I have many queries on Niamh, and it is unrealistic to expect people to sit and answer them all, and any unanswered things will be resolved in my next trip to Ireland, but I wonder if anyone had any thoughts on these?

quote:

1. “Is dócha,” ar seisean, “gurb amhlaidh atá sé marbh, agus cad a dhéanfad!” agus siúd caise deor anuas óna shúilibh. Do leog sí dhó ar feadh tamaill, agus ní tirim a bhí a súile féin. Fé dheireadh do labhair sí.

What does "do leog sí dhó" mean? She left him on his own for a while?

quote:

2. Bhí a fhios acu go raibh gnó ag Brian díobh agus gurbh é a ngnó féin é.

OK. Brian had a job for them to do, but "it was their own job" - what does that mean? It was something they were ideally suited to do?

quote:

3. Nár bhaol go dtabharfadh Brian ón mbaile iad mura mbeadh cúis mhaith a bheith aige chuige, agus gurbh iad féin a bheadh beirthe ar ball le pé gnó a bhí le déanamh aige.

Beirthe - they would gain something, they would benefit from the job that they were to do? Is that right?

quote:

4. Ghluaiseodh an teachtaire sin ina chois, agus níorbh fhada go mbeadh an teachtaireacht tagaithe chun cinn.

I know "chun cinn" usually means "ahead, advancing, progressing". But how could this be translated? "It would not be long before the message reached its destination"???

quote:

5. Ní raibh aon mhaith i gcapaillibh ina n-aice súd.

Er... I was expecting "ina n-aice SIÚD". Are these "demonstratives qualifying possessives" usually súd and not siúd?

quote:

6. ghabhaidís gach aon chóngar, i dtreo gur mhinic ná bíodh míle ’shlí acu le gabháil nuair nár bhfoláir d’fhear capaill gabháil, b’fhéidir, deich míle de thimpal.

Do people agree that "míle 'shlí" stands for "míle dhe shlí"?

quote:

7. Níor bheag san. Is amhlaidh a bhíodh gach éinne ag cabhrú leo in inead aon cheataí a dhéanamh dóibh.

I am in a quandary over ceataí (ceataighe in the original). This is ciotaí in Standard Irish, but I believe that where there is along /i:/ vowel, the vowel in the preceding syllable is pronounced fully in Muskerry Irish, so that ceataí would have to be pronounced /kʹa'ti:/ and not /kʹi'ti:/, whereas ciotóg would be pronounced /kʹi'to:g/. This presumes that PUL was writing ceataighe to indicate a pronunciation /kʹa'ti:/ and not just because that was the classical spelling. It seems suboptimal to have ceataí, but ciotóg, and the CO's ciotaí and ciotóg make more sense, but I am just doubtful that that combination works correctly in Muskerry Irish due to the phonological rule i outlined?

quote:

8. Nuair a bhí sé cheithre bliana déag do bheireadh sé ar na giorraithibh ar thaobh an ghleanna, ag rith ina ndiaidh agus á gcasadh mar a dhéanfadh cú.

Á gcasadh - he would toss hares about like a dog would do?

quote:

9. Mura mbeadh san níorbh fhéidir do Mheargach teacht ar an obair.

Teacht ar an obair - to manage to complete the work?

(Message edited by corkirish on November 15, 2010)

1. She let him be a while.

2. Yes. I think so. "They were the right people for the job."

3. Yes, it would appear so.

4. Delivered, brought to its destination.

5. Bhuel, "so" and "san" being used in places where you would expect "seo" or "sin", after a palatalised consonant or front vowel, say, are not infrequent in CD so one imagines the same to be true of "siúd" v. "súd".

6. Yes. This sort of thing is very common in CD and Ó Sé gives many examples such as "píosa 'e cheirt" etc. which is realised as "píosa cheirt".

