i ndán

See also: indan

Irish edit

Etymology edit

Literally “in fate”. The homophony with in ann (“able”) in some accents has led some authors to believe the two are the same form, e.g. Sjoestedt-Jonval who gives táim i ndán as the orthography of [t̪ˠɑːi̯mʲ ə n̪ˠɑ̃ːn̪ˠ] “I can”.^[1]

Pronunciation edit

(Munster) IPA^(key): /əˈn̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ/
(Connacht) IPA^(key): /əˈn̪ˠɑːnˠ/, /əˈn̪ˠɑːn̪ˠ/
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /əˈn̪ˠaːnˠ/, /əˈn̪ˠaːn̪ˠ/
Homophone: in ann (some accents)

Adjective edit

i ndán (predicative only)

in store [+ do (for)] (as fate)
Bhí an bás i ndán dó.
Death was in store for him; he was fated to die.

má tá sé i ndán daoibh casadh ― if you are fated to return

Cá bhfios nach dá chlaíomh féin atá i ndán a mharú.
Who knows but that it is his own sword that is destined to kill him.

má tá i ndán go… ― if it turns out that…
to happen (as the predicate of is in hypotheticals)
dá mba i ndán go… ― if it should happen that…

mura i ndán is nach bhfeicfinn arís é ― in case I shouldn't see him again

References edit

^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 16