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The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 2005- » 2010 (March-April) » Archive through April 30, 2010 » An fhocal 'Arbh' « Previous Next »

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Seamás91
Member
Username: Seamás91

Post Number: 226
Registered: 10-2009


Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 12:03 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

I am guessing this copula as well, mar shampla: arb, arbh.
But what does it mean in relation to the copula?

'mar ná beidh ár leithidí arís ann'
-Tomás O'Croitháin (An t-Oiléanach)

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Lughaidh
Member
Username: Lughaidh

Post Number: 3431
Registered: 01-2005


Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 12:18 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

I don't understand your question...

"arbh" is the past/conditional form of "is" in questions :

arbh fhearr leat? = would you prefer/did you prefer? (cf present "an fearr leat?") ie. would-be better with you?

it is the indirect relative past/conditional too:

an duine arbh fhearr leis imeacht = the person who prefered/would prefer going away. (ie. the person which-would-be better with-him going-away).

(Message edited by Lughaidh on April 24, 2010)

Learn Irish pronunciation here: http://loig.cheveau.ifrance.com/irish/irishsounds/irishsounds.html & http://fsii.gaeilge.org/

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Cionaodh
Member
Username: Cionaodh

Post Number: 738
Registered: 05-2005


Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 12:25 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

As Lughaidh says, it's the past & conditional interrogative -- used when the word that follows starts with a vowel or "fh" (otherwise we use ar):

Ar mhaith leat milseáin? (Would you like sweets?)
Arbh fhearr leat úlla? (Would you prefer apples?)

Ar mhúínteoir é? (Was he a teacher?)
Arbh innealtóir é? (Was he an engineer?)

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Seánw
Member
Username: Seánw

Post Number: 580
Registered: 07-2009


Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 03:33 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

I don't know if this helps, Seamás, but here's a stab. Don't think about the copula as being conjugated like the other verbs. The other verbs, even the irregular ones, are still very regular. The copula, however, is not. First, the copula has many forms which are the same as verbal particles used in other places (e.g., ní, níor, nach, an, ar), and I would separate the two concepts from one another even though their forms are the same. Also there isn't a "root" which take suffixes -- you have to learn each form independently. So ...

Affirmatives are statements like "it is ...".
Negatives is a negated statements like "it isn't ..."
Affirmative questions are like "is it ...?"
Negative questions like "isn't it ...?"

These in past or conditional would be like:

it was/it would be
it wasn't/it wouldn't be
was it ? / would it be?
wasn't it? / wouldn't it be?

Now conditional clauses are like the one's above but add an "if" to them.

Etc.

The best thing to do is print off Lars' table, and use that when you have a question (in addition to asking here, of course).

http://www.nualeargais.ie/gnag/gram.htm

I ndiaidh a chéile a thógtar na caisleáin.

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David_w
Member
Username: David_w

Post Number: 130
Registered: 03-2010
Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 04:34 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Seanw, Lars' site has a peculiarity, that when you click through to another page, you are doing so in a frame, and so the main page URL does not change. Hence, the link you gave does not bring up the table you mentioned. The page you mean, I think, is actually http://www.nualeargais.ie/gnag/kopul3.htm

Luasgann an tAṫair Peadar mo ṡaoġal!.

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Seánw
Member
Username: Seánw

Post Number: 582
Registered: 07-2009


Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 06:15 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit Post Print Post

Right thou art. Thanks for the fix!

I ndiaidh a chéile a thógtar na caisleáin.



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