A Guide to Irish Cases - Revision history

Glob: /* The Genitive */

2023-09-05T09:59:05Z

The Genitive

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:59, 5 September 2023
Line 181:		Line 181:

	The genitive case is the most import case to know outside of the nominative in Irish. Its function is to show that a noun or pronoun is modifying another word, ie. that it is in someway connected to another word. This case mean that one noun owns another, or perhaps that the two concepts are related like in things like 'múinteoir Fraincise' (A French teacher), as well as several other usages that will be outlined below. It is important that learners do not underestimate the important of the genitive, despite the fact that many learners and teachers alike will downplay its importance, as it is a fundamental and necessary piece of grammar if you wish to speak good and comprehensible Irish.		The genitive case is the most import case to know outside of the nominative in Irish. Its function is to show that a noun or pronoun is modifying another word, ie. that it is in someway connected to another word. This case mean that one noun owns another, or perhaps that the two concepts are related like in things like 'múinteoir Fraincise' (A French teacher), as well as several other usages that will be outlined below. It is important that learners do not underestimate the important of the genitive, despite the fact that many learners and teachers alike will downplay its importance, as it is a fundamental and necessary piece of grammar if you wish to speak good and comprehensible Irish.

			As for the form of the genitive; when learning new nounsyou should always be aware of and keep track of any genitive forms they may have and their gender. While the genitive is largely predictable to an extent, there is no 100% effective method of telling, so it will save you time, confusion, and mistakes made if you choose to memorise rather than auto-generate the forms yourself.

	===Usage===		===Usage===

Glob: /* The Genitive */

2023-09-05T09:53:47Z

The Genitive

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:53, 5 September 2023
Line 180:		Line 180:
	==The Genitive==		==The Genitive==

	The genitive case is the most import case to know outside of the nominative in Irish. Its function is to show that a noun or pronoun is ~~modfying~~ another word, ie. that it is in someway connected to another word. ~~The functions of~~ the ~~genitive particular to Irish~~ are ~~as follows:~~		The genitive case is the most import case to know outside of the nominative in Irish. Its function is to show that a noun or pronoun is modifying another word, ie. that it is in someway connected to another word. This case mean that one noun owns another, or perhaps that the two concepts are related like in things like 'múinteoir Fraincise' (A French teacher), as well as several other usages that will be outlined below. It is important that learners do not underestimate the important of the genitive, despite the fact that many learners and teachers alike will downplay its importance, as it is a fundamental and necessary piece of grammar if you wish to speak good and comprehensible Irish.

	~~1. Possession - hata an fhir 'the man's hat'~~

	~~2. Composition - grúpa ban 'a group of women'~~

	~~3. Participation~~ in ~~an action - Grá an athar dá mhac 'the father's love for his son'~~

	~~4. Stacking nouns - Scuab fiacal~~ '~~a toothbrush~~' (~~lit. a brush of teeth~~)

	5. ~~The object~~ of ~~progressive verbs - Tá mé ag glanadh an urláir 'I'm cleaning~~ the ~~floor'~~

	~~6. Measurements & Amounts - Cuirfidh mé ''unsa plúir'' isteach sa tiúchan 'I'll put ''an ounce of flour'' into~~ the ~~mixture'~~

	~~7. After 'níos mó'~~ and ~~'níos lú' - Tá ''níos lú muiníne'' ag Séamus~~ as ~~féin anois 'Séamus has ''less confidence'' in himself now'~~

	~~8. After two word~~ and ~~genitive prepositions - Tá muid ag dul ''chun na bialainne'' maidin Dé hAoine 'W'ere going ''~~to ~~the restaurant'' monday morning'~~

	===Usage===		===Usage===

Glob: /* Formation */

2023-09-05T09:49:45Z

Formation

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:49, 5 September 2023
Line 271:		Line 271:

	===Morphology===		===Morphology===

	~~===Formation===~~

	====Articles====		====Articles====

Glob: /* Structure */

2023-09-05T09:49:26Z

Structure

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:49, 5 September 2023
Line 270:		Line 270:
	Additionally, it is also to uncommon use the genitive form when a preposition occurs after it, particularly in pogressive constructions. Hence, 'ag cur ceiste' but 'ag cur ceist ar dhuine'.		Additionally, it is also to uncommon use the genitive form when a preposition occurs after it, particularly in pogressive constructions. Hence, 'ag cur ceiste' but 'ag cur ceist ar dhuine'.

