quote:

Dúirt Dia: "Bíodh firmimint i lar na n-uiscí agus scaradh sí na huiscí óna chéile."

What is the sí refering to?

sí = firminint, being a feminine noun.

quote:

Rinne Dia an fhirmimint agus scar sé na huiscí a bhí faoin bhfirmimint ó na huiscí a bhí
os a cionn.

Here does sé = Dia then and not firmimint?

Yes, paploo, sé means Dia in that sentence. But you can get clues from the English version of Genesis 1, unless you are trying to avoid looking at that, of course! Scar sé - he separated. Scaradh sí - let it separate.

If anyone is interested in comparing Bíobla Má Nuad to other Versions, I suggest downloading the eSword version from here:

http://www.anbioblanaofa.org/ga/e-sword

(I've used it to find stuff I remember in English or German and jump to the Irish version. Very handy. Also neatly cuts verses out for quotation)

Thanks for the help! Here's another question:

quote:

Tagadh na huiscí go léir atá faoi neamh le chéile san aon áit amháin, agus bíodh an talamh tirim le feiceáil.

Tagadh is a form of the verb tar? I couldn't figure out by context how that would make sense with the rest of the sentence.

Let all the waters come together

It is imperative (Modh Ordaitheach)

http://www.potafocal.com/Metasearch.aspx?Text=tar&GotoID=focloirbeag

quote:

an solas is mó

is that "the bigger light" or "the biggest light"?

Also can I have an example of the one its not?

There is no difference, when only two lights are involved!

Aonghus is right.

If you wanted to say "A is bigger than B" you have two choice:

Tá A níos mó ná B
Is mó A ná B

Note as well that when such a comparison is used in a relative clause you must use "is" not "níos":

Tá leabhar aige is suimiúla ná mo cheannsa = He has more interesting book than mine (a book that is more interesting than mine)

If no comparison is being made with another thing/person etc you use NÍOS:

An bhfuil leabhar níos suimiúla aige? = Does he have a more interesting book?

Here's what the Christian Brothers say:

11.30 Is féidir níos (ní b', ní ba) + aidiacht a úsáid go haitreabúideach le hainmfhocal éiginnte má tá comparáid neamhspleách ann: tóg ceann níos fearr; chuamar bealach níos (ní b') achrannaí; cheannóinn í ar phraghas níos (ní ba) réasúnta; ba mhaith liom ceann níos (ní b') óige.
Uaireanta úsáidtear an clásal coibhneasta atá i gceist in 11.31: díolfaidh tú as seo lá is faide anonn.

11.31 I ngach cás eile is gnách an aidiacht a chur i gclásal coibhneasta copaileach in ionad í a úsáid go haitreabúideach. Sna cásanna sin ní úsáidtear níos, ní b', ní ba. Mar shampla, má tá ainmfhocal éiginnte á cháiliú ag an aidiacht i gcomparáid spleách: tá leabhar agamsa is fearr ná do cheannsa; níor imir sé riamh cluiche ba shuimiúla ná é; chonaic mé easpag ab óige ná eisean.

Go raibh maith agat, a Charmanach. My only experience with comparison so far is Rosetta Stone which doesn't explain the grammar at all.

Ceist eile. Cad é "míola"? The only definition I could find was google translates definition of "headlice" which I believe is wrong. Below is the sentence that I found it in.

quote:

Chruthaigh Dia na míola móra agus gach uile
dhúil chorraitheach bheo de réir a chineáil a chin ó rath na n-uiscí, agus an uile chineál
éin a eitlíonn.

Well, the literal meaning of "míol" is "animal" or "creature". "Na míola móra" are literally "the big creatures" meaning "the whales". "Míol mór" is "whale". Ó Dónaill gives the plural as "míolta" with "míola" as a variant form.

Body lice are "míolta cnis" (or "búidíos" in Corca Dhuibhne) while headlice are normally "sneá" or "sneáidíos" being the form in Corca Dhuibhne. "sniodh" /ʃn'iɡ/ is the singular, "a nit" which gives us the expression:

Ní fiú cac snige é = It's not worth a nit's s*it!

quote:

Bígí torthach agus téígí i líonmhaire...

I couldn't find a definition for torthach but I found an talamh torthach means mother earth?

Does bígí torthach mean to procreate?

"Be fruitful and multiply ('go in abundance')"

Toradh = fruit, product

Torthach = fruitful

It is in Ó Dónaill, but Torthúil is the standard form.

"torthach" is "fruitful", "productive" as Aonghus has pointed out.

"an talamh torthach" is "the fruitful earth".

