On Wed, 19 Mar 2003 19:52:57 +0300 Pavel Iosad <edricson@...>
writes:
> > Hmm... i can't find that exact sentence in my textbook, but
> > it does have:
> > Nach é an fear? = "Isn't he the man?"
> But shouldn't that be 'nach bhfuil...'? Otherwise the sentence
> doesn't
> seem to contain a finite verb at all. ‘Fuil’ is the dependent form
> of ‘tá’, BTW. (though stems from the OIr. For ‘to see’)
> Or is 'nach' the negative interrogative form of 'is'? Then it looks
> strange, because 'is'-sentences are VOS, and this one is VSO - as
> 'tá'-sentences are - and if it's VSO, it should be _sé_, not _é_.
> Pavel
> (whose Irish is still rather elementary)
> --
> Pavel Iosad pavel_iosad@mail.ru
-
Here's what my textbook has:
(condensed)
Classification Sentences (defining what something is or not)
positive: (is)
Is bean í. = She is a woman.
negative: (ní)
Ní madra é. = It is not a dog.
question form: (an)
An deasc í? = Is it a desk?
negative interrogative: (nach)
Nach rialóir é? = Isn't it a ruler?
Identification Sentences (specific, not classifying)
Is mise Nancy. = I am Nancy
Is é Mike. = He is Mike.
Is é Seán an múinteoir. = Seán is the teacher.
Ní hí Nóra an rúnaí. = Nóra is not the secretary.
An tusa Sinead? = Are you Sinead?
An é an scoil? = Is it the school?
Nach í an máistréas? = Isn't she the schoolmistress?
-Stephen (Steg), whose Irish is also still rather elementary.
"...ar bharr na dtonna is fá bhéal na trá
siúd chugabh Mary Chinidh is i ndiaidh an Éirne shnámh."
~ 'an mhaighdean mhara'