From [email protected] Mon Jun 26 07:46:30 2000
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 09:50:37 +0100
From: Colin Mark <[email protected]>
Subject: Tip of the Week 26 expressing quantity (6) - barrachd
Tip of the Week 26
This week's word is *barrachd*, which means "more" in the sense of " a
greater quantity", and also often has a sense of comparison behind it i.e.
"more than before", "more than I" etc. It does not have the sense of
"additional", "added on", though it may have the sense of ""more than is
needed", "surplus".
*Tha barrachd airgid 'ga chosg air leabhraichean a-nis.*
More money is being spent on books now.
(Not "an additional amount", but "a greater amount than
before")
*Bha barrachd bìdh againn na b'urrainn sinn
ùisneachadh.*
We had more food than we could use.
*Bu mhath leam barrachd comharraidh fhaicinn gu bheil iad
treibhdhireach.*
I would like to see more sign that they are sincere.
*Chan eil sinn ag iarraidh barrachd air sin.*
We don't want more than that.
*Tha barrachd dhiubh ag obair an-sin a-nis.*
More of them are working there now.
(Also *barrachd aca*)
*Tha barrachd ùine a dhìth oirnn.*
We need more time.
*Fhuair e barrachd ormsa.*
He got more than I. (colloquially "He got more than me")
This last example is in Everyday Gaelic Morag MacNeill (pg
89) There is something rather illogical about it. I would have expected
something like:
*Fhuair e barrachd na fhuair mise.*
"He got more than I got". But
there you are.
*A bharrachd* is used rather like an adjective to mean "surplus",
"extra".
*Tha fear a bharrachd againn a-nis.*
We have an extra one /man now. We have a surplus one now etc.
More next time.
Cailean
Am Marcair Dubh
Is i a' Ghàidhlig Cànan mo Dhùthcha.
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