	===~~Structure~~===		===Morphology===

	===Formation===		===Formation===

Glob: /* The Nominative Case */

2023-09-04T16:45:45Z

The Nominative Case

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:45, 4 September 2023
Line 53:		Line 53:
	====Prepositions that trigger the Nominative====		====Prepositions that trigger the Nominative====

	While most prepositions don't trigger the nominative, there are some that do, applying it to their objects. The prepositions that trigger the nominative are; ach, gan, idir, mar, ná, seachas, and go dtí <ref>go on its own does not trigger nominative</ref>. Some exmples;		While most prepositions don't trigger the nominative, there are some that do, applying it to their objects. The prepositions that trigger the nominative are; ach, gan, idir, mar, ná, seachas, and go dtí <ref>Go on its own does not trigger nominative</ref>. Some exmples;

	*Ní fhacamar ''ach an t-éan'' - We only saw the bird (lit. We did not see ''but the bird'')		*Ní fhacamar ''ach an t-éan'' - We only saw the bird (lit. We did not see ''but the bird'')

Glob: /* The Genitive */

2023-09-04T16:44:58Z

The Genitive

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:44, 4 September 2023
Line 191:		Line 191:

	5. The object of progressive verbs - Tá mé ag glanadh an urláir 'I'm cleaning the floor'		5. The object of progressive verbs - Tá mé ag glanadh an urláir 'I'm cleaning the floor'

			6. Measurements & Amounts - Cuirfidh mé ''unsa plúir'' isteach sa tiúchan 'I'll put ''an ounce of flour'' into the mixture'

			7. After 'níos mó' and 'níos lú' - Tá ''níos lú muiníne'' ag Séamus as féin anois 'Séamus has ''less confidence'' in himself now'

			8. After two word and genitive prepositions - Tá muid ag dul ''chun na bialainne'' maidin Dé hAoine 'W'ere going ''to the restaurant'' monday morning'

	===Usage===		===Usage===

	====Where not to use the Genitive====		====Possession====

			Possession is one of the most common usages of the genitive in Irish. It is fairly simple to use in this way and is roughly equivalent in meaning here to the possessive s of English. For example:

			*Dad's car - Carr Dhaid (Daid -> Dhaid, said Dheaid)
			*The film's ending - Críoch an scannáin (Scannán -> Scannáin)

			====Composition====

			Composition simply refers to what something is made out of, whether that be in a literal (eg. a wood table) or abstract (eg.a collection of books) sense. For example:

			Geata cloiche - A stone gate (Cloch -> Cloiche)
			Ealta lachan - A flock of duck's (Lachain -> Lachan)

			====Participation in Actions====

			This usage occurs with verbal nouns<ref>A verbal noun is essentially just the name for an action, eg. The word 'doing' is a verbal noun in English, as in; 'Doing all this work is very hard'</ref> and can denote both a noun performing or undergoing an action depending on the verb in question. Some examples:

			*Crith mo láimhe - the shaking of my hand (Lámh -> Láimhe, the hand is performing the action here)
			*Briseadh mo láimhe - the breaking of my hand (The hand has undergone the action here, it is broken)

			====Stacking Nouns====

			In English, when we want to create a new word, we often place two nouns side by side to create a compound. For example: honey + dew = honeydew, house + keys = house keys. In Irish, we use the genitive, examples being:

			*Cúrsa bádóireachta - A boating course (Bádóireacht -> Bádóireachta)
			*Stáisiún traenach - A train station (Traein -> Traenach)

			====Progressive Verbs====

			This is perhaps the most unintuitive usage of the genitive case in Irish for speakers of other languages. However, it is perfectly logical and is not in fact an exceptional usage. In progressive structures, the verb must enter into a special form called the verbal noun, where, despite having the meaning of a verb, it is considered a noun grammatically. Since nouns cannot take the nominative case as objects, they must take the genitive to convey the connection between the verbal noun and its object. In fact it could be argued that this falls under the 'participation in actions usage'. Some examples include:

			*Tá'n ghaoth ag séideadh na gcrann - The wind is blowing the trees (Crainn -> Crann)
			*Tá'n fuacht ag reo na lochán - The cold is freezing the lakes (Locháin -> Locháin)

			====Measurements & Amounts====

			After words pertaining to measurements and amounts the genitive is used. Some example words are; beagán, mórán, dornán, slám, and oiread. For example:

			*Níl agam ach beagán Fraincise - I only speak a little French (Fraincis -> Fraincise)
			*Tá dornán leabhar agam le díol, an bhfuil tú á n-iarraidh? - I have a handful of books to sell, do you want them? (Leabhair -> Leabhar)

			====Níos mó & Níos lú====

			Níos mó and níos lú trigger genitive. As seen:

