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Re: Verb-initial languages

From:Steg Belsky <draqonfayir@...>
Date:Thursday, March 20, 2003, 4:33
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'