Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 21:00:21 -0000
From: Colin Mark <[email protected]>
Subject: Tip of the Week 49
Tip of the Week 49
Comparative and Superlative. (Part 2)
Any tense of the verb 'bi' may be used.
Bidh Artar nas àirde na (a) bhràthair.
Arthur will be taller than his brother.
Am bi an rathad seo nas fhasa* na 'am fear sin?
Will this route / road be easier than that one?
*fasa is the comparative - superlative form of
'furasta'.
But when the Past Tense or the Imperfect / Conditional tenses are used,
'nas' is replaced by 'na bu'. Note that 'bu' is
always shortened to b' before a
vowel or silent letters before a vowel.
Bha an taigh acasan na bu shine na am fear againne.
Their house was older than our one / ours.
Bha gach beinn na bu chaise na an tè mu dheireadh.
Each hill was steeper than the last (one).
Bhiodh sin fada na b' fhasa.
That would be far easier.
Bhiodh e na b' fheàrr nan gabhadh an dà rud an
dealachadh.
It would be better if the two things could be separated.
Notes:
a) 'am fear' is used for 'one' when it is a masculine subject, while
'tè' is used when feminine.
b) 'bhiodh' is an unstressed form of 'bhitheadh'.
c) 'gabh' followed by a verbal noun construction means ''can'.
d) Though dà means 'two' it is followed by a noun in the
singular.
However, the possessive adjective following the singular noun 'rud' is
plural!
The final example means, literally:
It would be what would be better if would take the two thing their
separating.
More next week!
Cailean
Am Marcair Dubh
Is i a' Ghàidhlig Cànan mo Dhùthcha.
URL: http://www.gaeldesign.com/colinmark
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