7. Well, I have "ceataí" from both CD and Cléire. I take your point about the rule where an unstressed vowel in a syllable before stressed /i:/ and /u:/ retains its quality and isn't weakened, or has subsidiary or secondary stress. I think there is something more than this going on in this case, however. Donn Piatt for example talked of -io- replacing -ea- in Munster though he may just have been thinking of the weakening of unstressed vowels before a stressed syllable.

8. No. "á gcasadh", "turning them", a term from hare coursing, "to turn the hare".

9. Teacht ar an obair - probably "find the work", get the work for himself but can you provide more context?

"Teacht isteach ar an obair" would mean to get accustomed to the work.

quote:

9. Mura mbeadh san níorbh fhéidir do Mheargach teacht ar an obair.

Dinneen has "tigim ar . . . set about" and "tar ar na h-árthraighe is glan iad; get busy with these vessels and clean them".

teacht ar - this would be get, or get accustomed to, or come across, in most contexts, but I think set about is the right one here. Thanks to all.

Set about - this is normally: luí isteach ar an obair. [Although I accept the example of tigim ar with the same meaning from Dinneen's].

I would have said that "luí isteach" meant to focus on the work.

http://www.potafocal.com/Search.aspx?Text=lu%C3%AD+isteach

(Message edited by aonghus on November 16, 2010)

quote:

I would have said that "luí isteach" meant to focus on the work.

No. "get stuck into the work, etc." See Ó Dónaill and Dinneen et al.

I am a raw learner, but from what I have read so far, "focus on the work" is "aghaidh a thabhairt ar an obair"

"Aghaidh a thabhairt ar X" to commence doing/going to X

(Message edited by aonghus on November 16, 2010)

Aonghus, Mo Sgéal Féin by PUL has this:

quote:

Chínn gach aoinne a d'iaraidh é féin do chur ar aghaidh agus do bheachtughadh i n-eólus agus i gclisteacht agus i gcumas ar an mBéarla. Cad fhéadfadh aoinne amháin a dhéanamh?

I ndiaigh chéile do mhaoluigh an díogras ionam agus thugas aghaidh ar na gnóthaíbh a bhain le h-obair an Choláisde i mBéarla agus i Laidin agus sa bhFrainncis. Do leanas, ámhthach, ar mo Choróinn Mhuire do rádh as Gaeluinn nuair a bhínn ag dul a chodla.

My translation is:

quote:

I would see everyone attempting to advance and perfect himself in the knowledge of English and in his facility and ability therein. What could a single person accomplish (in order to save the Irish)? Gradually, I grew more enthusiastic, and I focused on my college studies in English, Latin and French. However, I continued to say my Rosary in Irish as I was going to sleep.

do mhaoluigh an díogras ionam

My fervour reduced

I'd translate "thugas aghaidh ar na gnóthaíbh a bhain le h-obair an Choláisde i mBéarla agus i Laidin agus sa bhFrainncis" as I turned instead to the ....

yes, sorry, you are right. His zeal for the Irish abated, and he focused on his English, Latin and French.

Sheila O'Sullivan's translation is:

quote:

I saw everyone trying to advance and perfect himself in the knowledge and command of English. What could one lone person do? By degrees my zeal grew less and I fixed my attention on what was concerned with my college work in English, Latin and French. However, I continued to say my Rosary in Irish when I was going to bed.

Dinneen says "aghaidh a thabhairt ar" can mean "fix attention on".

Aonghus, I am not being argumentative, I think the various dictionaries have slightly different translations, and one of the nuances, is to "fix attention on, focus on, concentrate on".

Sheila O'Sullivan who transalted Mo Sgéal Féin was the mother of Ruth Dudley Edwards, as I expect you know, Aonghus.

Nor am I, merely telling you how I would understand the passage.

To me "Luí isteach air" carries far more force than "thug mé aghaidh ar"

yes - I am sure you're right. I am sorry if I am at cross-purposes with you. I accepted fully that luí isteach means get stuck in. I wouldn't want you to think I am not grateful for your help always - may you continue to give it freely!

Níl a bhuíochas ort.