Cailean Mark - <[email protected]>
 
Tip 42

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Last modified: March 29, 2002
These are from the Gaidhlig-B Mailing List, courtesy of Cailean Mark

From [email protected] Fri Mar 29 13:56:06 2002 Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 19:42:43 -0000 From: Colin Mark <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: Tip of the Week 42 - About (2) Tip of the Week 42 - About (2) Unlike 'mu dheidhinn' with which we dealt last week, expressions based on the noun 'cuairt' carry the idea of 'about' in the sense of 'round' / 'round about' i.e. in a surrounding or circulatory sense - or in the sense of 'approximately'.   The following expressions may help you to remember this:   Bha e air a dhol tro na h-Eileanan Siar agus an t-Eilean Sgitheanach air chuairt.   He had gone through the Western Isles and the Isle of Skye on a tour / journey / trip. i.e. he had travelled through etc.   cuairt na fala the blood circulation / the circulation of the blood   Fhuair sinn cuairt air an luchairt ainmeil. We got a tour of the famous palace.   The expressions are 'mu chuairt' and 'mun cuairt'.   Again, unlike 'mu dheidhinn', these expressions may be used as both prepositions and as adverbs.   We shall deal with 'mu chuairt' this week.   1. 'mu chuairt' as an adverb.   Bu chòir dhuinn ionad a thaghadh far am bi àite gu leòr gus ruith mu chuairt. We should choose a spot where there is plenty of room to run about / around.   Às a seo, bha sealladh fada farsaing aige air an dùthaich mu chuairt From here, he had a wide, distant view of the country round about.   2. 'mu chuairt' (prep. + gen.)   Tha iad a' fuireach anns na bailtean beaga mu chuairt a' chaisteil. They live in the villages around the castle.   Bidh móran daoine a' dol mu chuairt nan seallaidhean iongantach a tha anns an àite. Many people go round the many wonderful views there are in the place. or - Many people tour the many wonderful views there are there.   Choisich sinn mu chuairt an loch. We walked round the loch.   It should be noted that, despite the examples given in Dwelly under 'mu 'n cuairt', possessive adjectives are not (in my experience, at any rate) used with 'mu chuairt'. See No. 3. following.   3. 'mu chuairt air' (prep. with air)   Bha e na shuidhe an-siud air an làr le leabhraichean fosgailte mu chuairt air. He was sitting there on the floor with open books about him. or - surrounded by open books.   Bha `igheachd agus othail a' dol mu chuairt orm. There were shouting and hubbub going on about me.   But note: Bha an caisteal mu chuairt air seachd mìle air falbh The castle was about seven miles away.   Tha a' chraobh seo mu chuairt air còig ceud bliadhna a dh' aois. This tree is about 500 years old.   More next time.   Cailean Am Marcair Dubh Is i a' Ghàidhlig Cànan mo Dhùthcha.   � URL: http://www.gaeldesign.com/colinmark

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