Graiméar na Gaedhilge/Part II Chapter VI

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Graiméar na Gaedhilge (1906)
Christian Brothers

Part II Chapter VI

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1601107Graiméar na Gaedhilge — Part II Chapter VI1906Christian Brothers

CHAPTER VI.

The Adverb.

429. There are not many simple adverbs in Irish, the greater number of adverbs being made up of two or more words. Almost every Irish adjective may become an adverb by having the particle “GO” prefixed to it: as, maiṫ, good; go maiṫ, well; uṁal, humble; go h‑uṁal, humbly.

430. This go is really the preposition go^[1] with its meaning of “with.” (Do not confound this word with go meaning “to,” they are two distinct prepositions). Of course this particle has now lost its original meaning in the case of most adverbs.

431. Adverbs may be compared; their comparative and superlative degrees are, however, those of the adjectives from which they are derived; the particle go is not used before the comparative or superlative.

432. It may be well to remark here that when an adjective begins with a vowel go prefixes h, as go h‑annaṁ, seldom.

433. The following list may now be regarded as simple adverbs although many of them are disguised compounds.

amaċ	out (used only after a verb of motion).
amuiġ, amuiċ	outside, out; never used after a verb of motion. He is out, tá sé amuiġ. He is standing outside the door, tá sé ’na ṡeasaṁ taoḃ amuiġ de ’n doras.

áṁ, aṁaċ, áṁṫaċ,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	however.	fós, yet. i muḋa, amú, astray (mistaken).
aṁáin, alone, only.			indé (ané), yesterday.
aṁail, as, like.			indiu (andiu), to-day.
aṁlaiḋ, thus.			i mbáraċ (amáraċ), to-morrow.
anoċt, to-night.			isteaċ, in (motion only).
anois, now.			istiġ, inside (rest).
aréir, last night.			go h‑annaṁ, seldom.
arís(t). again.			go fóill, yet, awhile.
cá? where?			ní (níor), ċa (ċar), (Ulster),	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	not.
ċeana, already, previously.
conus? cionnus? how?			nuair, when.
ċoṁ, coṁ, as (see par. 154).			caṫain? caṡoin?	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	when?
feasda, henceforth, at once.
leis,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	also.	mar, as, like.
freisin,			mar sin, thus.

Fiú, even; as, níor laḃair sé fiú aon ḟocal aṁáin. He did not speak even one word. Gan fiú na h‑anála do ṫarraing. Without even taking breath. Fiú is really a noun, and is followed by the genitive case, whenever the definite article comes between it and the noun; otherwise it is followed by a nominative case.

434. It may be useful to remark here that the words indiu, to-day; indé, yesterday; i mbáraċ, to-morrow; aréir, last night; anoċt, to-night; can be used only as adverbs. He came to-day. Ṫáinig sé indiu. He went away yesterday. D’imṫiġ sé indé. When the English words are nouns, we must use an lá (or an oiḋċe) before indiu, indé, aréir, etc. Yesterday was fine. Ḃí an lá indé breáġ. To-morrow will be wet. Beiḋ an lá i mbáraċ fliuċ. Last night was cold. Ḃí an oiḋċe aréir fuar.

435.

Interrogative Words.

when? caṫain? cé an uair? cé an t‑am?			which (adj.)? cé an…?
where? cá? cé an áit? conad?			what? cad? creud? ceurd?
how? conus (cionnus)? cé an ċaoi? go dé mar?			whither? cá?
why? cad ’na ṫaoḃ? cad ċuige? cad fáṫ? cé an fáṫ?			whence? cad as? cá’r ab as?
how far?	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	cé an ḟaid?	how much?	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	cé ṁeud?
how long?		an fada?	how many?		an mó?
which (pron.)? cioca? cé?			who? cé? cia? cé h‑é (í, iad)?

Up and Down.

436.	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	suas, upwards, motion upwards from the place where the speaker is.
Up.		aníos, upwards, motion up from below to the place where the speaker is.
		ṫuas (also spelled ṡuas), up, rest above the place where the speaker is.
		aníos (aḃus),^[2] up, rest where the speaker is.

Down.	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	síos, downwards, motion down from where the speaker is.
		anuas, downwards, motion down from above to the place where the speaker is.
		ṫíos (ṡíos), down, below, rest below the place where the speaker is.
		anuas (aḃus),^[3] down, rest where the speaker is.

437. The following examples will fully illustrate the use of the words for “up” and “down”:—

A.

A says to B,	I’ll throw it down,	Caiṫfiḋ mé síos é.
	Is it down yet?	Ḃfuil sé síos fós?
	Throw it up,	Caiṫ aníos é.
	It is up now,	Tá sé aníos anois.
B says to A,	I’ll throw it up,	Caiṫfiḋ mé suas é.
	Is it up yet?	Ḃfuil sé ṫuas fós?
	Throw it down,	Caiṫ anuas é.
	It is down now.	Tá sé anuas anois.

B.

N.B.—	He is up (i.e., he is not in bed),	Tá sé ’na ṡuiḋe.
	We are up,	Tá sinn ’nár suiḋe

438.

