"Ins an Charlton a bhí sé"

Very good. I wonder if it is possible to do the same in Irish for nouns 'Fear a bhi sé', adjectives '(go) maith a bhí sé', and verbal nouns 'ag ithe a bhí sé'?

So, it appears that in Irish the question form pattern is more rigid than English, so that would prelude such things as:

how it is is good
where it is is at the park
who he is is my cousin
what he is is a grounds-keeper
when it is is at 3 o'clock
how much it is is W30,000

Instead one would just say them using a different set of patterns.

Of course, we can emphasis information using a number of modalities, syntactic 'you are good' --> 'it's good you are'; by voice 'he's GOOD'; using discourse markers 'this is what I mean: it's good'; special patterns such as above etc

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

I think that one would normally be Fear a bhi ann.

(Is) maith a bhí sé.

(Is) ag ithe a bhí sé.

Await confirmation or correction ...

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Thanks.

People might be wondering why I'm being so particular, but I assure you, after having taken up a sort of 'crowd sourcing' approach to teaching (by showing exemplars, having the students make their own and then checking the results), I'm telling you there are all sorts of patterns we never think of, but are there, waiting to be uncovered. We miss them as they pop up by specific context or appear in the discourse, not apparent in abstracted, single sentence analysis.

I'm not saying there's going to be some major discovery doing this little bit of work, but you never know what you might see. Some patterns I noticed were not uncovered till say 2 or 3 weeks after 240 students twice weekly, each producing more than 5 sentences or even a little story or conversation each. That's over 2000 chunks a week, and still some patterns were a while in the noticing, so there is a lot hidden in plain sight, or often just not used much, but in the native speaker repertoire

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

Here is the noun complement list thus far:


That is the man who = Sin é an fear atá…
That is the man = Is é sin an fear
This is it = Seo é
It is this = seo [???]
Is it this? = seo? [???]

The man who is there is a European = Is é an fear (atá ann) duine Europach
European is the (big) man = Duine Europach is ea é

It is a cat = Is cat é
A cat it is = Cat is ea é
Love is strength = Is tréan é an grá
Strength is love = Is grá é an tréan

To be Séan is to be a man = Is le bheith Seán (a bheith) fear
To be a man is Seán = Is le bheith fear (a bheith) Seán

Séan is who? ???
Séan it is? =Seán a b(h)adh é?
Who is Seán? = Cé hé Seán?
Who it is is Seán = Seán a bhí ann

Who is the man? = Cé hé mo dhuine ansin?
Whoever it is is Seán =???

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

The man who is there is a European = Is Eorpach é an fear (atá ansin).
European is the (big) man = Eorpach atá ann. nó Is Eorpach é an fear (mór)

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

that's right



or: Sin an fear a...



yes



Is é seo é



An é seo é?
or: ab é seo é?



Is Eorpach an fear atá ansin.



Is Eorpach an fear (mór).



Munster, you can say (Ulster): Cat atá ann.



you wrote "love is a strong" (according to the dictionary, "tréan" may also mean strength but I don't think it's often used). Strength = neart, treise

Is neart an grá.
Neart atá sa ghrá.



Is grá an neart.
Grá atá sa neart.



You can't say that, it would be a "tá sé fear" mistake. Since "is" has no infinitive/verbal noun, you have to say something like:
Más tusa Seán, is fear thú.
but what do you mean? that you are a man if you are called Seán, or that you are a man if you are Seán (ie. a particular man you know, who's called Seán)?



I don't understand this sentence (even in English). You're saying "To be a man = Seán". How a verb can be equivalent to a name?



Cé hé Seán?



Ab é Seán é? (or: An é Seán é?) or (Ab é/An é) Seán atá ann?


ok



ok


ok, or:
Cé hé an duine sin?



I don't understand that sentence, could someone explain me or give a context in which you'd say that?

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

Lughaidh,
you're a warrior, lad!


Funny, I was thinking the same, but I lifted from this sight just so as to have some abstract nouns


"To be a man is to be Seán". The intent is to say that this uber-mensch 'Seán' is so the realization of masculinity that to be him, is to be man himself! ...Or failing that. he's just a manly chap. Really, it just binds the idea of a person to another idea. Does that make sense? From what you say, it sounds impossible in Irish, using the copula anyways


Actually, come to think of it, it is nonsense. The thing in question has to be definite in some wayfor you to equate it with something else. Perhaps in a sci-fi parallel universe context it might work, but not normally. As I said, I like to find the boundaries, sometimes just filling in all the boxes just to see what happens. Usually it's good, but sometimes it just scratches dirt

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

Here is the set thus far, with probably a few missing bits till I do a good sweep through:


That is the man who = Sin é an fear atá…/ Sin an fear atá
That is the man = Is é sin an fear
This is it = Seo é
It is this = Is é seo é
Is it this? = An é seo é?or: ab é seo é?
The man who is there is a European = Is é an fear (atá ann) duine Europach /Is Eorpach é an fear (atá ansin) / Is Eorpach an fear atá ansin.
European is the (big) man = Duine Europach is ea é/ Eorpach atá ann. nó Is Eorpach é an fear (mór) / Is Eorpach an fear (mór).

It is a cat = Is cat é
A cat it is = Cat is ea é [Munadh]; Cat atá ann [Uladh]
Love is strength = Is neart é an grá/ Grá atá sa neart.
Strength is love = Is grá é an neart / Is grá an neart [better]

[To be Séan is to be a man = Is le bheith Seán (a bheith) fear]
[To be a man is Seán = Is le bheith fear (a bheith) Seán]

Séan is who? Cé hé Seán?
Séan it is? = Ab é Seán é? (or: An é Seán é?) or (Ab é/An é) Seán atá ann?
Who is Seán? = Cé hé Seán?
Who it is is Seán = Seán a bhí ann

Who is the man? = Cé hé mo dhuine ansin?/ Cé hé an duine sin?

The 'é' deletion I take it is an Ulster thing? Is it due to it becoming generalized and then not needed?

Is this one totally wrong?: Is é an fear (atá ann) duine Europach

Thanks

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

Yes, it is an Ulster thing (and should have been marked as such by Lughaidh). Connacht and Munster both require it.


I think so. I don't think you are supposed to have a definite subject and an indefinite topic. Someone else may be able to explain it better. Also, *Europach isn't an Irish word, as far as I know.


ea is normally used only in Munster. Cat atá ann is also used in Connacht.


I think you can also have Seo é é in Connacht.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Is it an é deletion, or is it Connachta and Munster people who have added an unnecessary é there



yeah it's wrong, have to say "Is duine Eorpach an fear atá ann".




sorry but I've never understood when and why Connachta and Munster people add é's in copular constructions... So I don't know when C and M speakers would say in another way... The word-order in copular sentences is so complicated that I only learnt the Ulster one... I would mix up everything if I had to learn the C and the M rules for these sentences with the copula...

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne