So, I've heard some people say that something is 'as Gaelige' (in Irish). I've also seen 'i nGaelige' presumably meaning the same thing, and also 'i mBáerla'. Could someone clarify what this point of grammar means?

Same thing, only 'i' is held by many to have a better pedigree!

But only because "as" is not followed by mutation.

Not proven, I think!

There are slight shades of difference in meaning, but you won't notice them usually.

as [réamhfhocal]
ó áit nó ionad (bain as do phóca é, léigh mé as leabhar é, lig as an rang é, d'íoc sí as a tuarastal é, as measc na ndaoine, as gach aird); ó ábhar nó meán nó staid nó foinse (déanta as adhmad, nite as uisce, rinne sí as a stuaim féin é; baisteadh as a athair é); ó raon (as amharc, as éisteacht); i ndíth (as obair, as seilbh, tá sé as a mheabhair); de bharr (labhairt as fearg); dealú (a haon as a dó).

i.e. "as" conveys "made out Irish"

i [réamhfhocal]
mír a léiríonn suíomh, go háirithe suíomh taobh istigh (i gcarr, sa chathair, thuas sa spéir, in áit eile); a léiríonn a bheith gafa (i ngaiste, in achrann sa dris); le foirm nó modh (i bhfoirm cú, i dteanga na tíre); le ballraíocht (i rang a dó, san arm); le feidhmeannas (i bhfeighil na bpáistí, i gceannas); le staid (i bhfiacha, ina luí, in uaigneas, i ngrá); le ham (go mall san oíche, go luath san fhómhar); i bhfrásaí dobhriathartha (i mbliana, in airde, in aice láimhe); le mianach áirithe (tá éirim ann, níl aon mhaith ann, tá céim bhacaí inti); le tomhas (tá cloch mheáchain, sé troithe, ann); le haicmiú nó rangú (níl ann ach amadán; tá sé ina shagart anois); le huimhreacha, ord agus araile (ina scataí beaga, ina dhá leath); isteach (cuir i do phóca é, dul i bhfiacha); le hathrú staide (ag dul i bhfeabhas, i méid, i neart, in aois) i + a4 = ina; i + an = sa(n); i + ar3 = inar, i + ár2 = inár; i + na = sna.

whereas "i" denotes a state.

"There are slight shades of difference in meaning, but you won't notice them usually."

I didn't mean there was not, I just thought he was narrowing his interest to i and as for the phrases 'as Gaeilge' and 'i nGaeilg'. Good to know the differences, of course

so, a poem written in Irish is "as Gaeilge," but asking someone to "say it in Irish" after they made a comment in english would be "i nGaeilge?"

(not as a hard and fast or comprehensive rule, but to illustrate a possible shade of meaning)

Is there a real difference meaning or is it just a matter of usage? Although I've seen "cur isteach as Gaeilge" before, it sounds awkward to me compared with "cur isteach i nGaeilge".

My gut feeling is that Antaine's example is correct.
I'm not sure if there is a hard and fast rule.

Úsáideann "Progress in Irish" le Máiréad Ní Ghráda "cuir Gaeilge air seo."

(Message edited by pádraig on August 27, 2008)

agus ansan tá sé as Gaeilge!

Is dóigh liom gur "enter in Irish" (in a form) a bhí i gceist ag DBnadT thuas.

Being a curios Finn, I must ask...

Is "Gaelige" the correct spelling? I find a lot of documents that spell it "Gaeilge"... or are both correct, but sensitive to the case where the word is used?

Also, this mutation thing is still a bit fuzzy to me. Do I get this right, "nGaelige" would replace the G with N in pronunciation?

Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_language

quote:

In the Caighdeán Oifigiúil (the official written standard) the name of the language is Gaeilge (Irish pronunciation: [ˈɡeːlʲɟə]), which reflects the southern Connacht pronunciation.

Before the spelling reform of 1948, this form was spelled Gaedhilge; originally this was the genitive of Gaedhealg, the form used in classical Modern Irish.[7] Older spellings of this include Gaoidhealg in Middle Irish and Goídelc in Old Irish. The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent dh in the middle of Gaedhilge.

Other forms of the name found in the various modern Irish dialects, in addition to south Connacht Gaeilge mentioned above, include Gaedhilic/Gaeilic/Gaeilig ([ˈɡeːlʲɪc]) or Gaedhlag ([ˈɡeːl̪ˠəɡ]) in Ulster Irish and northern Connacht Irish and Gaedhealaing/Gaoluinn/Gaelainn ([ˈɡeːl̪ˠɪɲ])[8][9] in Munster Irish.

I think that Gaelige is a misspelling - here's an example of the misspelling:

http://www.nightcourses.com/profiles/features/forasnagaeilge/

Can you spot the misspelled "Gaelige?"

I've read that "Gaelige" is one of the most common mistakes beginners make. I did it for a long time because to my English-speaking ear, when pronounced at conversational speed, it sounded to me like "g(w)ay-lih-guh." "Gaeilge" is the correct spelling (and pronunciation).

The word "i" causes an eclipsis in the word following, and in this case, the letter that eclipses G is N.

Regarding the resulting pronunciation, I've heard it pronounced as "ng", not pure "n". However, a teacher of mine always pronounced is as a pure "n". Maybe it's regional -- let's wait for the fluent speakers to chime in.

It *should* be 'ng' not n, and it *should* be a velarized g, not 'gw', but since there are no rules anymore, I just can't be bothered anyway

An ar an taobh contráilte den leaba a d'éirís maidin inniu nó rud éigin, a Bhearn?

Well, I've heard it's a rather systematic language AFTER you get a grip of the system. My own language in its current form has few pronunciation exceptions, is almost completely phonetically written, has few characters outside the Latin box, and only the stronger dialects make significant initial or terminal mutations... I'll need some time to get familiar with the rules of Irish.

If a silent DH was deleted from Gaedhilge... I assume a similar deletion happened to "Dun Laoghaire" when it was allowed to be spelled "Dun Laoire"? Doesn't this express the English pronunciation of "Dunleary" rather than the original which by basic rules would have a little bit of an A in it?

quote:

Doesn't this express the English pronunciation of "Dunleary" rather than the original which by basic rules would have a little bit of an A in it?

No. It does, when pronounced by an Irish speaker.

Dún Laoire

Thanks Aonghus, I omitted the fada (not the first time I get them wrong).