Caibidil a Ceathair: The Copula(an Chopail)Copular forms |
copular forms-overview
lenition after the copula omission of the copular form is miscellaneous and variants Seo, sin, siúd as the copular forms |
clause form | present tense | preterite / conditional | ||
preceding a consonant | preceding a vowel | preceding a consonant | preceding a vowel | |
affirmative clause | is | is | ba | b' (dob') |
negative clause | ní (chan, cha) | ní h (chan) | níor (ní ba, char) | níorbh (ní b', charbh) |
affirmative question | an (ar) | an (ar, ab) | ar (an mba) | arbh (an mb') |
negative question | nach | nach | nár (nach mba) | nárbh (nach mb') |
conditional clauses | ||||
real conditional clause | más | más | má ba | má b' |
irreal conditional clause | - | - | dá mba | dá mb' |
negative conditional clause | mura (maran, -r) | murab (marab) | murar (mara mba) | murarbh (mara mb') |
subjunctive clauses | ||||
affirmative subjunctive clause | gura | gurab | dá mba | dá mb' |
negative subjunctive clause | nára | nárab | - | - |
relative clauses | ||||
direct relative clause | is | is | ba | ab |
indirect relative clause | ar | arb | ar (a mba) | arbh (a mb') |
negative relative clause | nach | nach | nár (nach mba) | nárbh (nach mb') |
relative clauses with interrogatives | ||||
Who (direct rel.) | cé is | cé is | cé ba | cé ab |
Whom (indirect rel.) | cér | (cérb) | cér | (cérbh) |
Where, What | cár | cárb | cár | cárbh |
in combination with interrogatives | ||||
Who | cé | cé h | cér | cérbh |
combinations with conjunctions | ||||
go (that) | gur (go) | gurb (gob) | gur (go mba) | gurbh (go mb') |
nach (that not) | nach | nach | nár (nach mba) | nárbh (nach mb') |
ó (since) | ós | ós | ó ba | ó b' |
sula (before) | sular | sularb | sular | sularbh |
combinations with prepositions | ||||
de (of) | dar | darb | dar | darbh |
do (to) | dar | darb | dar | darbh |
faoi (under) | faoinar | faoinarb | faoinar | faoinarbh |
i (in) | inar | inarb | inar | inarbh |
le (with) | lenar | lenarb | lenar | lenarbh |
ó (from) | ónar | ónarb | ónar | ónarbh |
trí (through) | trínar | trínarb | trínar | trínarbh |
combinations with ní (+ comparative) | ||||
ní (thing) | níos | níos | níba (ní ba) | níb (ní b') |
lenition after the copula
omission of the copular form is:
miscellaneous and variants
Seo, sin, siúd count as the copular forms in these examples.
They are forms of the demonstrative pronoun with the meaning "this is ", "that is ", "that one is "
All of these forms without s- are Connacht- (Cois Fhairrge-) Irish. I don't know if they exist in other dialects. This is why only the dialect specific forms (ab instead of an, marab instead of murab) are given.
As the standard, there are longer forms, in which the demonstrative pronoun is not seen as the copular form. Only the short form in the statement with "seo/sin/siúd" is also to be found in the standard.
- | seo | sin | siúd | example | long form (standard) | translation |
affirmative.: | seo | sin | siúd | Seo é an rud a dhéanamh | Is é seo an rud a dhéanamh | This is the thing that is to be done. |
affirm. pret..: | b'eo | b'in | b'iúd | B'eo é an rud a dhéanamh | Ba é seo an rud a dhéanamh | This was the thing that was to be done. |
neg.: | ní heo | ní hin | ní hiúd | Ní heo é an rud a dhéanamh. | Ní hé seo an rud a dhéanamh. | This is not the thing that is to be done. |
question: | ab 'eo | ab 'in | ab 'iud | Ab'eo é an rud a dhéanamh? | An é seo an rud a dhéanamh? | Is this the thing which is to be done? |
question neg. | nach 'eo | nach 'in | nach 'iud | Nach'eo é an rud a dhéanamh? | Nach é seo an rud a dhéanamh? | Is this not the thing which is to be done? |
cond. pos. | más 'eo | más 'in | más 'iud | Más'eo é an rud a dhéanamh, | Más é seo an rud a dhéanamh, | If it is the thing to be done, |
cond. neg. | marab 'eo | marab 'in | marab 'iud | Marab'eo é an rud a dhéanamh, | Murab é seo an rud a dhéanamh, | If it is not the thing to be done, |
that | gurb 'eo | gurb 'in | gurb 'iud | Deir sé gurb'eo é an rud a dhéanamh. | Deir sé gurb é seo an rud a dhéanamh. | He said , that this was the thing to be done. |
that not | nach 'eo | nach 'in | nach 'iud | Deir sé nach'eo é an rud a dhéanamh. | Deir sé nach é seo an rud a dhéanamh. | He said , that this was not the thing to be done. |