Hi all,

Basically, the topic is what I am feeling right now so I am studying Irish...

Is the word "breoite" an verb or a noun? Or can it be both as in English?

Is it just used to describe someones physical state of being sick/ill or can the same word be used as a noun (as it is in English) for bodily ejecta?

I've only ever seen it as a verb thus far...

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Is the word "breoite" an verb or a noun? Or can it be both as in English?

No. "Breoite" is the verbal adjective of the verb breoigh "to make sick, sicken". "Breoite" is not a noun. "Breoiteacht" is a noun meaning "sickness", "illness". Note that the adjective "tinn" means "sore" not "sick" in Munster but that in Connachta and Ulster it means "ill". "Tinneas" also means "illness, sickness" as well as "soreness" but in the common expression "Cad é tá ag déanamh tinnis duit?" it means "worry", "anxiety".

As for "sick" in the sense of being nauseous and wanting to vomit, you would say "tá múisc/masmas/múisiam/fonn úrlacain orm".

"Gearán" meaning literally "a complaint" is very commonly used for "sickness" or "ailment": "N'fheadaraís cé na gearáin a bheadh ar sheanduine".

"meathshláinteach" - "táimse lagshláinteach/meathshláinteach le tamall" - in poor health.

Carmanach,when you say the 'verbal adjective' do I ?take it you mean the 'adverb'? Or is there no real analog for same as gaeilge? Can one say 'bhi breoiteacht orm' - since clearly one cannot say 'bhí breoite orm'.

Presumably Spike Milligan's epitaph : Dúirt me leat go raibh mé breoite ( from memory) is nonsense.Which he would have loved!

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Carmanach,when you say the 'verbal adjective' do I ?take it you mean the 'adverb'? Or is there no real analog for same as gaeilge? Can one say 'bhi breoiteacht orm' - since clearly one cannot say 'bhí breoite orm'.

No. The verbal adjective and the past participle take the same form in Irish. The verbal adjective is the adjectival form of the verb referring to a completed action: déanta - done, made, ceannaithe - bought, glanta - cleaned, cnuasaithe - gathered up, etc. Therefore, "breoite" literally means "sickened" "made ill".

Yes, you can say "bhí breoiteacht orm". You cannot say "bhí breoite orm" but you can of course say "bhíos breoite".

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Presumably Spike Milligan's epitaph : Dúirt me leat go raibh mé breoite ( from memory) is nonsense.Which he would have loved!

No it's not nonsense! "Bhíos breoite" is perfectly correct.

Actually in Connemara "tinn" can mean both "ill" and "sore".

Tá mé tinn - sick

Tá mo chosa tinn - sore
Tá láimh tinn orm - sore

In Donegal, "tinn" means only "sick" ; when you want to say "sore" you use the adjective "nimhneach" (which means poisoned elsewhere!).

Tá mo chosa nimhneach.
Tá mo lámh nimhneach.

I've just thought of another word used for "soreness" in Corca Dhuibhne: "pionós" pronounced /p'n'o:s/ or /p'n'u:s/ literally "penalty, punishment": "Fuaireas ana-phionós óm láimh/óm chois". It refers to severe, prolonged pain.

"Nimhneach" in Munster means "poisonous" of plants, chemicals etc or in the sense of a particularly bitter, caustic comment, insult: "níl an ceann is measa acu in aon ghaobhar do bheith comh nimhneach le focail áirithe a chloisfeá aige Béarlóirí". I expect it's used in a similar way in the north and west also.

"Nimhneach" is pronounced like "níneach" in Munster.

(Message edited by carmanach on February 13, 2011)

Yes nimhneach means poisoned but it can also be used like -
Mada nimhneach - aggressive dog
gaoithe nimhneach - biting wind

Madra mallaithe - aggressive dog
gaoth bhioranta/gaoth go bhfuil gomh/faobhar (nimhe) uirthi - bitingly cold wind

Nimhneach may also be used in the same circumstances.

we use "gomh" in Connemara too. Pronounced like ga_iv.

In Munster "gomh" is masculine and pronounced /gov/. Is "goimh" not the Conamara/Cois Fhairrge form?

You also use "breoite" to refer to the weather "Tá an aimsir go breoite inniu", "The weather is terrible today".

I think you all know by now that my spelling is awful.
I know the words without being able to spell them.

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I think you all know by now that my spelling is awful.

I wasn't criticising your spelling. I was just wondering if the Connachta form is "goimh" (feminine) because in Munster it's "gomh" (masculine).

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I wasn't criticising your spelling.

I didn't think you were.

A Charmanaigh, tá dán le Máirtín Ó Direáin dar teideal "Gníomh Goimhe."