The many functions of a - Eachdraidh nam mùthaidhean

Akerbeltz 11:31, 24 dhen Chèitean 2020

2020-05-24T11:31:30Z

2020-05-24T11:30:55Z

2020-05-24T11:30:21Z

2018-11-29T11:07:31Z

The reduced form of the preposition do

2018-11-24T22:09:11Z

The infinitive particle

2017-09-18T18:33:34Z

The first part of various adverbs

2017-03-04T21:46:19Z

2017-03-04T21:15:47Z

The vocative particle

2017-03-04T07:57:26Z

2017-03-04T07:56:16Z

@@ Loidhne 8: / Loidhne 8: @@
 * the definite article before a noun
-Once you get into it, it's not too bad but can still be a head-scratcher.
+Once you get into it, it's not too bad but can still be a head-scratcher at times, trying to figure out what <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> you're looking at.
 ==The vocative particle==

← Mùthadh nas sine		Mùthadh on 11:30, 24 dhen Chèitean 2020
Loidhne 9:		Loidhne 9:

	Once you get into it, it's not too bad but can still be a head-scratcher.		Once you get into it, it's not too bad but can still be a head-scratcher.
−
−	Of course, Gaelic has one too - <span style="color: #008000;">a</span>. This covers an even wider range of options than Albanian <span style="color: #6600CC;">të</span>, so here's a list which hopefully will help you make a bit more sense of it.

	==The vocative particle==		==The vocative particle==

@@ Loidhne 107: / Loidhne 107: @@
 |-
 | <span style="color: #008000;">theirig a Mhiùghalaigh</span> || go to Mingulay!
 |-
 |}

@@ Loidhne 86: / Loidhne 86: @@
 | <span style="color: #008000;">Bu toigh leam cù a cheannach</span> || I would like to buy a dog
 |-
-| <span style="color: #008000;">Tha mi airson ùbhal a ròstadh</span> [R » r] || I intend to roast an apple
+| <span style="color: #008000;">Tha mi airson ubhal a ròstadh</span> [R » r] || I intend to roast an apple
 |-
 |}

@@ Loidhne 131: / Loidhne 131: @@
 ==The first part of various adverbs==
-Which is sadly relevant because of some GOC nonense. For some arcane reason, they took offence to the hyphen in <span style="color: #008000;">an-seo, an-sin,</span> and <span style="color: #008000;">an-siud</span> and re-spelled them as <span style="color: #008000;">an seo, an sin</span> and <span style="color: #008000;">an siud</span>. As if Gaelic didn't have enough words that look like an...
+Which is sadly relevant because of some GOC nonense. For some arcane reason, they took offence to the hyphen in <span style="color: #008000;">an-seo, an-sin,</span> and <span style="color: #008000;">an-siud</span> and re-spelled them as <span style="color: #008000;">an seo, an sin</span> and <span style="color: #008000;">an siud</span>. As if Gaelic didn't have enough words that are written <span style="color: #008000;">an</span>...
 Anyway, this means that people who have a tendency to write everything exactly as they say it, and who follow GOC a bit too religiously, sometimes reduce the <span style="color: #008000;">an</span> to <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> [ə]:
 {| class="wikitable"

← Mùthadh nas sine	Mùthadh on 11:30, 24 dhen Chèitean 2020
(Gun diofar eatarra)

← Mùthadh nas sine		Mùthadh on 21:46, 4 dhen Mhàrt 2017
Loidhne 1:		Loidhne 1:
−	~~'''UNDER CONSTRUCTION'''~~
−
−
	Certainly, from a learner's point of view, it would seem that every language has a small, annoying word which has so many possible functions. In Albanian (yes, I did Albanian for a while, I've always like Albania though I've not yet been there) this happens to be <span style="color: #6600CC;">të</span>, which can be any of the following:		Certainly, from a learner's point of view, it would seem that every language has a small, annoying word which has so many possible functions. In Albanian (yes, I did Albanian for a while, I've always like Albania though I've not yet been there) this happens to be <span style="color: #6600CC;">të</span>, which can be any of the following:
	* a short form of a second person pronoun in the dative or accusative		* a short form of a second person pronoun in the dative or accusative

@@ Loidhne 18: / Loidhne 18: @@
 This <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> [ə] is placed in front of a noun or proper noun when directly addressing a thing or person. It lenites and forces the noun or proper noun into the vocative case, if the noun has a vocative case. English doesn't have a vocative case. The closest English equivalent is "oh!", but the Gaelic vocative particle doesn't sound as corny when you use it, it's just, well, normal.
-Before a vowel or fh-, the <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> disappears.
+Before a vowel or <span style="color: #008000;">fh-</span>, the <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> disappears.
 {| class="wikitable"

@@ Loidhne 2: / Loidhne 2: @@
-Certainly, from a learner's point of view, it would seem that every language has a small, annoying word which has so many possible functions. In Albanian (yes, I did Albanian for a while, I've always like Albania though I've not been there yet) this happens to be <span style="color: #6600CC;">të</span>, which can be any of the following:
+Certainly, from a learner's point of view, it would seem that every language has a small, annoying word which has so many possible functions. In Albanian (yes, I did Albanian for a while, I've always like Albania though I've not yet been there) this happens to be <span style="color: #6600CC;">të</span>, which can be any of the following:
 * a short form of a second person pronoun in the dative or accusative
 * a short form of a third person pronoun in the dative or accusative - meaning that the short form "for him" and "for you" are identical