Fòram na Gàidhlig

No it's not. That's more an answer to "Cò thusa?" or "Cò sibhse?"

Although that's technically correct, practically speaking the pairing of dè an t-ainm a th' ort and is mise x is both common and acceptable. Such asymmetrical answers are common in many (if not all) languages - in English answering is it hot outside? with the tarmac is melting is not wrong either even though technically it's a yes/no question.

Bad example. A better one would be:-

"Is it hot outside?" "It is" (this would be fine and expected in Gaelic, but is "stilted" in English)

"What do they call you?" "I'm Ellen"

and so forth - i.e. an answer that does the job but is not "usual".

bb3ca201 wrote:

caiptean wrote:I got to thinking in the car today, why do people say "an t-ainm a th' orm" as opposed to "m' ainm, d' ainm, etc." ? Why is it Dè an t-ainm a th' ort instead of Dè d' ainm? Would that be incorrect grammatically speaking? Or is it just that no one says that, so it would be weird if you did? I have no intention of saying it like that, because I like the way Gaelic comes up with interesting ways to say things; I was just curious why they didn't go with what seems to be a simpler construction.

"Dè an t-ainm a th' ort (or "oirbh" if you're using "sibh") is the normal, native way to say it (from all the native Gaelic speakers that I've had the fortune to hear). It may be certainly possible to say it the other way...but I guess it just sseems unnatural.

Funnily enough, as an aside: the response? Is mise + your name!

I didn't chose my name, and it's just a name. It isn't a fundamental part of me. Why should I therefore say *m' ainm? Besides, that would be very similar to m' anam, which means "my soul" -- and that's definitely a fundamental part of me.

Anyway, the natural response to "Dé an t-ainm a th' ort?" is just your name -- anything else is just book-Gaelic. The eternal problem in language teaching is getting students to learn grammar, so we're always forcing students to answer in sentences, even when it isn't appropriate to do so given the context.

Know what you mean. I've sometimes wondered how those whose principal linguistic experience is English would explain to learners of the language why English usage is "How do you do?" rather than just, say, "How do you?"