Wanting to write to someone about the rain here, I grabbed my Foclóir Scoile and quickly picked the phrase under the entry for "rain" - tá sé ag cur báisti. Later when I was talking with that person who's from Ireland about my using a little Irish and the aforementioned phrase, he mentioned the use of fearthainn also. And also that from where he's from, folks will often use "titim" instead of "cur."

I checked in De Bhaldraithe, where raining is given as "cuireann fearthainn or cuireann báisteach.
So why the difference forms of báisteach, that is

tá sé ag cur báisti Focloir Scoile

tá sé ag cur báisteach De Bhaldraithe

Also, what other ways are there to say it's raining? Also, is there any fundamental difference between the use of fearthainn and báisteach - regional, dialectical, etc?

Note: I understand that some here may be compelled to scold learners against the use of dictionaries, but I hope that we can discuss the forms both meteorologically and linguistically of rain instead.


David

As far as I know, people use more "fearthainn" (3rd declension!) in Ulster.
In Connemara they use more "báisteach".

In Ulster I think people say "tá sé 'cur" or "tá sé 'cur fearthanna".

Note: in Lewis (Scotland), people say "tha an t-uisge ann" (the water is there! though "uisge" means "rain" there, "water" is "bùrn").

Where in De Bhaldraithe's did you find "tá sé ag cur báisteach" ? Normally you use the genitive after a verbal noun with "ag"...

In De Bhaldraithe, I saw cuireann fearthainn, báisteach, and presumed that that mean tá sé ag cur fearthainn, which I now realize was an incorrect presumption.

I think you've answered my question with your info on using a genitive after a verbal noun. Go raibh maith agat.

Tá sé ag fliuchadh, it's raining

There are many, many ways to talk about rain.

http://www.box.net/shared/z0gtft4kjn

But

ag cur fearthainne
ag cur baistí
or simplí
ag cur

are the most usual, unless you want to describe the exact type of rain.

Ag greadadh báistí literally clapping rain is used in Cois Fharraige in Conamara and also ag múr báistí literally showering rain.

And both imply heavy rain.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh! A lot of good examples and I get to practice and reinforce the genitives at the same time.

I've heard from a Conamara aquaintance of mine, "Ta se ag baisteach". They seem to have dispensed with the "cur".

Apologies for lack of "fadas". I haven't got the hang of them on this machine yet.

Thanks Joe. I also see in Ó Dónaill's FGB,

tá sé ina bháisteach, it is raining.

One way of getting fadas is to use the ALT key with corresponding numbers, for example

á = ALT 160 (hold the ALT key down while typing 160)
Á = ALT 0193

é = ALT 130
É = ALT 144

í = ALT 161
Í = ALT 0205

ó = ALT 162
Ó = ALT 0211

ú = ALT 163
Ú = ALT 0218

quote:

"Tá sé ag báisteach". They seem to have dispensed with the "cur".

Nuances. You'll hear many forms.

Ag gléaradh [báistí], ag stealladh [báistí], ag ceobhrán, ag brádán, etc.

ag báisteadh: this is not "dispensing with cur". Rather báisteadh is a legitimate verbal noun of the verb báistigh.

Tá sé ag clagarnach báistí.

I mean báisteach is a verbal noun of báistim.

I don't want to confuse it with baisteadh which is vn of baistim!

Clagarnach báistí - pelting rain - is maith liom é!

At some point in this thread, I plan on consolidating the different ways of describing rain, this most Irish of natural phenomena!

Cen faoi "drizzling rain?"

David

Ceobhrán or brádán.

If you look at the PDF I linked to, you will see that there is a helluva lot to consolidate.

When I first saw your posting above with brádán, I thought it meant it was raining salmon, that is, some variation of "raining cats and dogs." But I just looked up brádán and I see what a difference a fada can make!

So would it be tá sé ag cur brádán or simply tá sé brádán?

Or, are both correct?

Tá sé ag brádán, I think.

I most usually hear something like "Beidh brádán ann trathnóna" on the RnaG weather.

It can be used with báisteach as well: Tá brádán báistí ann faoi láthair.

But I'm almost certain it wouldn't be used with cur.

(Message edited by aonghus on January 27, 2010)

From Ó Dónaill's FGB, it appears that brádán is a noun, so I understand your example above "beidh brádán ann trathóna" as "there will be drizzle this evening." Likewise for "tá brádán báistí ann." It appears that for the other forms of rain a verbal noun is used with "ag cur".

Just a student's thought - subject to correction - go raibh ma'ad!

David

That sounds reasonable.