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The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 2005- » 2010 (November-December) » Archive through December 21, 2010 » Prepositions « Previous Next »

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Paploo
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Username: Paploo

Post Number: 66
Registered: 06-2009
Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 11:12 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit PostPrint Post

I often have trouble with prepositions in foreign languages because it seems that differently languages use them differently.

In (American) English its common to say "We are waiting on you" which doesn't really follow the regular use of 'on'. I was wondering what preposition would be used in saying this in Irish.

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Aonghus
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Username: Aonghus

Post Number: 10864
Registered: 08-2004


Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 11:30 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit PostPrint Post

Do you mean Waiting until I arrive? Or serving me?

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Carmanach
Member
Username: Carmanach

Post Number: 781
Registered: 04-2009
Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 11:37 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit PostPrint Post

It depends on what you mean by "We are waiting on you". If you mean "We are waiting on you to make the first move" as opposed to "We are waiting on you hand and foot", then you would say "Táimid ag fanacht leatsa".

A very common error made by learners and L2 speakers in general is to use a calque of the English and say "Táimid ag fanacht ort". In fact, "ag fanacht ar" means "sticking to, adhering to, abiding by (one's word, a promise, your version of events etc.) So, "táimid ag fanacht ort" actually means "we are sticking with you".

Fan ort go fóill! = Hang on a minute!

If you wanted to say that you stayed with someone for any period of time, you must use the preposition "ag": "D'fhan sí agamsa ar feadh roinnt laethanta"; "she stayed with me for a few days".

Fan glan amach uaidh sin! = Steer well clear of that fellow (he's bad news)!

The verbal noun in the standard is "fanacht", but you'll also hear "fant" and "fanúint" in speech. The verb "fuirigh" and its verbal noun "fuireach" has a similar range of meanings to fan/fanacht.

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Paploo
Member
Username: Paploo

Post Number: 67
Registered: 06-2009
Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 11:39 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit PostPrint Post

Sorry about that, I didn't consider the multiple meaning. I meant in a sense of waiting for someone to arrive or waiting for someone to be ready to leave.

example conversation:
"Can we leave now?"
"Not yet. We are waiting on Aonghus" (as in waiting for him to be ready)

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Carmanach
Member
Username: Carmanach

Post Number: 782
Registered: 04-2009
Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 11:46 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit PostPrint Post

"An bhféadaimid imeacht anois?
Ní go fóill. Táimid ag fanacht le hAonghus"

Whatever you do, don't write or say "Táimid ag fanacht ar Aonghus", which means "We're sticking with Aonghus"!

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Corkirish
Member
Username: Corkirish

Post Number: 345
Registered: 10-2010
Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 11:57 am:   Small TextLarge TextEdit PostPrint Post

1. Waiting on someone - serving him food
2. Waiting for someone - waiting for someone to turn up
3. Waiting on someone - a different meaning to #3 means "waiting for someone, who may be present, to do something, and not waiting for him to turn up".

1. Ag friothálamh ar dhuine
2. Ag fanúint le duine
3. more interesting - Ag fanúint go ndéanaidh duine rud éigin???

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Carmanach
Member
Username: Carmanach

Post Number: 784
Registered: 04-2009
Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 12:13 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit PostPrint Post

1. Waiting on, serving food - friotháil/freastal ar in the Standard. Friotháil(t) in Corca Dhuibhne and Cléire.

3. Ag fanúint/fant/fanacht go ndeine/ndéanfaidh duine rud éigin = Corca Dhuibhne

ag fanacht go ndéana/ndéanfaidh duine rud éigin = An Caighdeán Oifigiúil

In Corca Dhuibhne, we also commonly hear "ag tindeáil ar" particularly of customers in a pub or restaurant. This is a very old loanword from English. Dinneen himself was complaining about it in his 1904 edition of his dictionary, I think!

You would also say for "tending to, fixing up, customers", "cóir a chur ar chustaiméirí".

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Crosáidí
Member
Username: Crosáidí

Post Number: 11
Registered: 03-2010
Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 01:40 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit PostPrint Post

What about "ag feitheamh" is it just a direct replacement for "ag fanacht" in the sense of waiting for someone

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Carmanach
Member
Username: Carmanach

Post Number: 789
Registered: 04-2009
Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 03:09 pm:   Small TextLarge TextEdit PostPrint Post

No, "ag feitheamh le" is not a "replacement" for "ag fanacht le" though it means the same thing. The verb "feith" doesn't have the same range of uses as "fan" has.



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