[Onuvanja]

I would personally recommend you to focus on existing Irish surnames. Since Irishmen were great warriors (and perhaps still are;)), why shouldn’t you be able to find a close match? Unfortunately, I haven’t got any relevant sources myself, so for the time being, I can only suggest Ó Fearghail, which is supposed to mean “manly valour”.

I know there’s “An Sloinnteoir Gaeilge agus an tAinmneoir” by Muiris Ó Droighneáin, which deals with the subject. Perhaps someone on this forum can have a peek in there?

[Onuvanja]

Thanks, Lughaidh! Yes, of course, “cheannóin”. That was a typo. But why not “má tá”? Imagine it’s not a repetitive action, you’re going to the theatre that particular night and waiting on the platform, thinking to yourself: “If that train is delayed, I’ll be late for the play”. Is it really wrong to say “má tá…” in that case?

[Onuvanja]

Usually the content should help you decide which “if” to use:

1) If I won the Lottery, I would buy a big house. / Dá mbuafainn an Crannchur Náisiúnta, ceannóinn teach mór.

There is a very remote chance of this happening, so here we have a hypothetical “if”. Use “dá”.

2) If the train is delayed, I will be late for the play. / Má tá moill ar an traein, beidh mé deireannach ag an dráma.

This is distinct possibility – it could happen any day, so you can call it the factual “if”. Use “má”.

If you prefer a simpler approach, you could say that “if + past tense” equals “dá + conditional” and “if + present tense” equals “má + present tense”.

[Onuvanja]

Now for slender gh/dh you used the symbol [ʝ] but in my opinion it’s [j] most of the time in Irish, ie. the very same sound as English y.
[ʝ] is the voiced form of the sound of slender ch ([ç] in IPA), so it’s a bit different.

Okay, in front of a vowel, I would agree with you (e.g. mo dheontas, mo dhícheall). But what about words which begin with a consonant cluster, such as “mo dhream”, “mo ghreim”? Is it still a simple [j] sound?

If I’m not mistaken in modern Greek they also use the symbol [ʝ] for describing the first sound in the name “Georgos”. Of course, I’m not a phonetician, so I might be barking up the wrong tree.

[Onuvanja]

An-spéisiúil. An bhfuil mórán coláistí den chineál sin in Albain ina bhfuil an Ghàidhlig á teagasc?

PS. Bhí botún agam sa teachtaireacht dheireannach. “Gaeilge na hAlban” ba chóir a bheith ann in áit “Gaeilge na hAlba”. Tá brón orm.

[Onuvanja]

Fàilte gu Daltaí, a GunChleoc! 🙂

Cén fáth ar thosaigh tú ag foghlaim Gaeilge na hAlba? An bhfuil tú i do chónaí i gceantar ina labhraítear í?

[Onuvanja]

Irish IPA only uses /É£/ for both cases. Instead of writing /ʝ/, it adds an apostrophe to distinguish the slender sound, i.e. /É£’/. I thinks that’s partly what confuses the learner, since the symbols for the broad and slender “dh/gh” are so similar, but the way they sound is very different…

[Onuvanja]

Yes, you’re absolutely right, a Sheosaimh. The broad and slender “gh”/”dh” are two very different sounds. The former resembles the “g” sound in the Spanish word “agua” or the French “r”. Gargling is a good analogy, too. 🙂 The slender version is very similar to “y” in “yeast”. I think that description goes for all dialects, but perhaps Lughaidh and other experts can provide more information…

[Onuvanja]

What about “Ceart go leor”? It can be used a bit like “all right?” in English, meaning “is everything okay (with you)?”.

There’s also “in ord agus in eagar” to denote that something’s working well. Can’t think of anything more ‘colourful’ now. 🙂

[Onuvanja]

Ceist : Ar ith tú do lón cheana? – Have you already had lunch?
Freagra A: Tá mo lón á ithe agam anois. – I’m having it right now.
Freagra B: Níor ith. Tá mé dh’á ithe anois. No. I’m eating it now.

Cad é an difríocht idir an á agus an dh’á sna freagraí? Céard a chiallaíonn dh san abairt seo?

Is í “á” an fhoirm a mbaintear úsáid aisti sa gCaighdeán, ach tá “dhá” coitianta freisin i gConamara. Níl a fhios ‘am faoi na canúintí eile faraor.