			*Tá níos mó cáile ormsa ná mar atá airsean - I have more fame than him (Cáil -> Cáile)
			*Bíonn níos lú clainne ag daoine an lae inniu - People today (generally) have less kids (Clann -> Clainne)

			====Genitive Prepositions====

			Certain groups of prepositions can trigger genitive, despite this not being the norm. These include all two word prepositions, such as i ndiaidh, ós cionn, and in aice, as well as some single word prepositions like trasna, chun, and timpeall. In the case of the two word prepositions, this is due to their second element being a noun, whereas for the one word prepositions, many of them were (and still rarely are) used as proper nouns that eventually gained a prepositional usage. Examples of genitive prepositions in use can be found below:

			*Tá muid ar thuras chun na Gaeltachta - We're on a trip to the Gaeltacht (Gaeltacht -> Gaeltachta)
			*Tá muid inár gcónaí in aice na páirce - We live beside the park/field (Páirc -> Páirce)

			====Where not to use the Genitive Form====

	In most situations where the genitive is used it corresponds usually to the preposition 'of' or the 'possessive s' in English. It is important not to write the genitive off as equivalent in usage to these as there are certain situations where the preposition 'of can have a broader meaning than what the genitive covers. For example, in English, we use 'of' for sentences like 'a piece of the cake' but in Irish the genitive case would not be used. This is because in genitive phrases, you cannot have one noun be indefinite (eg. a piece) and the other be definite (eg. the cake). Whenever we need one of the constituents of the phrase to be of different definiteness to the other, we use the preposition 'de' between the nouns. eg. píosa den cháca 'a piece of the cake'.		In most situations where the genitive is used it corresponds usually to the preposition 'of' or the 'possessive s' in English. It is important not to write the genitive off as equivalent in usage to these as there are certain situations where the preposition 'of can have a broader meaning than what the genitive covers. For example, in English, we use 'of' for sentences like 'a piece of the cake' but in Irish the genitive case would not be used. This is because in genitive phrases, you cannot have one noun be indefinite (eg. a piece) and the other be definite (eg. the cake). Whenever we need one of the constituents of the phrase to be of different definiteness to the other, we use the preposition 'de' between the nouns. eg. píosa den cháca 'a piece of the cake'.

			Additionally, there are some situations where the criteria outlined at the start of this section are met but the genitive isn't or may not be used. There are two situations where this happens:

			1. The functional genitive

			2. When a preposition is after the genitive

			The functional genitive is used in situations where you have a string of genitives. When this happens, only the last noun in the phrase is made genitive and the rest are simply lenited and left in their nominative form. For example, take the sentence 'My friend's mum's brother' which would be 'Déartháir mháthair mo charad'. Even though only cara is inflected for the genitive (as carad), these nouns are still performing a genitive function in the phrase. Compounds of two nouns where one is genitive (eg. scuab fiacal) are, in perscriptive use, exempt from this rule and can thus the first element can fully inflect (becoming scuaibe fiacal)<ref>This is uncommon in colloquial usage where it most often follows the regular pattern</ref>.

			Additionally, it is also to uncommon use the genitive form when a preposition occurs after it, particularly in pogressive constructions. Hence, 'ag cur ceiste' but 'ag cur ceist ar dhuine'.

	===Structure===		===Structure===
Line 209:		Line 281:

	====Adjectives in the Genitive====		====Adjectives in the Genitive====

			====Names====

			====Pronouns====

	==The Vocative==		==The Vocative==
	==The Dative==		==The Dative==

Glob: /* Prepositions that trigger the Nominative */

2023-09-04T13:55:29Z

Prepositions that trigger the Nominative

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:55, 4 September 2023
Line 53:		Line 53:
	====Prepositions that trigger the Nominative====		====Prepositions that trigger the Nominative====

	While most prepositions don't trigger the nominative, there are some that do, applying it to their objects. The prepositions that trigger the nominative are; ach, gan, idir, mar, ná, seachas, and go dtí <ref> go on its own does not trigger nominative <ref>. Some exmples;		While most prepositions don't trigger the nominative, there are some that do, applying it to their objects. The prepositions that trigger the nominative are; ach, gan, idir, mar, ná, seachas, and go dtí <ref>go on its own does not trigger nominative</ref>. Some exmples;

	*Ní fhacamar ''ach an t-éan'' - We only saw the bird (lit. We did not see ''but the bird'')		*Ní fhacamar ''ach an t-éan'' - We only saw the bird (lit. We did not see ''but the bird'')
Line 66:		Line 66:


	When in the nominative case, attributive adjectives<ref>Attributive adjectives are adjectives that are attached to nouns directly. They will always come after the noun they modify, just like French but unlike English or German.</ref> and articles<ref>Articles are words like 'the' & 'a' in English. In Irish, there is only one kind, definite articles, and these carry the meaning of 'the' in English</ref> must be in specific forms to reflect not only the case but also to match the noun's gender and number too.		When in the nominative case, attributive adjectives<ref>Attributive adjectives are adjectives that are attached to nouns directly. They will always come after the noun they modify, just like French but unlike English or German.</ref> and articles<ref>Articles are words like 'the' & 'a' in English. In Irish, there is only one kind, definite articles, and these carry the meaning of 'the' in English</ref> must be in specific forms to reflect not only the case but also to match the noun's gender and number too.

	====The Article====		====The Article====

Glob: /* Usage */

2023-09-04T13:54:20Z

Usage

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:54, 4 September 2023
Line 16:		Line 16:

	===Usage===		===Usage===

			====Subject and Object of a Verb====

	The current nominative case derives from two different cases; the old nominative and the accusative. Originally, the nominative showed which noun was the subject (ie. acting upon something else), and the accusative showed which was the object (ie. the noun having the action done to it). The accusative's form was rarely distinct from the other cases. Sometimes it was identical to the nominative, others, to the dative. Since the forms were always the same as other cases, it could be confusing for speakers what was meant. Because of this, the difference between the nominative and accusative eroded, creating the modern nominative case.		The current nominative case derives from two different cases; the old nominative and the accusative. Originally, the nominative showed which noun was the subject (ie. acting upon something else), and the accusative showed which was the object (ie. the noun having the action done to it). The accusative's form was rarely distinct from the other cases. Sometimes it was identical to the nominative, others, to the dative. Since the forms were always the same as other cases, it could be confusing for speakers what was meant. Because of this, the difference between the nominative and accusative eroded, creating the modern nominative case.
Line 25:		Line 27:


	No matter who is seen by whom, both bean 'woman' and fear 'man' stay the same and do not change. This is fine because Irish almost always uses VSO word order(verb, subject, object) and thus context will tell us what's happening. This is in contrast to other languages, such as German, where nouns must change to show this. I will add a German example for comparison using der Präsident 'the president' and der Bär 'the bear', to illustrate. But, if you don't speak German, this example is not important. It only highlights how Irish might be different in this regard to more ~~common~~ languages.		No matter who is seen by whom, both bean 'woman' and fear 'man' stay the same and do not change. This is fine because Irish almost always uses VSO word order(verb, subject, object) and thus context will tell us what's happening. This is in contrast to other languages, such as German, where nouns must change to show this. I will add a German example for comparison using der Präsident 'the president' and der Bär 'the bear', to illustrate. But, if you don't speak German, this example is not important. It only highlights how Irish might be different in this regard to more well-known languages.

	*''Der Bär'' sieht ''den Präsidenten'' - ''The bear'' sees ''the predsident''		*''Der Bär'' sieht ''den Präsidenten'' - ''The bear'' sees ''the predsident''
	*''Der Präsident'' sieht ''den Bären'' - ''The president'' sees ''the bear''		*''Der Präsident'' sieht ''den Bären'' - ''The president'' sees ''the bear''

			====Turning nouns into Adverbs====

	One use of the historical accusative case was to turn a noun into an adverb. This use still survives today and has been assimilated into the nominative. To see this, we must look at a few examples:		One use of the historical accusative case was to turn a noun into an adverb. This use still survives today and has been assimilated into the nominative. To see this, we must look at a few examples:
Line 40:		Line 43:
	Here, 'tamall', 'bliain', 'suas an cabhsa', and 'ciliméadar' behave like adverbs describing the action occurring in the sentence. In the first two examples, the two bolded nouns describe the time the action took place. eg. How long did he stay/sit there? ''a year/a while''. In the second two, the nouns describe the distance the action takes place over. eg. How far does it receed? ''a kilometre'', Where is it located from the supermarket? ''up the lane'', etc.		Here, 'tamall', 'bliain', 'suas an cabhsa', and 'ciliméadar' behave like adverbs describing the action occurring in the sentence. In the first two examples, the two bolded nouns describe the time the action took place. eg. How long did he stay/sit there? ''a year/a while''. In the second two, the nouns describe the distance the action takes place over. eg. How far does it receed? ''a kilometre'', Where is it located from the supermarket? ''up the lane'', etc.

