nárbh
Irish
editAlternative forms
edit- nárbh’, nár bh’ (superseded)
Particle
editnárbh (before consonants nár) (introduces negative past/conditional copular clauses of various kinds; used before vowels and fh plus vowel)
- wasn’t/wouldn’t... be? (used to introduce a negative question)
- Nárbh fhearr leat cupán tae?
- Wouldn’t you prefer a cup of tea?
- which/who wasn’t/wouldn’t be (used to introduce both direct and indirect relative clauses)
- an bhean nárbh iascaire í ― the woman who wasn’t a fisherwoman
- an bhean nárbh fhearr léi bainne ― the woman who wouldn’t prefer milk
- 1939, Peig Sayers, “Inghean an Cheannaidhe”, in Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Description d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études; 270) (overall work in French), Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, page 194:
- Do bhíodar sé mhí gan fille, agus nuair a chonaic Máire an t-árthach ag teacht chun cuain, bhí sceitimíní ar a croidhe le lúthgháir agus le h-áthas, ní nárbh’ iongnadh.
- They were [away] six months without returning, and when Máire saw the vessel coming to port, her heart had raptures of gladness and joy, which was not surprising.
- that... it wasn’t/wouldn’t be; whether/if... it wasn’t/wouldn’t be (used to introduce a negative past/conditional copular subordinate clause, including an indirect question)
- Dúirt sí nárbh fhearr léi cupán tae.
- She said that she wouldn’t prefer a cup of tea
- Ní raibh a fhios agam nárbh fhearr léi cupán tae.
- I didn’t know whether she would prefer a cup of tea.
Related terms
editsimple copular forms | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
affirmative | negative | interrogative | negative interrogative | ||
present/future | |||||
main clause | is | ní | an | nach | |
relative clause | direct | nach | – | ||
indirect | ar, arbv | ||||
other subordinate clause | gur, gurbv | an | nach | ||
past/conditional | |||||
main clause | ba, b’v | níor, níorbhv | ar, arbhv | nár, nárbhv | |
relative clause | direct | ba, abv | nár, nárbhv | – | |
indirect | ar, arbhv | ||||
other subordinate clause | gur, gurbhv | ar, arbhv | nár, nárbhv | ||
present subjunctive | |||||
– | gura, gurabv | nára, nárabv | – | ||
compound copular forms | |||||
base word | present/future | past/conditional | |||
cá | cár, cárbv | cár, cárbhv | |||
cé | cér, cérbv | cér, cérbhv | |||
dá | – | dá mba, dá mb’v | |||
de/do | dar, darbv | dar, darbhv | |||
faoi | faoinar, faoinarbv | faoinar, faoinarbhv | |||
i | inar, inarbv | inar, inarbhv | |||
le | lenar, lenarbv | lenar, lenarbhv | |||
má | más | má ba, má b’v | |||
mura | mura, murabv | murar, murarbhv | |||
ó (preposition) | ónar, ónarbv | ónar, ónarbhv | |||
ó (conjunction) | ós | ó ba, ó b’v | |||
trí | trínar, trínarbv | trínar, trínarbhv |
v Used before vowel sounds