Irish Class. October 8, 2007
Notes from class last night (October 8). See also Nick’s Official version.
Vocabulary from Conversation
| Bhain spraoi as | I enjoyed it. Lit. I took fun out of it | bain extract, dig out (as in mining!) |
| oileán | island | m1 |
| campáil | camp | verb, as in camping out |
| pictiúrlann | theater | f2 |
| taispeáin | show, exhibit | verb pres. -ánann vn -t |
| taispeántas | show, exhibition | m1 |
| iarsma | remainder, remnant | m4 |
| iarsmalann | museum | f2 |
| Má thuigeann tú é | If you understand it | Corrected–Thanks, Wes. |
| furasta | easy | |
| ar siúl | happening | |
| ag siúl | walking | |
| ag súil | hoping |
Cén cineal ceantar atá agat? — What kind of neighborhood do you have?
Is ceantar [adjective] é. (ceantar is m.)
Is áit [lenited adjective] é. (áit is f.)
| sábháilte | safe | |
| cathrach | built-up, urban | ? |
| bruach | (river) bank | |
| bruachbhaile | suburb | |
| plódaithe | crowded | ? |
| gluais | move, set in motion | |
| gluaisteán | (motor-)car | pl. -in |
| leabharlann | library | pl. -a |
| uafásach | ugly | FP: horrible, terrible |
| lóistín | lodging, accomodation | m4 |
| leath | half | |
| leath uair | half hour | |
| cíos | rent, tax | m3 pl. -anna |
| tuaithe | country | adj. |
| Cén chaoi a raibh sé nuair a bhí tú i d’óige? | How was it when you were young? | |
| Cén chaoi a bhuil sé anois? | How is it now? | |
| …san áit ar rugadh thú | …born… | |
| …san áit ar thógadh thú | …raised…. | |
An chopail — the copula
One use is to link a predicate describing a general category with a specific subject.
General form:
Is [indefinite predicate] [pronoun] [(optional) particular noun]
[indeterminate predicate] is a category–no article
[pronoun] is from
| mé | muid |
| tú/thú | sibh |
| é,í | iad |
E.g. Is banaltra é Joe. “Joe is a nurse.” The pronoun agrees in gender with the particular noun, not the general category. The particular noun is not always needed, but the pronoun is required even when you also have the particular noun.
Is duine deas é Joe. “Joe is a nice person.”
| Affirmative | is | Is banaltra í. | She is a nurse. |
| Negative | ní | Ní banaltra í. | She is not a nurse. |
| Question | an | An banaltra í? | Is she a nurse? |
| Negative question | nach | Nach banaltra í? | Isn’t she a nurse? |
Is múinteoir mé. “I am a teacher.” Alternatively.
Tá mé i mo mhúinteoir [?]. “I am in my teaching.”
ea: 3rd person neuter pronoun used only with the copula. Used in yes/no context. ‘Sea is a contraction of is ea.
| An duine leadránach é Séan? | Is Sean a boring person? |
| Is ea/’sea | Yes |
| Ní hea | No |
The neuter form ea is used because it refers back to the category duine leadránach, not the specific person Séan?
An ea? “Is it?”
| polaiteoir | politician |
| cáiliúil | famous |
| ealaíontóir | artist |
| dlíodóir | lawyer |
| bocht | poor |
| sona | happy |
| creid | believe |
Adjective note (not particularly connect with anything above): go is used only in predicate/adverb form, not directly qualifying the noun.
From Hilbert Space to Dilbert Space, and beyond 