Dialect difference maybe??

joebloggins · **Joined:** Fri 09 Nov 2012 7:23 pm **Posts:** 2

Good day,

I've been learning a little bit of Irish here and there, one site I use quite regularly is Seans Eile, good for verb conjugation if nothing else and another from BBC Giota Beag. In Seans Eile they use Táim as the present tense, I am. Giota Beag, however, uses Tá mé. Giota Beag is teaching Ulster dialect, not sure what dialect is being used in Seans Eile.
I know there are differences in Ulster Gaelige as opposed to the other dialects. Is this one of them, or is it a personal preference, or is one dialect and the other standard Irish?

Thanks

Breandán · **Posted:** Fri 09 Nov 2012 11:24 pm

Both Connacht and Ulster use tá mé nowadays in preference to táim, which is the older form and which is still used in Munster.

In standard, both are correct. (Non-natives may still try to tell you táim is "better", however, depending on which version they learnt first. :razz:

)

An Cionnfhaolach · **Joined:** Fri 09 Mar 2012 6:16 pm **Posts:** 1527

"Tá mé", is the preferred form in Ulster and Connacht. Munster uses "Táim". Both are correct in the Caighdeán.

"Tá mé" is what is known as the "foirm scartha" (Analytic form, the Irish makes much more sense as it means the separated form), it is so called as the verb "Tá (bí)" is separated from the pronoun (mé, tú etc...). Modern Connacht and Ulster irish:

Tá mé
Tá tú
Tá sé/ sí
Táimid (Tá muid)
Tá sibh
Tá siad

"Táim", is the "foirm tháite" (Synthetic form, táite means welded or fused together), were the verb and pronoun are fused together to create one word. This is the traditional method of treating verbs in Irish. Munster:

T(h*)áim
T(h*)áir or T(h)ánn tu (t(h)ánn tu is the analytic form used in Munster with tu and sometimes with sé and sí and incorrectly with sibh, *note no fada on tu).
T(h*)á sé/ sí
T(h*)áimíd
T(h*)á sibh
T(h*)áid

*, the form Thá... is used in the sub-Munster dialect of Ring Co. Waterford and Scottish Gaelic. It is also used to some extent in Corca Dhuibhne (Kerry).

í, the i at the end of táimíd is lengthened in Munster. Táimid is the standard spelling.

To cut a long story short, both "Táim" and "Tá mé" are correct in a dialectal and standard context.

Crossed with Breandán

Bríd Mhór · **Joined:** Sun 28 Aug 2011 8:29 pm **Posts:** 2994

When spoken by natives "tá mé" runs together so it often sounds like one word.

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joebloggins · **Joined:** Fri 09 Nov 2012 7:23 pm **Posts:** 2

Thanks for the replies and explanations. Does the same would apply for first person plural verbs, too, i.e táimid - tá muid or is would the combined form be the more appropriate?

Thanks again

Bríd Mhór · **Joined:** Sun 28 Aug 2011 8:29 pm **Posts:** 2994

joebloggins wrote:

Thanks for the replies and explanations. Does the same would apply for first person plural verbs, too, i.e táimid - tá muid or is would the combined form be the more appropriate?

Thanks again

táimid - is a Caighdeanach / Munster way. I can't personally comment on it. :winkgrin:

An Cionnfhaolach · **Joined:** Fri 09 Mar 2012 6:16 pm **Posts:** 1527

joebloggins wrote:

Thanks for the replies and explanations. Does the same would apply for first person plural verbs, too, i.e táimid - tá muid or is would the combined form be the more appropriate?

Thanks again

"T(h)áimíd" is Munster.
"Táimid" is the Caighdeán
"Tá muid" is Conamara and Ulster

There all appropriate, the standard is used by the State in official documents and its institutions but you weigh that against the fact that no native speaker (with an unbroken tradition) speaks the Caighdeán. So it just comes down to whichever one you prefer!

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