Here are some examples from Peadar Ua Laoghaire:
Quote:
Ní bhíonn uaidh ach go dtabharfaí glóire do Dhia ins gach aon nídh. Ní lúgha 'ná mar a bhíonn aon fhormad aige le h-aoinne, mar ní bhíonn aon dúil aige i n-aon rud a chuirfeadh áthas air féin.
This means: neither does he envy anyone.
Quote:
Má abraimíd gur ó neamh é, déarfaidh sé, Má 'seadh, cad 'n-a thaobh nár chreideabhair é? Ach má abraimíd gur ó dhaoinibh, is baoghal dúinn na daoine mar fáidh ab eadh Eóin acu. Agus d'fhreagradar Íosa agus dubhradar, Ní fheadramair. Agus dubhairt seisean leó: Ní lúgha 'ná mar a neósfad-sa dhaoibh-se cad é an t-úghdarás atá agam chun na neithe seo dhéanamh.
This is from the gospels. The meaning is "neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things"
FGB has:
Quote:
Ní lú ná mar a d’iarr sé orm é, much less did he ask me for it.
Ní nú ná mar a translates "neither; much less" followed by verb inversion in English. But the idiom is very non-intuitive to a non-native speaker. It is used in sentences like "I didn't do it before. Neither will I do it now" (=
níor dheineas roimis seo é. Ní lú ná mar a dhéanfad anois é). NB: maybe the idiom is to be understood like this -- there is nothing smaller than the possibility that I will do it now.
So
ní lú ná mar ’ bhí sé tuíllte aige anois means "neither does he deserve it now", whereas in context the desired meaning is "no less does he deserve it now" (=he deserves it just as much now), which is the opposite meaning.