Rest	Motion from the speaker	Motion towards the speaker	Prepositional use, this side of, etc.
i ḃfus, aḃus, this side	anonn	anall	lastḃus de, taoḃ i ḃfus de
ṫall, the other side, yonder	sall	anall	lastall de, taoḃ ṫall de
amuiġ (amuiċ), outside	amaċ	amaċ	leasmuiġ, taoḃ amuiġ de
istiġ, inside	isteaċ	isteaċ	laistiġ, taoḃ istiġ de

Over.

439. The following sentences will exemplify the translation of the word “over”:—

A.________________________________________B.

A says to B,	I’ll throw it over to you,	Caiṫfiḋ mé anonn ċugat é.
„	Is it over yet?	Ḃfuil sé ṫall fós?
„	Throw it over to me,	Caiṫ anall ċugam é.
„	It is over now,	Tá sé aḃus anois.

He went over the wall.	Ċuaiḋ sé ṫar an mballa.
He went over to Scotland.	Ċuaiḋ sé anonn go h‑Albain.
He came over from Scotland.	Ṫáinig sé anall ó Albain.

North, South. East, West.

The root oir means front: iar means back.

440. The ancients faced the rising sun in naming the points of the compass; hence ṪOIR, east; ṪIAR, west; ṪUAIḊ, north; ṪEAS, south.

441.

Rest	Motion from the speaker towards the	Motion towards the speaker from the	Prepositional use, east of, west of, north of, south of,
ṫoir, east	soir	anoir	^[4]lastoir de; ar an taoḃ ṫoir de; dia^[5] ṫoir de
ṫiar, west	siar	aniar	^[4]laistiar de; ar an taoḃ ṫiar de; dia ṫiar de
ṫuaiḋ, north	ó ṫuaiḋ	adtuaiḋ	^[4]lastuaiḋ de; ar an taoḃ ṫuaiḋ de; dia ṫuaiḋ de
ṫeas, south	ó ḋeas	andeas	^[4]laisteas de; ar an taoḃ ṫeas de; dia ṫeas de

442. The noun “north,” etc., is AN TAOḂ ṪUAIḊ, AN TAOḂ ṪEAS, etc., or tuaisceart, deisceart, iarṫar, and oirṫear. These latter words are obsolescent.

443.

The	North	wind,	an ġaoṫ	adtuaiḋ	N.W.	wind,	gaoṫ aniar adtuaiḋ
„	South	„	„	andeas	S.E.	wind,	gaoṫ anoir andeas
„	East	„	„	anoir		etc.,	etc.
„	West	„	„	aniar	Notice the change of position in Irish.

444. With reference to a house, siar is inwards; soir is outwards.

445. Compound or Phrase Adverbs.

i gcéin, far off (space).			ar aon ċor,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	at all.
i ḃfad, far off (space and time).			i n‑aon ċor,
			ar biṫ,
ar ais, back.			ċor ar biṫ,
ar gcúl, backwards.			ċor leis sin, moreover.
ar dtús,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	at first, or in the beginning.	ar aon ċuma,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	at any rate.
ar dtúis,			ar ċuma ar biṫ,
annso, here.			pé sgéal é,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	however, at any rate.
ann san (sain, sin), there, then.			pé rud é,
			i n‑aisge, gratis.
do ṡíor,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	always.	i dtaisge, in safe keeping.
i gcoṁnuiḋe,			i n‑aisdeas, in vain.
ċoiḋċe, ever (future).			tuille eile,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	moreover, besides.
riaṁ, ever (past).			tuille fós,
go deo, for ever.			i leiṫ, apart, aside.
go bráṫ(aċ), for ever.			cad as?	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	whence?
fé (or fá) ḋó, twice.			cá h‑as?
fé (or fá) ṫrí, thrice.			cé ṁeud?	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	how much? how many?
fé (or fá) ṡeaċ, by turns.			cá ṁeud?
i láṫair, present.			an mó?
as láṫair, absent.			de ló, by day.
de láṫair, presently, just now.			ist’ oiḋċe,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	by night.
			d’ oiḋċe,
beag naċ,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	almost.	ó ċéile,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	asunder.
naċ mór,			ó n‑a ċéile,
geall le,			i n‑éinḟeaċt, together.
go léir,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	entirely.	fé ṫuairim, conjecturally.
go h‑iomlán,

eaḋon (written .i.),		namely.
ó ċianaiḃ,		awhile ago.
ó ċiantaiḃ,		ages ago.
go leor,		enough
d’ár ndóiġ (dóiċ),		sure, surely.
do ġeit,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	immediately, instantly.
i gcéadóir,
lom-láiṫreaċ,
láiṫreaċ bonn,
ar an dtoirt,
ar uairiḃ,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	sometimes.
uaireannta,
anois ⁊ arís,
go h‑áiriġṫe,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	especially.
go sonráḋaċ,
go mórṁór,
go h‑urṁór,
ar ball,		by and bye, after awhile.
dála an sgéil or dálta siúd,		by the bye.
i n‑áirde,		on high.
cosanáirde,		at full gallop.
go deiṁin or go dearḃṫa,		indeed.
go deiṁin is go dearḃṫa,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	really and truly.
ambriaṫar ’s ambasa,
dá ríriḃ,		really, in fact.
mar an gcéadna,		likewise, in like manner.
ó ṡoin i leiṫ,		from that time to this.
ó ṡoin amaċ,		from that time out.
ar éigin,		hardly, with difficulty, perforce.

