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Sos Pónairí Glóthaí Posted by róislín on Apr 18, 2011
(le Róislín} Cad faoi shos beag ó na díochlaontaí? … Ní chloisim aon ghearán! So let’s take a little break (sos beag) from declensions (díochlaontaí) and talk about a timely topic, one of our favorite types of candaí Cásca. I actually have been checking the Internet for uses of the term “pónairí glóthaí” for years…
An Dara Díochlaonadh, Firinscneach: Lambs of Butter, Mountains of Butter Posted by róislín on Apr 15, 2011
(le Róislín) Second-declension nouns — mostly feminine, right? Right! Mar shampla: spúnóg, bróg, ubh, feirm. Tuiseal ginideach, uatha? Sodhéanta: spúnóige, bróige, uibhe, feirme, etc. I mentioned in an earlier blog that at least two 2nd-declension nouns are masculine, “im” and “sliabh.” Let’s start with “im” (butter), if for no other reason than that it has…
An Dara Díochlaonadh: Eggs and Legs, Clutches and Hutches Posted by róislín on Apr 11, 2011
(le Róislín) Continuing along with our “declension” series, here are roinnt samplaí of the second declension. That’s the second out of four or five declensions (opinions vary). Almost all 2nd-declension nouns are feminine, the two main exceptions being “im” and “sliabh,” which will be dealt with in a later blog. Go comhthitimeach (coincidentally) agus go…
An Chéad Díochlaonadh: Newts, Frogs, and, for Easter, Baskets Posted by róislín on Apr 8, 2011
(le Róislín) We’ve recently seen a number of first-declension nouns in Irish, with their various forms. You might have noticed how when we say “hats of men” or “eyes of newts,” the plural form appears to look singular. In other words, “fear” normally means “a man” but can mean “of men” in the right grammatical…
What’s the “Tuiseal” of “an Tuiseal Ginideach” Anyway? Posted by róislín on Apr 5, 2011
(le Róislín) By now, you’ve probably heard the term “tuiseal” quite a bit in discussing Irish nouns. It’s generally translated as “case” as in “an tuiseal gairmeach” (“a Shinéad” for “Sinéad” in the “vocative” case) or as in “an tuiseal ginideach” (“cóta Sheáin” for “John’s coat” in the “genitive” case), etc. Of course, this isn’t…
Of Mice, Of Men, Of Newt, Of Frog (A Prose Ode to “An Tuiseal Ginideach”) Posted by róislín on Apr 2, 2011
(le Róislín) Now that we’ve started this mionsraith on an tuiseal ginideach, we may as well dul go bun an angair. That latter phrase is an Irish idiom that literally means “to go to the end (top) of the want,” and is roughly equivalent to “to go whole hog” or “to the bitter end.” Why…
Speaking “of blue mice” and “of pink elephants” Posted by róislín on Mar 30, 2011
(le Róislín) A recent blog hinted at some upcoming entries on possessive forms, so here they are. We start with a few more luchóg ghorm / eilifint bhándearg examples and then transition to some more practical phrases that indicate possession, and maybe even point towards some Easter expressions, for the upcoming holiday. Some of you…