Irish/Déise Irish/Déise Function Words

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The Article

Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives

The pronouns are:

  • 1sg. me (sd. )
  • 2sg. tu (sd. )
  • 3sg. m. [note 1] (conj.), é (disj.)
  • 3sg. f. (conj.), í (disj.)
  • 1pl. sinn
  • 2pl. sibh
  • 3pl. siad (conj.), iad (disj.)

The possessive adjectives are:

  • 1sg. moL, or m' before vowels
  • 2sg. doL, or t' before vowels
  • 3sg. m. aL
  • 3sg. f. aH
  • 1pl. árN
  • 2pl. úrN (sd. bhur)
  • 3pl. aN

Prepositions

Ag

Ag has two forms:

  1. The form it takes in general, where it has been replaced by its conjugated form in the masculine 3rd person singular, aige. [note 2]
  2. The form it takes when preceding verbal nouns where it remains as ag.

Um

The prepositional pronouns of um:

  • 1sg. umam /əˈməm/
  • 2sg. umat /əˈmət/
  • 3sg. m. uimig /əˈmʲəɡʲ/ (sd. uime)
  • 3sg. f. uímpi /iːmʲpʲə/ (sd. uipmi)
  • 1pl. umainn /əˈməŋʲ/
  • 2pl. umaibh /əˈməvʲ/
  • 3pl. úmpu /uːmpə/ (sd. upmu)

The emphatic prepositional pronouns of um:

  • 1sg. umamsa /əˈmumsə/
  • 2sg. umatsa /əˈmutsə/
  • 3sg. m. uimigse /əˈmʲiɡʲʃə/ (sd. uimise)
  • 3sg. f. uímpise /iːmʲpʲəʃə/ (sd. uipmise)
  • 1pl. umainnse /əˈmiŋʲʃə/
  • 2pl. umaibhse /əˈmivʲʃə/
  • 3pl. úmpasa /uːmpəsə/ (sd. upmasa)

Clitic Combinations

The base prepositional forms that end in a vowel combine with following clitics in a fairly regular way. These prepositions include:

  • aige
  • de
  • do
  • go dtí
  • le
  • ó
  • roimh
  • trí

The clitic combinations generally have the following pattern:

Combinations with the article:

  • prep. + an = prep. 'n (e.g. roimh 'n)
  • prep. + na = prep. sna (e.g. go dtí sna)

Combinations with possessive adjectives:

  • prep. + mo = prep. m' (e.g. ó m')
  • prep. + do + vowel = prep. t' (e.g. le t')
  • prep. + do + consonant = prep. d' (e.g. trí d')
  • prep. + a = prep. n-a (e.g. fé n-a)
  • prep. + ár = prep. n-ár (e.g. aige n-ár)
  • prep. + úr = prep. n-úr (e.g. do n-úr)

Combined with the numeral particle:

  • prep. + a = prep. n-a (e.g. de n-a)

Exceptionally, trí and le give the following unique combinations with the article:

  • trí + an = tríd an
  • le + an = leis an
  • le + na = leis na

Reference Material:

Most of this information can be referred to in SCD2 pp. xvi-xvii, but also in the relevant preposition sections in SCD1 (especially regarding combinations with the possessive adjective do, whether followed by a vowel or consonant).

Notes

  1. Often pronounced *se.
  2. Many works may standardise this to ag while a few prefer the written form age (see LMD and SCD2) to distinguish it from the conjugated form aige.

Bibliography

  • CSS1 = Ussher, A. (1945). Cainnt an tSean-Shaoghail (second edition). Oifig an tSoláthair, Baile Átha Cliath.
  • DD = Ó hAirt, D. (1988). Díolaim Dhéiseach. Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann, Baile Athá Cliath.
  • GRA = Ó Maolchathaigh, S. (1974). An Gleann agus a Raibh Ann (1974 edition). An Clóchomhar Tta. Dundalgen Press.
  • GSMI = Ward, A. (1974). The Grammatical Structure of Munster Irish. University of Dublin.
  • IDPP = O'Rahilly, T. F. (1988). Irish Dialects Past and Present: with Chapters on Scottish and Manx (1988 edition). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
  • IMS = Breatnach, R. B. (1961). "Initial Mutation of Substantives after Preposition + Singular Article in Déise Irish". Éigse: A Journal of Irish Studies. IX (IV). The National University of Ireland.
  • LASID1 = Wagner, H. (1981). Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects: Vol. I. Introduction, 300 maps (1981 edition). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
  • LASID2 = Wagner, H. (1982). Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects: Vol. II. The Dialects of Munster (1982 edition). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
  • LMD = Verling, M. (2012). Leabhar Mhaidhc Dháith: Scéalta agus Seanchas ón Rinn (second edition). An Sagart, An Díseart, An Daingean.
  • SCD1 = Sheehan, Most Rev. M. (1944). Sean-Chaint na nDéise: the Idiom of Living Language (second edition). The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
  • SCD2 = Breatnach, R. B. (1984). Seana-Chaint na nDéise II: Studies in the Vocabulary and Idiom of Déise Irish based mainly on material collected by Archbishop Michael Sheehan (1870-1945). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.