[Onuvanja]

Tuigim ach sa chás seo tá mé ag iarraidh freagra a thabhairt do dhalta atá ag iarraidh obair soiléir a scríobh. Mar sin scríobh mé ‘de ghnáth.’ Do dhaoine a léann leabhair i nGaeilge feiceann siad an ‘passive voice’ go minic ach tá an teanga ag athrú agus ins na leabhair nua-aimseartha ní usáideann scríbhneoirí é chomh minic anois. D’fhéadfainn bheith mícheart anseo. Tá an rud céanna an tarlú sa Spáinnis. San ollscoil freisin deireann siad le daltaí an ‘active voice’ a úsáid nuair is féidir leo.

níltearâ–ºnílim? níl siad?

Déarfainn féin nach leis an nGaeilge a bhaineann an fhadhb sin, seachas an Béarla… Tá sé ráite go minic gur fearr a rá “The Government is taking measures” ná “Measures are being taken”, mar gheall ar go mbeadh an dara leagan mí-shoiléir agus ní bheadh a fhios ag Dia cé atá freagrach as go díreach go “nglactar na bearta ‘úd”.

Ach ní hamhlaidh atá an scéal sa nGaeilge. Is teanga bhreá shoiléir í an Ghaeilge agus caithfidh muid a bheith buíoch de go bhfuil a leithéide de rud is saorbriathar (“níltear”) ann. Marach é, bheadh orainn “they” nó “people” a rá i gcónaí, cé nach iad daoine áirithe atá i gceist, ach rud eicínt atá coitianta.

[Onuvanja]

An-mhaith, a Aonghuis. 🙂 Stuif contúirteach atá sa bhFaí Chéasta, cosúil leis an Modh Coinníolach!

[Onuvanja]

Más ea, de ghnáth tá sé níos fearr an ‘active voice’ a úsáid in áit an ‘passive.’

Ní fíor sin sa Ghaeilge.

Tá ceist agam, a chairde.

An bhfuil a leithéide de rud is an fhaí chéasta (passive voice) ann sa nGaeilge? Cinnte, tá struchtúir ann leis an rud céanna a chur in iúl (mar shampla, “Tá mo lón á ithe agam”), ach ó thaobh na foirme de, leis an ainm briathartha (“Tá an lón á ithe”) nó leis an saorbhriathar (“Ithtear an lón”) a bhaineann siad, is dócha… Chuir sé iontas an domhain orm nach bhfuil ach tagairt amháin déanta don fhaí chéasta i nGraiméar Gaeilge na mBráithre Chríostaí.

[Onuvanja]

Tá fáilte romhat, a Séril! Tá mé beagnach cinnte gur meancóga atá ann.

Seo í an riail:

1) AG + AINM BRIATHARTHA (ithe, tógáil, tiomáint) + AINMFHOCAL SA nGINIDEACH

Tá mé ag ithe mo lóin / Bhí siad ag tógáil an tí / Beidh sé ag tiomáint a chairr

Eisceacht: Más ainmfhocal éiginnte atá i ann, ní gá an tuiseal ginideach a úsáid i gcónaí.

Bhí siad ag tógáil an tí (THE HOUSE), ach: Bhí siad ag tógáil teach (A HOUSE)

2) AG + mé, tú, é, í, muid, sibh, siad + AINM BRIATHARTHA

Tá X + ag + mé + bualadh –> Tá mé do mo bhualadh (ag X) – I am being beaten by X
Tá X + ag + tú + bualadh –> Tá tú do do bhualadh (ag X) – You are being beaten by X
Tá X + ag + é + bualadh –> Tá sé á bhualadh (ag X) – It (masc.) is being beaten by X

Tá X + ag + é + ithe –> Tá sé á ithe (ag X) — It (masc.) is being eaten by X –> Tá mo lón (=sé) á ithe agam

Bhuel, sin mar atá sé sa gCaighdeán. Tá roinnt difríochta i nGaeilge na Mumhan.

Tá súil agam go mbeidh sé ina chuidiú agat.

[Onuvanja]

A Séril, tá an tuiseal ginideach ag teastáil uait sa gcéad abairt: “tá mé ag ithe mo lóin”. Agus creidim go mba cheart fada a chur ar “a” sa dara habairt: “á ithe agam”. Sin ráite, ceapaim go bhfuil an dá leagan ceart, go bunúsach. Níl a fhios ‘am an mbaineann difríochta canúna leo… B’fhéidir go mbraitheann sé rud beag ar an gcomhthéacs. Cuir i gcás:

Ceist A: Céard atá tú a dhéanamh? – What are you doing?
Freagra A: Táim ag ithe mo lóin. – I’m having my lunch.

Ceist B: Ar ith tú do lón cheana? – Have you already had lunch?
Freagra B: Tá mo lón á ithe agam anois. – I’m having it right now.

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