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