ireland:

http://acts2.oireachtas.ie/print/ga.act.1935.0028.1.html

(c) ní bheidh an phearsa san i dteideal tairbhe na forála atá in alt 23 den Finance Act, 1920, mar a leasuítear san le fo-alt (4) den alt san 3 den Acht Airgid, 1932 , le n-a bhforáltar an chéad chéad púnt d'ioncum ioncháinithe do bheith ionchurtha fé cháin do réir leath an ráta chaighdeánaigh cánach i gcásanna áirithe;


That's what led me to believe you'd use "an chéad" with fiche, tríocha, céad, míle.

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Dennis
Member
Username: Dennis

Post Number: 187
Registered: 02-2005


Posted on Friday, September 02, 2005 - 09:58 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Tá an ceart ag an Oireachtas, de réir GGnamBC §98:

"Má luíonn trí, ceithre... naoi, deich idir an t-alt agus a ainmfhocal, úsáidtear iolra an ailt, cibé uimhir atá ag a ainmfhocal mura céad, míle, milliún é: na trí bhó; na cúig rothar déag; ach an trí chéad teach; an seacht gcéad fear; an ceithre mhíle dhéag gunna; an naoi milliún déag is fiche punt."

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Fear_na_mbróg
Member
Username: Fear_na_mbróg

Post Number: 775
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 01:15 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Okay, so we have:

an t-aon bhata amháin
an dá bhata
na trí bhata
na ceithre bhata
na cúig bhata
na sé bhata
na seacht mbata
na hocht mbata
na naoi mbata
na deich mbata

When I was at school, I was always taught to count like so:

twenty-five sticks
cúig bhata agus fiche

But nowadays I see a lot of people saying:

fiche cúig bhata

Is this an actual correct way of saying it?

Anyway, moving on...

Do you say:

An fiche bata

or:

Na fiche bata

Likewise with all of tríocha, daichead, caoga, seasca...

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Lughaidh
Member
Username: Lughaidh

Post Number: 677
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 10:34 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Gabhaigí mo leithscéal maidir leis an alt roimhe "céad", cha raibh 's agam sin. Go raibh maith agaibh !



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