Fòram na Gàidhlig

When do you use "mo" or "agam" when describing something that you own?

Like why is it "mo mhathair" and not "a'mhathair agam"

But it's "An cár agam" and not "mo cár"

I think you can say "mo chàr" as well, but not "a' mhàthair agam".

It's a bit like the difference between is and tha.

Mo chluas, and mo mhàthair will always be my ear and my mother respectively -- you cannot change that.

When Vincent Van Gogh cut his ear (well, earlobe, anyway) off, it didn't cease to be a chluas, his ear. When he gave it to the prostitute it didn't become a cluas, her ear. It was still his ear.

I can sell an choimpiutair agam, my computer, and it will become someone else's computer. I can then buy a new computer and it will be agam until I choose to sell it or bin it.


Now, there are borderline cases. Mo thaigh vs an taigh agam, for example, both exist. You can sell a house, so it makes logical sense to use the latter, but traditionally most people didn't, and when I was growing up (in an Scots/Énglish-speaking area -- I'm not a native Gaelic speaker) new-comers to my village would be described as living in "Auld Coutt's house" or "Jenny MacAllister's house", or whoever lived there before them. There's a strong link between home and people, so using mo thaigh makes emotional sense.

Sometimes people take mo chàr as being like mo thaigh, but I personally don't see the same personal connection and prefer to talk about a car aig someone.

Oh ok. Thanks. That clears it up perfectly

More on the subject - don't try to remember it all at once, it's a bit much.

Móran taing, a charaidean!

Agus tha ceist eile agam:

Ciamar a tha thu a'bruidhinn "It is spelled correct"?

Dé an seórsa gníomhair a tha "Spelled"?

Tapadh leibh!

Spell = litrich, litreachadh

Chan eil mi cinnteach ciamar a chanas tu "It is spelled correctly".

Hmm. Would you just use the past tense of the verb, just like in English?

How about "Tha e air a litreachadh ceart"?

Lachlan

Am Portagaileach wrote:How about "Tha e air a litreachadh ceart"?

Lachlan

sin a channain-sa, ach chan eil sin a' ciallachadh g'eil e ceart

that's what i'd say, but that doesn't mean it's right..

Am Portagaileach wrote:How about "Tha e air a litreachadh ceart"?

Bhiodh sin glè mhath.

That would be ideal.