I'm trying to work out how to ask "do you have any New Year's resolutions" in Gaelic, but am getting stuck part way. "A bheil [???] agaibh air a Bliadhna ùr?" I apologize for being a rank beginner (and rusty at that), so there's probably other errors, but my main problem is with getting the right word for "resolutions". I'm thinking it would be "rùn" here, based on backtr*nsl*tions from faclair.org and SMO, but I'm not terribly confident in that. Could anyone provide some direction?
Tàpadh leibh.
Word choice?
-
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:16 pm
- Language Level: Beginner to early intermediate
- Location: Ottawa
-
- Posts: 693
- Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2007 3:47 am
- Language Level: Fileanta
- Corrections: Please correct my grammar
- Location: Saitama, an Iapan
- Contact:
Re: Word choice?
Yes rùintean (plural) would work.
"A bheil rùintean na Bliadhn' Ùir' agad/agaibh?"
or
"A bheil rùintean agad/agaibh airson na Bliadhn' Ùir'?"
"A bheil rùintean na Bliadhn' Ùir' agad/agaibh?"
or
"A bheil rùintean agad/agaibh airson na Bliadhn' Ùir'?"
Dèan buil cheart de na fhuair thu!
-
- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:00 pm
- Corrections: I'm fine either way
- Location: Faisg air Gleann Rathais
Re: Word choice?
...or you could try "gill" or "geallaidhean". If you think about it, what does the English actually mean? What is a "new year's resolution"? It is, in a fairly literal sense, what somebody will resolve to do (or not do) in the coming year. It is, thus, a sort of "promise".
And here is the answer for you:
"Tha. Am-bliadhna, rùnaichidh mi gun ionnsaich mi Gàidhlig."
- or something similar.
And here is the answer for you:
"Tha. Am-bliadhna, rùnaichidh mi gun ionnsaich mi Gàidhlig."
- or something similar.
-
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:16 pm
- Language Level: Beginner to early intermediate
- Location: Ottawa
Re: Word choice?
Thank you both for your help.
Can I ask a grammar question or two? I'm very, very, very rusty with what little I know, so I apologize if this is very basic. Why is there the "na + lenition" [the added "i" in ùr] here? Is it a case marker of some sort?
Also, a Sheonaidh, I was thinking about the actual meaning of the English resolution, but "promise" never occurred to me. You're right, though, that a resolution is largely a promise to yourself. I'd come up with "resolution", "goal", "intention", "commitment", but none of them were leading me to something I felt confident in.
Can I ask a grammar question or two? I'm very, very, very rusty with what little I know, so I apologize if this is very basic. Why is there the "na + lenition" [the added "i" in ùr] here? Is it a case marker of some sort?
Also, a Sheonaidh, I was thinking about the actual meaning of the English resolution, but "promise" never occurred to me. You're right, though, that a resolution is largely a promise to yourself. I'd come up with "resolution", "goal", "intention", "commitment", but none of them were leading me to something I felt confident in.
-
- Rianaire
- Posts: 1432
- Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:58 pm
- Language Level: Fluent (non-native)
- Corrections: I'm fine either way
- Location: Sruighlea, Alba
- Contact:
Re: Word choice?
Yes, it's case marking. You have a feminine noun in the genitive case (in this case equivalent to the English possessive in New Year's resolution).CairistionaNicD wrote: Can I ask a grammar question or two? I'm very, very, very rusty with what little I know, so I apologize if this is very basic. Why is there the "na + lenition" [the added "i" in ùr] here? Is it a case marker of some sort?
It's not lenition, though; lenition is things like math->mhath, cat->chat. This process is called "slenderisation" or more fully "final slenderisation" (= "slenderising the end of the word").
Notice that An Gobaire had an apostrophe after Ùir'. This is because traditionally the feminine genitive of adjectives gets final slenderisation and an added E at the end: ùire. This final vowel may be dropped in certain situations: before another vowel (the first version) or at the end of a sentence (the second version).
-
- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:00 pm
- Corrections: I'm fine either way
- Location: Faisg air Gleann Rathais
Re: Word choice?
Sorry to be irreverent for a moment, but I love this "slenderisation" thing. I think I'll pop down to Argos or wherever and get myself a word slender...for best results, visit Falkirk - An Eaglais Bhreac - and while in Falkirk - san Eaglais Bhric - be sure to buy the Falkirk News (Naidheachdan na h-Eaglaise Brice)...