an ċuid is mó ḋe,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	at most.
ar (a) iomad,
an ċuid is luġa ḋe,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	at least.
ar a laġad (laiġead),
ar a ṡon san (is uile),		notwithstanding (all that).
ċoṁ ḟada ’s (use le before noun)	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	whilst, as long as.
an ḟaid (rel. form of verb)
d’ aon ġnó,		purposely.
ċoṁ maiṫ agus dá,		just as if.
le h‑éirġe an lae,		at dawn.
gan coinne le,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	unexpectedly.
gan súil le,
de ġnáṫ (ġnáṫaċ),		usually.
mar atá, mar atáid,		namely, viz., i.e.
ós ísiol,		secretly, lowly.
ós árd,		aloud, openly.
ar maidin,		in the morning.
sa tráṫnóna,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	in the evening.
um tráṫnóna,
ar maidin indiu,		this morning.
ar ṁaidin i mbáraċ,		to-morrow morning.
sa tráṫnóna indiu,		this evening.
aṫrugaḋ indé,		on the day before yesterday
aṫrugaḋ i mbáraċ,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	on the day after to-morrow.
anoirṫear, umánoirṫear,
lá ar n‑a ḃáraċ,		on the following day.
i mbliaḋna,		(during) this year.
anuraiḋ,		(during) last year.
aṫruġaḋ anuraiḋ,		(during) the year before last

446. The phrases which have just been given about morning, evening, &c., are strictly adverbial, and cannot be used as nouns.

447.

Adverbs.		Nouns.
dia Doṁnaiġ,	on Sunday	Doṁnaċ, m.,	Sunday
dia Luain,	on Monday	Luan, m.,	Monday
dia Máirt,	on Tuesday	Máirt, f.,	Tuesday
dia Ceudaoin’,	on Wednesday	Ceudaoin, f.,	Wednesday
dia Ḋardaoin’,	on Thursday	Dardaoin, f.,	Thursday
dia h‑Aoine,	on Friday	Aoine, f.,	Friday
dia Saṫairn,	on Saturday	Saṫarn, m.,	Saturday

448. DIA takes the name of the day in the genitive case; it is used only when “on” is, or may be, used in English—i.e., when the word is adverbial.

Dia is really an old word for day. It occurs in the two expressions i n‑diu, to-day; i n‑dé, yesterday. It is now never used except before the names of the days of the week, and in the two expressions just mentioned.

449.

“Head-foremost.”

He fell head-foremost,	Do ṫuit sé i ndiaiḋ^[6] a ċinn.
I fell head-foremost,	Do ṫuiteas i ndiaiḋ mo ċinn.
She fell head-foremost,	Do ṫuit sí i ndiaiḋ a cinn.
They fell head-foremost,	Do ṫuiteadar i ndiaiḋ a gcinn.

However.

However followed in English by an adjective or an adverb is translated into Irish by the preposition do (or de), the possessive adjective a, and an abstract noun corresponding to the English adjective or adverb.

However good, d’á ḟeaḃas.	However long, d’á ḟaid.
However great, d’á ṁéid.	However violent, d’á éigniġe.
However high, d’á aoirde.	However young, d’á óige

The Adverb “The.”

The sooner the better,	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	d’á luaiṫe ’seaḋ (is aṁlaiḋ) is fearr.
		ní’l dá luaiṫe naċ aṁlaiḋ (eaḋ) is fearr.
		d’á luaiṫeaċt is fearrde.
The longer … the bolder,	d’á ḟaid ’seaḋ is dána.
The sooner … the less,	d’á luaiṫe ’seaḋ is luġa.

Notes

↑ This preposition is now used only in a few phrases; as míle go leiṫ, a mile and (with) a half: slat go leiṫ, a yard and a half: bliaḋain go leiṫ ó ṡoin, a year and a half ago.
↑ This form is used in Ulster and North Connaught, but generally this word is used only for rest on this side of a room, river, &c., or here, where we are.
↑ See foot-note at end of page 160.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 Leas or las may be used.
↑ Probably a corruption of i dtaoḃ.
↑ indiaiḋ is a phrase meaning “after,” and is followed by a genitive case.

[1] This preposition is now used only in a few phrases; as míle go leiṫ, a mile and (with) a half: slat go leiṫ, a yard and a half: bliaḋain go leiṫ ó ṡoin, a year and a half ago.

[2] This form is used in Ulster and North Connaught, but generally this word is used only for rest on this side of a room, river, &c., or here, where we are.

[3] See foot-note at end of page 160.

[leas-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 Leas or las may be used.

[5] Probably a corruption of i dtaoḃ.

[6] ḋ is a phrase meaning “after,” and is followed by a genitive case.

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