Somhairle Óg wrote:
A mysterious verb I always see but never really grasp the meaning or use, my teacher used it in Irish class last week and for some reason I wrote it down as meaning 'remove'. Can someone please give me its proper meaning and ways of using it?
Also, she pronounced it as more like 'bunt' than 'bye-nt' that Id always assumed it was pronounced.
Go raibh maith agat
baint /ba:Nt´/ BUNch with either a long or short a in Connemara.
More like
baint /biNt´/ B(w)INt in Munster.
You can hear both of them here:
http://www.forvo.com/word/baint/#ga(Not sure about the Donegal/Gaoth Dobhair pronunciation. Lughaidh?)
The basic meaning of
bain is "to dig out or remove sth from the ground". Then by extension "to reap", "to release", "to win".
Bain amach is to "take out", "gain", "reach"
Bain de is "to take off/remove" clothing, etc.