Grammar question: adjectives and nouns together in genitive…

[Aodhán]

I want to say “lack of political will”. According to Tearma.ie, political is polaitiúil, an adjective, and will, toil, is a noun. But, it seems I could also use polaitíochta for political, the genitive of the noun polaitíocht, politics (http://www.teanglann.ie/en/fgb/polaitíocht). What is the difference between both?

So, if I use ‘polaitiúil’ for “lack of political will” I have easpa and then an adjective and then a noun? If I use polaitíochta I have easpa and two nouns? Correct?

Could somebody please explain what my options are for translating “lack of political will”? I just don’t know what “political will” grammatically is in order to do the relevant rule searches. For that matter, does “political will” qualify as an “aonad brí”?

I know after ‘easpa’ the genitive happens so “lack of will” is ‘easpa tola’ and I know two nouns together result in the second noun being in the genitive case. Fine. But I’m really stuck after this.

[Labhrás]

I want to say “lack of political will”. According to Tearma.ie, political is polaitiúil, an adjective, and will, toil, is a noun. But, it seems I could also use polaitíochta for political, the genitive of the noun polaitíocht, politics (http://www.teanglann.ie/en/fgb/polaitíocht). What is the difference between both?

Genitives are often used in an adjectival way.
You can use polaitíochta when “of politics” means the same as “political”
e.g. pairtí poilaitíochta = a party of politics = a political party
But “toil polaitíochta” = “will of politics” I’d say can’t be used for “political will”

So, if I use ‘polaitiúil’ for “lack of political will” I have easpa and then an adjective and then a noun?

Adjectives come last in Irish
easpa tola polaitiúla

If I use polaitíochta I have easpa and two nouns? Correct?

Yes, but in case of
easpa + [toil + polaitíochta]
toil is not put in genitive case form:
easpa toil polaitíochta (but as said above I wouldn’t use polaitíochta here)

[Aodhán]

Thank you so much, Labhrás.

[Author]

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