Genitive Form without the Article.

[Rosie]

I keep wondering about if it’s right or wrong to use the technical genitive version of a noun w/o the “an” or “na” article. E.g….would it be more normal to say “ceapaire ubh” or “ceapaire uibhe”? I know that “[color=blue]an[/color] ceapaire uibhe” would be right, but what about without the article? Thanks.🤞🏼

[Labhrás]

I keep wondering about if it’s right or wrong to use the technical genitive version of a noun w/o the “an” or “na” article. E.g….would it be more normal to say “ceapaire ubh” or “ceapaire uibhe”? I know that “[color=blue]an[/color] ceapaire uibhe” would be right, but what about without the article? Thanks.🤞🏼

ceapaire uibhe

There’s no relation to the article.

[Rosie]

Thanks, I was hoping as much. But I’m still a little confused, cause when I use the “noun+adjective” combo on teanglann.ie’s Grammar Wizard tab, it always says, “NOTE: When the definite article (an) is not present, generally the nominative is used instead of the genitive: ag lorg an mhadra mhóir, le haghaidh an mhadra mhóir but ag lorg madra mór, le haghaidh madra mór.” So I think something must not be taking to my brain about this. Help? 🤔😩

[Hugo]

You may be suffering from SBS – summer brain syndrome, where the cells are a bit sluggish. ‘Mór’ is a genuine adjective and agrees in gender, number and (usually) case with the noun it qualifies. ‘Uibhe’, however, is a noun functioning adjectivally, i.e., qualifying ‘ceapaire’. For a noun to act as an adjective it has to be in the genitive. ‘Ceapaire ubh’ wouldn’t make sense. Of course, this ‘adjectival noun’ is then subject to the dreaded rules of lenition…☠️

[Rosie]

Lol. What’ve I gotten myself into? 🤣 Thank you, that really does help and clears it up for me. Well…I plow ahead…can’t likely stop now. 😄

[Sneachta]

Ach maidir leis an riail sin nuair a bhíonn aidiacht ann agus nach mbíonn an t-alt ann, an bhfuil an riail i bhfeidhm san uimhir iolra ? Mar shampla, “ag oscailt fuinneoga móra” nó “ag oscailt fuinneog mór” ( toisc gur lagiolra é “fuinneoga”) ?

[Onuvanja]

Déarfainn féin gur “ag oscailt fuinneoga móra” an leagan ceart, mar ní chuirtear rialacha ginidigh i bhfeidhm agus an t-ainmfhocal eigínnte cáilithe ag aidiacht nó ag cáilitheoir eile (m.sh. “ag tógáil tí”, ach “ag tógáil teach mór”).

[Sneachta]

GRMA. Sin mar a shíl mé, ach ní raibh mé cinnte.

[Author]

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