"bígí torthach" - literally "be fruitful, productive" i.e. procreate

"Bígí torthach agus téigí i líonmhaire..."

"téigí i líonmhaire", literally "go (you plural) into abundance", i.e. multiply.

The form "líonmhaire" of the adjective "líonmhar" (plentiful) here is what's called the abstract noun of degree. Combined with the verb "téigh", "to go" and the preposition "i", "in" it is very commonly used to translate "becoming", "developing", "getting":

tá sé ag dul i bhfeabhas = he/it getting better
tá sé ag dul i bhfuaire = getting colder
tá sé ag dul i laghad = getting smaller
tá sé ag dul i méid = getting bigger
tá sé ag dul i dteocht = getting hotter
tá sé ag dul in olcas = getting worse

etc.

(Message edited by carmanach on January 19, 2011)

For some reason, one very rarely hears any learner of Irish or neo-native use those forms I've mentioned above: tá sé ag dul i bhfeabhas, etc. They almost all say "Tá sé ag éirí fuar" but I'm not sure if that is used anywhere in the Gaeltacht - someone correct me if I'm wrong on that.

Tá "ag éirí x" cloiste agam ó am go cheile ar RnaG ach silim gur tionchair an Bhéarla atá ansin; macasamhail leithéidí "tá sé suas ag" seachas "is faoi"

Tá Gaeilge na Gaeltachta - ar a laghad ar an Raidió le linn cláir nuachta - ag dul i mbéarlagaireacht.

quote:

Tá "ag éirí x" cloiste agam ó am go cheile ar RnaG ach silim gur tionchair an Bhéarla atá ansin;

Tá sé ag Ó Dónaill agus ag an nDuinníneach! B'fhearra dhom féachaint romham sochas dhá fhéachaint a thabhairt im dhiaidh! Mar sin féin, ní dó liom go bhfuil sé róchoitianta i gCorca Dhuibhne, ámh. Tá sampla aige Donnchadh Ó Drisceoil ó Chléire:

na daoine éirithe níos eolgaisí ar an saol (AC:64)

Roinnt samplaí aige Breandán Mac Gearailt:

sa tír seo le tamall thuigfí duit go bhfuil an córas poist ag éirí an-aimhleasach; BMG: 12/8/2007)
meon barbartha atá ag éirí níos coitianta; (BMG:27/11/2005)
go bhfuil cathair Lisboa tar éis éirí an-chostasach seachas mar a bhí; has become more expensive than it was, (BMG:25/2/2007)
Tá saol an mhúinteora ag éirí níos casta; becoming more complicated, (BMG:30/4/2006)
Is léir go bhfuil go leor dár ndaoine éirithe sotalach agus gar dóibh féin; It is clear that many of our people have become arrogant and selfish, (BMG:14/12/2008)

Ar a shon san is uile, measaim gur coitianta go mór "ag dul i gcastacht/chuin castachta".

Deirtear "a' fáil + aidiacht", leis, go han-choitianta san aimsir seo: tá sé ag fáil dorcha, tá sé fachta an-lom le deireanaí - ar mhúnla an Bhéarla gan dabht.

Carmanach, I wonder if things that are correct can occur in different frequencies in the speech of native speakers and learners. Because even though "ag eirí fuar" is right, it may be the only option ever chosen by learners, because it mirrors the English...

quote:

Because even though "ag eirí fuar" is right, it may be the only option ever chosen by learners, because it mirrors the English...

Yes, I think you're right. The frequency of usage would differ between those groups. Nevertheless, to be fair, "ag éirí fuar" etc has been shown to be correct and in use by native Gaeltacht speakers so at least it's not incorrect.

Cuireann "ag fáil X" cantal orm, caithfidh mé admháil. An bhfuilim ag ró choigeartú maidir le "tá sé suas agat" seachas "fútsa atá sé"?

Something that has been bothering me for a long time is the expression "fáil réidh le" for "getting rid of". Is this an anglicism? It looks like one anyway. Táim réidh leis = I'm finished, done with it. "Críochnaigh do chuid oibre is bí réidh léi! = Finish up your work and be rid of it! Ag fáil réidh leis = "obtaining finished with it"?? I'd be interested to see if someone like PUL had this or if it occurs in the early manuscripts.

quote:

An bhfuilim ag ró choigeartú maidir le "tá sé suas agat" seachas "fútsa atá sé"?

Recte: róchoigeartú - aon fhocal amháin. (Réimír is ea "ró"). Ní scríofá "pre fabrication" in ionad "prefabrication", bhuel, rud eile ar fad is ea "pre fabrication". :o)

Ní chuala "tá sé suas agat" ach "tá sé suas duit/chugat féin". Deabhraíonn sé gur calque ar an mBéarla is ea é ar aon chuma.

