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Last modified: November
9, 2003
These are from the Gaidhlig-B Mailing List, courtesy of Cailean Mark
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Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 17:21:22 -0000 From: Colin Mark <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: Tip of the Week 56 - whether / if Unfortunately, this was too long for a single posting, so I have sent it in 2 parts. A recent enquiry on Gaidhlig-B about the difference between the construction 'co-dhiu\ a .' and the interrogative construction with the meaning 'if' or 'whether' prompted the following. Generally, there isn't any difference between the two, except in one very important situation. And here, our old friend, the Subordinate Noun Clause rears its head again. The use of Noun Clauses in Gaelic causes learners a great deal of difficulty because it is so different from the way in which they are dealt with in English. Generally, Noun Clauses are introduced by verbs of 'asking', 'knowing', 'remembering', forgetting or 'telling' etc. The following clause may be introduced by the conjunctions 'when', where', 'how', why', 'what', if' or 'whether'. No doubt I've left one or two out, but, anyway, for the purposes of this Tip of the Week, I'll confine myself to 'whether' and 'if'. e.g. He asked me whether / I don't know whether / Do you remember whether ? etc. etc. These may also be followed by the words 'or not'. The word 'whether' is often replaced by 'if' , particularly in everyday spoken English, but it can be ambiguous e.g. Please inform us if you can come. Does this mean - Please inform us whether (or not) you can come. Or - Please inform us only if you can come. -? Let's look at it another way. In the sentence: I don't know whether he's coming or not. Or: I don't know if he's coming or not. - the clauses introduced by 'whether' or 'iff' may be replaced by the single word 'something'. i.e. I don't know 'something'. Now, in a construction such as: Whether he was guilty or not we must support him. - we cannot replace the clause beginning witth 'whether' with the word 'something' and still make sense i.e. Something he was guilty or not we must support him. So this is not a Noun Clause. Cailean Cànan ar Cridhe 's ar Gaoil http://www.gaeldesign.com/colinmark Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 17:22:53 -0000 From: Colin Mark <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: Tip of the Week 55 - whether / if (2nd part) Now, in Gaelic, clauses introduced by 'whether' in English may use either 'co-dhiù a' + the relative form of the verb, or the simple interrogative form of the verb (when they are Noun Clauses). e.g. Bidh fios agaibh an-diugh co-dhiù bha susbaint anns an eagal sin. You will know nowadays whether there was substance in that fear. whether the tinkers had the benefit or not, the people were very pleased to get the implements necessary to *them* at the doors secondly I asked them whether they were - or were not - supporting secure status for Gaelic; and finally I asked them whether they themselves could speak Gaelic, and if not, were they going to learn it. And who can say whether their faith is false or not? Ciamar as urrainn dhut a ràdh a bheil i bochd no beartach? How can you tell whether she is rich or poor? ( /if she is rich or poor?) However, when we are dealing with a clause which is not a Noun Clause, only co-dhiù may be used: Faodaidh iad bhith bruidhinn aig a' choinneimh co-dhiù tha Gàidhlig aca no nach eil. They may speak at the meeting whether they speak Gaelic or not. Bidh fàilte roimh a h-uile duine, co-dhiù tha ceangal aca don sgìre gus nach eil. Everyone will be welcome, whether they have a connection with the district or not. Co-dhiù bha e ciontach gus nach robh feumaidh sinn taic a thoirt dha. Whether he was guilty or not we must support him. The 'gus nach' in this last sentence is very idiomatic. However, you will often see 'no nach' instead (as seen above). I don't know whether this is the English idiom taking over or not. Anybody know? Cailean Cànan ar Cridhe 's ar Gaoil http://www.gaeldesign.com/colinmark Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 19:04:29 -0000 From: Colin Mark <[email protected]> Subject: Tip of the Week (correction) I misplaced one of the examples. The quoted example: > co-dhiù bha a' bhuannachd aig na ceàird no nach robh, bha na daoine ro > thoilichte na h-uidheaman riatanach dhaib' fhèin fhaotainn aig na dorais > whether the tinkers had the benefit or not, the people were very pleased > to get the implements necessary to *them* at the doors > (from Eòiligearraidh by Pòl Mac a' Bhreatunnaich) - should be among the examples which are *noot* Noun clauses. My thanks to the list-member who pointed this out. I'm afraid I was in too much of a hurry! Cailean Cànan ar Cridhe 's ar Gaoil Am Marcair Dubh Is i a' Ghàidhlig Cànan mo Dhùthcha. URL: http://www.gaeldesign.com/colinmark |
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