Difference between revisions of "User:Erisceres/O'Nolan's Introduction to Studies in Modern Irish"
From Celtic Languages
Jump to navigationJump to searchm (→The Copula: vocab) |
(→The Indefinite Predicate: Note) |
||
| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
In intensive copular syntax, where the predicate is emphasised, the indefinite predicate precedes the copula while the neuter disjunctive singular predicate pronoun ''{{color|blue|ea}}'' (only used in copular clauses) takes its original position: | In intensive copular syntax, where the predicate is emphasised, the indefinite predicate precedes the copula while the neuter disjunctive singular predicate pronoun ''{{color|blue|ea}}'' (only used in copular clauses) takes its original position: | ||
* ''{{color|blue|Leabhar | * ''{{color|blue|Leabhar {{color|red|is}} ea}} {{color|green|é}}.'' “It is a book” (rather than anything else suggested). | ||
When responding to the interrogative, the affirmative form is ''{{color|red|is}} {{color|blue|ea}}'' while the negative form is ''{{color|red|ní}} {{color|blue|hea}}'': | When responding to the interrogative, the affirmative form is ''{{color|red|is}} {{color|blue|ea}}'' while the negative form is ''{{color|red|ní}} {{color|blue|hea}}'': | ||
| Line 29: | Line 29: | ||
* ''{{color|red|An}} {{color|blue|peann}} {{color|green|é}}? {{color|red|Is}} {{color|blue|ea}}.'' “Is it a pen? Yes.” | * ''{{color|red|An}} {{color|blue|peann}} {{color|green|é}}? {{color|red|Is}} {{color|blue|ea}}.'' “Is it a pen? Yes.” | ||
In the interrogative | In the interrogative where the predicate is unknown, interrogative predicate pronouns are used instead of the copula: | ||
* ''{{color|blue|Cad}} {{color|green|é an rud é sin}}? {{color|red|Is}} {{color|blue|leabhar}} {{color|green|é}}.'' “What is that thing? It is a book.” | * ''{{color|blue|Cad}} {{color|green|é an rud é sin}}? {{color|red|Is}} {{color|blue|leabhar}} {{color|green|é}}.'' “What is that thing? It is a book.” | ||
* ''{{color|blue|Cé acu leabhar nó peann}} {{color|green|é seo}}? {{color|blue|Peann}} {{color|red|is}} {{color|blue|ea}} {{color|green|é}}.'' “Which is this, a book or a pen? It is a pen.” | * ''{{color|blue|Cé acu leabhar {{color|brown|nó}} peann}} {{color|green|é seo}}? {{color|blue|Peann}} {{color|red|is}} {{color|blue|ea}} {{color|green|é}}.'' “Which is this, a book or a pen? It is a pen.” | ||
* ''{{color|blue|Cé acu leabhar nó peann}} {{color|green|é sin}}? {{color|red|Ní}} {{color|blue|leabhar | * ''{{color|blue|Cé acu leabhar {{color|brown|nó}} peann}} {{color|green|é sin}}? {{color|red|Ní}} {{color|blue|leabhar {{color|brown|ná}} peann}} {{color|green|é}}, {{color|brown|ach}} {{color|blue|lasán}}.'' “Which is that, a book or a pen? It is neither a book nor a pen, but a match.” | ||
<div class="warningbox">'''Note:''' | |||
* ''{{color|blue|Cad}} {{color|green|é an rud é sin}}?'' – This syntax has no copula element. The predicate is ''{{color|blue|cad}}'', “what”. In the subject, ''{{color|green|an rud é sin}}'' means “the sort of thing that that object is”; the preceding pronoun ''{{color|green|é}}'' refers to ''{{color|green|an rud}}''. | |||
* ''{{color|blue|Cé acu leabhar {{color|brown|nó}} peann}} {{color|green|é seo}}?'' – Again, this syntax has no copula element. The subject is simply ''{{color|green|é seo}}'', “this”. Headed by the interrogative predicate pronoun ''{{color|blue|cé}}'', “which”, the subject presents an alternative divided by the conjunction ''{{color|blue|nó}}'', “or”; the preceding prepositional pronoun ''{{color|blue|acu}}'' refers to this presented alternative ''{{color|blue|leabhar {{color|brown|nó}} peann}}'', “a book or a pen”. | |||
</div> | |||
Revision as of 06:52, 20 November 2022
Lesson I: Classification Sentences Using Masculine Nouns and Pronouns with the Copula and an Indefinite Predicate
Key: copula, predicate, subject, conjunction.
The Copula
In copular syntax, a subject is described by a predicate, while the copula is the word that links the two together. In present/future main clauses, is is the affirmative copular form, ní – which triggers h-prothesis – is the negative copular form, and an is the interrogative copular form.
Vocabulary:
- is – affirmative copula
- níH – negative copula
- an – interogative copula
The Known Masculine Subject
Where the predicate consists of a masculine singular noun and the subject is already known (i.e. the subject just consists of “it”), the masculine disjunctive singular pronoun é is used for the subject. The demonstratives é seo and é sin equate to “this” and “that” respectively.
The Indefinite Predicate
In simple copular syntax, the indefinite predicate follows immediately after the copula, and precedes the subject:
- Is leabhar é. “It is a book.”
In intensive copular syntax, where the predicate is emphasised, the indefinite predicate precedes the copula while the neuter disjunctive singular predicate pronoun ea (only used in copular clauses) takes its original position:
- Leabhar is ea é. “It is a book” (rather than anything else suggested).
When responding to the interrogative, the affirmative form is is ea while the negative form is ní hea:
- An leabhar é sin? Ní hea. “Is that a book? No.”
- An peann é? Is ea. “Is it a pen? Yes.”
In the interrogative where the predicate is unknown, interrogative predicate pronouns are used instead of the copula:
- Cad é an rud é sin? Is leabhar é. “What is that thing? It is a book.”
- Cé acu leabhar nó peann é seo? Peann is ea é. “Which is this, a book or a pen? It is a pen.”
- Cé acu leabhar nó peann é sin? Ní leabhar ná peann é, ach lasán. “Which is that, a book or a pen? It is neither a book nor a pen, but a match.”
Note:
- Cad é an rud é sin? – This syntax has no copula element. The predicate is cad, “what”. In the subject, an rud é sin means “the sort of thing that that object is”; the preceding pronoun é refers to an rud.
- Cé acu leabhar nó peann é seo? – Again, this syntax has no copula element. The subject is simply é seo, “this”. Headed by the interrogative predicate pronoun cé, “which”, the subject presents an alternative divided by the conjunction nó, “or”; the preceding prepositional pronoun acu refers to this presented alternative leabhar nó peann, “a book or a pen”.