			====To express "Per"====

	There is also a similar use of the nominative case roughly equal to the English preposition 'per'. For example, some such phrases:		There is also a similar use of the nominative case roughly equal to the English preposition 'per'. For example, some such phrases:
Line 46:		Line 50:
	*Beidh trí iontráil ''an chatagóir'' ann ar deireadh - There will be three entries ''per category'' in it by the end		*Beidh trí iontráil ''an chatagóir'' ann ar deireadh - There will be three entries ''per category'' in it by the end
	*Cá mhéad atá ar na ticéidí? Cúig euro ''an duine'' - How much are the tickets? 5 euro ''per person''		*Cá mhéad atá ar na ticéidí? Cúig euro ''an duine'' - How much are the tickets? 5 euro ''per person''

			====Prepositions that trigger the Nominative====

			While most prepositions don't trigger the nominative, there are some that do, applying it to their objects. The prepositions that trigger the nominative are; ach, gan, idir, mar, ná, seachas, and go dtí <ref> go on its own does not trigger nominative <ref>. Some exmples;

			*Ní fhacamar ''ach an t-éan'' - We only saw the bird (lit. We did not see ''but the bird'')
			*Cad é a dhéanfaimid ''gan an t-eolas ceart''? - What will we do ''without the correct information''?
			*Tá scoilt bheag ''idir an doras agus an ursain'' - There's a small gap ''between the door and the post''
			*Bhí sé ''mar athair'' acu - He was ''like a father'' to them
			*Is fearr ''ná an buachaill eile'' thú - You're better ''than the other boy''
			*Is dearthóir é ''seachas ealaíontóir'' - He's a designer ''rather than/as opposed'' to an artist
			*Ní dheachamar ''go dtí an t-aifreann'' an lá sin - We didnt' go ''to the mass'' that day

	===Morphology===		===Morphology===

Glob: /* The Genitive */

2023-09-04T07:58:36Z

The Genitive

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:58, 4 September 2023
Line 167:		Line 167:

	1. Possession - hata an fhir 'the man's hat'		1. Possession - hata an fhir 'the man's hat'

	2. Composition - grúpa ban 'a group of women'		2. Composition - grúpa ban 'a group of women'

	3. Participation in an action - Grá an athar dá mhac 'the father's love for his son'		3. Participation in an action - Grá an athar dá mhac 'the father's love for his son'

	4. Stacking nouns - Scuab fiacal 'a toothbrush' (lit. a brush of teeth)		4. Stacking nouns - Scuab fiacal 'a toothbrush' (lit. a brush of teeth)

	5. The object of progressive verbs - Tá mé ag glanadh an urláir 'I'm cleaning the floor'		5. The object of progressive verbs - Tá mé ag glanadh an urláir 'I'm cleaning the floor'

Line 176:		Line 180:
	====Where not to use the Genitive====		====Where not to use the Genitive====

	In most situations where the genitive is used it corresponds usually to the preposition 'of' or the 'possessive s' in English. It is important not to write the genitive off as equivalent in usage to these as there are certain situations where the preposition 'of can have a broader meaning than what the genitive covers. For example, in English, we use 'of' for sentences like 'a piece of the cake' but in Irish the genitive case would not be used. This is because in genitive phrases, you cannot have one noun be indefinite (eg. a piece) and the other be definite (eg. the cake)		In most situations where the genitive is used it corresponds usually to the preposition 'of' or the 'possessive s' in English. It is important not to write the genitive off as equivalent in usage to these as there are certain situations where the preposition 'of can have a broader meaning than what the genitive covers. For example, in English, we use 'of' for sentences like 'a piece of the cake' but in Irish the genitive case would not be used. This is because in genitive phrases, you cannot have one noun be indefinite (eg. a piece) and the other be definite (eg. the cake). Whenever we need one of the constituents of the phrase to be of different definiteness to the other, we use the preposition 'de' between the nouns. eg. píosa den cháca 'a piece of the cake'.

	===Structure===		===Structure===

Glob: /* Usage */

2023-09-04T07:54:58Z

Usage

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:54, 4 September 2023
Line 31:		Line 31:


	~~Another~~ use of the historical accusative case was to turn a noun into an adverb. This use still survives today and has been assimilated into the nominative. To see this, we must look at a few examples:		One use of the historical accusative case was to turn a noun into an adverb. This use still survives today and has been assimilated into the nominative. To see this, we must look at a few examples:

	*Shuigh sé ''tamall'' ar an bhinse - He sat on the bench ''a while''		*Shuigh sé ''tamall'' ar an bhinse - He sat on the bench ''a while''