Tá an dá rud cloiste agam. Maith agat as an nod maidir leis na réimíreanna - drochnós eile ar mithid dom fáil réidh leis iad a scríobh le bearna!

Níl a bhaochas ort!

Seo dhuit nósmhaireacht na haimsire seo:

ró + consan = rógharbh

ró + fleiscín + guta = ró-ard

Carmanach, I have never been able to find "fáil réidh" in PUL, but the meaning "ready" is in Dineen's dictionary. I'm sure "fáil réidh" for "get ready" is Béarlachas of the worst kind!

quote:

I'm sure "fáil réidh" for "get ready" is Béarlachas of the worst kind!

Yes, I've always suspected as much but didn't want to openly say so lest someone come back with an example from a 13th manuscript or something!

My own favourite bit of béarlachas is this (brace yourself):

"Cá bhfuil sibh?? Táim caillte!!!"

Muise, níor chaill tú riamh é!

This is what an foclóir beag has:

réidh [aidiacht den chéad díochlaonadh]
mín, leibhéalta (áit, talamh réidh); socair, bog (siúl go réidh; tóg go réidh é); réchúiseach (is réidh a tháinig an bhréag leis); ullamh (tá an dinnéar réidh; an bhfuil tú réidh fós?); críochnaithe (abair é is bí réidh leis).

fáil [ainm briathartha][ainmfhocal baininscneach den tríú díochlaonadh]
sealbhú, aimsiú (faigh do chóta agus bí liom); gnóthú (gheobhaidh sé an lámh uachtair ort); soláthar (fuair mé an dochtúir dó); dul trí fulaingt (má fhaighim scanradh; fuair sí bás; náire a fháil); teacht ar (fuair sí airgead caillte); éirí (bhí an oíche ag fáil dorcha); teacht ar fhios nó ar eolas (fuair mé amach nach é a rinne é); bheith ábalta (ní bhfaighinn a leithéid a rá leat); soláthar, sroicheadh (níl fáil ar a leithéid; níl sé ar fáil, le fáil, go héasca).

---

No strong evidence either way, but clearly both "réidh" and "fáil" cover a wide range.

Note that "fáil réidh le rud" means to get rid of something, not to get it ready.

quote:

Note that "fáil réidh le rud" means to get rid of something, not to get it ready.

The basic meaning of "réidh" is "clear of obstacles" and by extension "finished", "completed" and so "réidh" is used also where the Anglophone would use "ready". If you say "Táim réidh le n-imeacht", you are effectively saying "I am clear of other commitments and so I can now leave".

I believe that non-native speakers often overlook the basic sense of "réidh". They see a one to one correlation between "réidh" and English "ready" but the two don't cover the exact same ranges of meanings. As I keep saying, languages are not like Lego. A lot of the time you can't just click one Irish word into a ready-made (ready!) English slot.

"Fáil réidh le rud", therefore, can only mean "obtaining finished/done with a thing" which makes no sense at all. It only makes sense if you think of it through English: rid of something = réidh le rud (correct), getting/obtaining = fáil (correct), therefore "getting rid of something" = "fáil réidh le rud" which is simply not how Irish works.

I may be missing your point, but to me to get rid of something is not the same as to be ready (i. finished) with it.

It is to destroy or otherwise dispose of it.

So that I don't see a connection between "ready" and "réidh le"

But I fully accept your point that the construct is suspect.

quote:

I may be missing your point, but to me to get rid of something is not the same as to be ready (i. finished) with it.

Well, I can clearly see the link between being "rid of" something and being "finished" with it. If you are "ready" to talk on the phone, go the pub etc you must have finished with some previous task you were occupied with in order to be ready at the present moment in time. There's a clear connection therefore between being rid of something and being finished with it.

Forget about the English, though, and concentrate on the Irish word "réidh". Get out Dinneen and Ó Dónaill and DIL and start reading! People get confused when they try to wedge an Irish word or construction into an English-shaped hole. Even people who should know better constantly moan that Irish is not "concise" enough because you end up using more words than the English version. So, in other words, the English is superior and Irish somehow defective for having one or two more words than the English. But people just love their Lego bricks . . .

Cinnte. Níl Ó Dónaill agam le láimh. Glacaim go hiomlán le teoiric neamh bhriciúil teangacha, agus is brilléis an clamhsán faoi neamhghontacht na Gaeilge.

Tá an Ghaeilge chomh nó níos gonta na an Bhéarla, ach na focail a bheith ag duine.