Irish Class, October 25, 2010
Rang Gaeilge, an 25ú lá Mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2010
Comparatives and superlatives
From Will’s Summary of Comparative forms and
the exercises.
| Cé hé an fear is saibhre? | |||
| Cé hí an bhean is áille? | |||
| An raibh John Wayne ní b’airde ná Mickey Rooney? | |||
| An bhfuil Dick Cheney níos óige ná Justin Bieber? | Níl Dick Cheney níos óige ná Justin Bieber | ||
| An bhfuil General Motors níos mó ná Caribou Coffee? | Tá General Motores níos mó ná Caribou Coffee? | ||
| Ainmnigh fear atá níos boichte ná Bill Gates. | Tá Glenn McDavid níos boichte ná Bill Gates. | ||
| Ainmnigh bean atá níos glice ná Ashley Simpson. | |||
| Cé acu duine is cáiliúla, Oprah nó Wally the Beer Man? | Which person is more famous, Oprah or Wally the Beer Man? | Is cáiliúla Oprah ná Wally the Beer Man./Tá Oprah níos cáiliúla ná Wally the Beer Man. | |
| Cé acu fear is láidre, Schwarzenegger nó Pee Wee Herman? | Which man is stronger, Schwarzenegger or Pee Wee Herman? | Is láidre Arnold ná Pee Wee./Tá Arnold níos láidre ná Pee Wee. | |
| Cé acu ainmhí is baolaí, tíogar nó luch? | Which animal is more dangerous, a tiger or a mouse? | ||
| Cé acu stát is fearr, Minnesota nó stát ar bith eile? | Which state is better, Minnesota or any other state? | ||
| Tá Seán níos glice ná Pól. | ||
| Tá Sorcha níos áille ná Sinéad. | ||
| Bhí Seán ní ba ghlice ná Pól. | ||
| Tá Sorcha ní b’áille ná Sinéad./Tá Sorcha níb áille ná Sinéad. |
| Tá Seán níos airde ná Pól. | Seán is taller than Paul. | |
| Is airde Seán ná Pól. | Seán is taller than Paul. | This actually uses the superlative, unlike English. |
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An bhfuil London níos stairiúla ná Minneapolis?
Tá London níos stairiúla ná Minneapolis. -
Cé acu bean is craiceáilte, Sarah Palin nó Christine O’Donnell?
Tá Christine O’Donnell níos craiceáilte ná Sarah Palin.
Is craiceáilte Christine O’Donnell ná Sarah Palin. -
Cé acu náisiún is sine, An Ghearmáin nó Ceanada?
Tá Ceanada níos sine ná An Ghearmáin ná Ceanada.
Is sine Ceanada ná an An Ghearmáin. [1867/1871] -
Cé acu teanga is deacra, Spáinnis nó Gaeilge?
Tá Gaeilge níos deacra ná Spáinnis.
Is deacra Gaeilge ná Spáinnis. -
Cé acu teanga is aistí, Gearmáinis nó Rúisis
Tá Rúisis níos aistí ná Gearmáinis.
Is aistí Rúisis ná Gearmáinis. -
An bhfuil An tSeapáin níos aistí ná Ceanada?
Tá An tSeapáin níos aistí ná Ceanada. -
Is raimhre Dick Cheney ná Barack Obama.
-
Is greannmhaire Jay Leno ná George W. Bush.
Tá Jay Leno níos greannmhaire ná George W. Bush. -
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| an buachaill is glice | the cleverest boy | present tense |
| an cailín is áille | the most beautiful girl | present tense |
| an buachaill ba glice | the cleverest boy | past tense |
| an cailín ab áille | the most beautiful girl | past tense |
I looked up some more prototypes.
| Is é Seán an buachaill is fearr sa rang. | Sean is the best boy in the class | |
| Cé hé an scoláire is fearr sa rang? | Who is the best student in the class? | |
| Sin é an scoláire is fearr. | That is the best student. | |
| an gasúr is óige | the youngest child | |
| an carr is scioptha | the fastest car | |
| B’í Áine an cailín ba dheise. | Áine was the nicest girl. | past is ba with lenition |
| B’í Áine an cailín ab óige. | Áine was the youngest girl | ab before vowels |
| Sin é an capall is scioptha a ritheann. | That is the horse that runs the fastest. | |
| Maitiú an duine is mó a thaithíonn liom. | Maitiú is the person I like the most. | |
| Seo í an áit is deise. | This is the nicest place | |
| Sin é an bóthar is faide. | That is the longest road. |
| Is í Caitríona an duine is deise sa chlann sin. | Caitríona is the nicest person in that family. | p. 35 |
| Is mise an duine is óige. | I’m the youngest | p. 36 |
| Is tusa an dalta is cliste. | You are the most clever pupil. | p. 36 |
| Is é Liam an duine is sine. | Liam is the eldest. | p. 36 |
| Is ise an bhean is fearr liom. | She’s the woman I like most. | p. 36 |
| Is í Paula an bhean is ciúine sa chlann. | Paula is the quietest woman in the family. | p. 36 |
| Is sibhse an bheirt is fearr liom. | You are the two people I like best. | p. 37 |
| Is iadsan an triúr is sine. | They are the three eldest. | p. 37 |
| Is iad Dónall agus Máirtín an bheirt is óige. | Dónall and Máirtín are the youngest | p. 37 |
| An í Aoife an duine is óige? Is í. | Is Aoife the youngest? She is. | p. 162 |
| Ba í Síle ab óige. | Síle was the youngest. | p. 163 |
| Arbh eisean an duine ab óige? | Was he the youngest? | p. 163 |
| Arbh í Caoimhe an duine ab óige? Ba í./Níorbh í. | Was Caoimhe the youngest? Yes./No. | p. 164 |
| Is í Marilyn Monroe an bhean is áille. | Marilyn Monroe is the most beautiful woman. | |
| Is í seacláid an bia is deise. | Chocolate is the nicest food. | |
| Is í aiméibe an ainmhí lú. | An amoeba is the smallest animal. | aiméibe f4 |
‘sé = is é
| Tá gach fear…. | Munster |
| Tá achan fear…. | Donegal |
| Tá gach uile fear…. | |
| Tá chuile fear…. | chuile ← gach uile |
| Tá in uile fear…. | |
| roghnaigh | choose, select | /rauni/ |
| beartaigh | brandish, plan, consider | |
| léirigh | display, illustrate, produce | |
| tionchar | influence | m1 |
| bac | barrier, hindrance | m1 |
| fúthu | about/under them | ← faoi |
| cúram | care, responsibility | m1 pl cúraimí |
| millteach | enormous, extreme, excessive | |
| lasmuigh | outside of, on the outside, outdoors | |
| éasca | easy, ready, swift, fluent | |
| áirithe | certain, particular | |
| iontach | wonderful, surprising | |
| suas le | up to | |
| tír | country | pl tíortha |
| sainleolaí | specialist, expert | |
| plódaithe | crowded | |
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From Hilbert Space to Dilbert Space, and beyond 