Cailean Mark - <[email protected]>
 
Tip 51

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Last modified: March 29, 2003
These are from the Gaidhlig-B Mailing List, courtesy of Cailean Mark

Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2003 08:03:46 -0000 From: Colin Mark <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: Tip of the Week 51 - Nouns used as Verbal Nouns   Nouns used as Verbal Nouns   A recent thread about the use of the noun còmhradh as a verbal noun prompted me to write a little about this and other nouns which may be used as if they were Verbal Nouns (in the role of the English Present Participle)   Let us first look at some ways in which 'còmhradh' is used. This word is a noun, with the genitive singular 'còmhraidh' and the plural 'còmhraidhean'. However, when preceded by the particle a' it becomes a verbal noun.   Here are some examples of it in use:   Aon fheasgar, mu àm na Nollaig, bha e fhèin agus a bhean nan suidhe ri taobh an teine a' còmhradh. One evening, about Christmas time, he and his wife were sitting beside the fire talking / conversing / chatting etc. (from An Greusaiche agus na Sìthichean SMO).   An ath sheachdain bha sinn ann am Milan agus a' còmhradh ri bean òg laghach á Uibhist a-Deas a bh' air a dhol a Mhilan mar nanny agus phòs i Eadailteach. Next week we were in Milan and talking to a nice young woman from South Uist who had gone to Milan as a nanny and she (had) married an Italian (from The Scotsman)   Bha iad a' còmhradh mu spòrs. They were talking about / discussing sport.   Bha sinn a' còmhradh air tachartasan an latha. We were discussing the events of the day.   Note that both 'mu' and 'air' may be used when talking / writing etc. about something.   Bha iad a' còmhradh ann an Gàidhlig. They were conversing in Gaelic (Also anns a' Ghàidhlig or 'sa Ghàidhlig)   Thug iad greis a' còmhradh. They talked for a while / They spent some time talking etc.   However, there are other nouns which act in the same way. There are a number of these, and the majority of them are concerned with sounds.   bragadaich (feminine) crackling   Anns an teintein [...] bha ultach de chonnadh droighinn a' gabhail gu lasrach, agus a' bragadaich coltach ri gàire nan amadan. In the hearth [...] there was an armful of thorn firewood blazing, and crackling like the laughter of idiots. (Gaelic Test Papers)   bòilich (feminine) boasting   Bhiodh e daonnan a' bòilich. He would always be boasting.   còmhnadh (masculine) help, aid, assistance   Bhiodh muinntir an àite a' còmhnadh a chèile. The populace used to help each other.   casadaich (feminine) coughing   Bha sinn uile a' casadaich leis a' cheò. We were all coughing with the smoke.   farchluais (feminine) eavesdropping   Bha e a' farchluais oirnn! He was eavesdropping on us!     gliogadaich (feminine) clinking (there are many by-forms of this word e.g. gliongadaich)   Bha na glainneachan a' gliogadaich. The glasses were clinking.   So how can we make verbs of these?   Well, in most cases, the action is continuous, and 'tha', 'bha', bhiodh' etc. are used as in the examples above.   In others the verb 'dèan' is used with another noun: Rinn e casad He coughed / gave a cough etc.   In other cases a simple verb is used: Cuidich e ruinn. He helped us.     Cailean Am Marcair Dubh Is i a' Ghàidhlig Cànan mo Dhùthcha. URL: http://www.gaeldesign.com/colinmark

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