An diofar eadar na mùthaidhean a rinneadh air "Habemus infinitivum necne"

O Goireasan Akerbeltz
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(241 mùthadh eadar-mheadhanach le 2 chleachdaiche eile nach eil 241 'gan sealltainn)
Loidhne 1: Loidhne 1:
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No, not showing off, I had to ask a friend to correct my Latin (it's been a long time!) and there's a reason for the Latin phrase being added to the page. Here's a clue:it loosely translates as ''We have an infinitive, or do we?''.
+
No, not showing off, I had to ask a friend to correct my Latin (it's been a long time!) and there's a reason for the Latin phrase being added to the page because it loosely translates as ''We have an infinitive, or do we?''.
  
 
==First things first==
 
==First things first==
 
What's an infinitive and would it go with a glass of Château Musar? Probably yes, as to the latter. As to the former, it's actually hard to state exactly what it is because the definition of ''the infinitive'' varies slightly depending on which language you're looking at.
 
What's an infinitive and would it go with a glass of Château Musar? Probably yes, as to the latter. As to the former, it's actually hard to state exactly what it is because the definition of ''the infinitive'' varies slightly depending on which language you're looking at.
  
−
Coming at the infinitive from English, it is often described as the ''dictionary form'' (also called the ''citation form''), for example, ''to go'' or by dropping the ''to'' simply ''go''. It gets more complicated than that but I want to sidestep the precise definition of the infinitive in English because it's a bit of a head-bender (and that's me you're talking to!)and because the English concept is not really a helpful concept for Gaelic, as we'll see.
+
Coming at the infinitive from English, it is often described as the ''dictionary form'' (also called the ''citation form''), for example, ''to go'' or by dropping the ''to'', simply ''go''. It gets more complicated than that but I want to sidestep the precise definition of the infinitive in English because it's a bit of a head-bender (and that's me you're talking to!) and because the English concept is not really a helpful concept for Gaelic, as we'll see.
  
−
Anyway, this thing called the infinitive crops up in many European languages. For example, in Spanish, the basic form of verbs (those ending in ''-ir, ''-er'' or ''-ar'') is referred to as the infinitive and these are also the forms you look for in the dictionary, for example ''morir'' "(to) die" or ''masticar'' "(to) chew". In German, the equivalent is ''-en'', for example, ''bedienen'' "(to) serve" or ''verniedlichen'' "(to) make cute". And so on.
+
Anyway, this thing called the infinitive crops up in many European languages. For example, in Spanish, the basic form of verbs (those ending in <span style="color: #6600CC;">-ir</span>, <span style="color: #6600CC;">-er</span> or <span style="color: #6600CC;">-ar</span>) is referred to as the infinitive and these are also the forms you look for in the dictionary, for example, <span style="color: #6600CC;">morir</span> "(to) die" or <span style="color: #6600CC;">masticar</span> "(to) chew". In German, the equivalent is <span style="color: #6600CC;">-en</span>, for example, <span style="color: #6600CC;">bedienen</span> "(to) serve", <span style="color: #6600CC;">verschlimmbessern</span> "(to) disimprove", <span style="color: #6600CC;">schattenparken</span> "(to) park in the shade" or <span style="color: #6600CC;">verniedlichen</span> "(to) make cute". And so on.
  
 
==What's the attraction?==
 
==What's the attraction?==
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Well... the infinitive is the basis for inflection on the whole if the language in question has an inflection system.  If in English, ignoring irregular verbs, you know ''(to) place'' then you know that by adding ''-(e)d'' you get the past, by adding ''-(e)s'' you get the he/she/it form (''he/she/it places'') and by adding ''-ing'' you get the participle (''placing'').
+
Well, on the whole, the infinitive is the basis for inflection if the language in question has an inflection system.  In English, ignoring irregular verbs, if you know ''(to) place'' then you know that by adding ''-(e)d'' you get the past, by adding ''-(e)s'' you get the he/she/it forms (''he/she/it places'') and by adding ''-ing'' you get the participle (''placing'').
  
−
In some languages, you can also use infinitives to make ungrammatical but somewhat intelligible sentences if you're not fluent. So something like ''I place money here yesterday'' or ''Ich lesen Buch'', while not grammatical, can be understood. Infinitives are one of the first verb forms taught to students of English, German, Spanish or French because they allow you to say a lot relatively fast, with relative ease.
+
In some languages, you can also use infinitives to make ungrammatical but somewhat intelligible sentences if you're not fluent. So something like "I place money here yesterday" or "<span style="color: #6600CC;">Ich lesen Buch</span>" (''I read book''), while not grammatical, can be understood. Infinitives are one of the first verb forms taught to students of English, German, Spanish or French because they allow you to say a lot relatively fast, with relative ease.
  
 
==What about languages which are not English?==
 
==What about languages which are not English?==
−
Depends. Some languages outside the Indo-European family entertain the idea of an infinitive. Others go even further and do not inflect at all - such as Cantonese where the verb 生 (''sāng'' "to give birth") does not change at all, and it can also be a noun.  As a verb, it takes no endings, no prefixes, no suffixes, no he/she/it -s ... nothing like that. You can add a word like 咗 (''jó'') to indicate that this was in the past but ''jó'' is seen as an independent word, not part of ''sāng''.
+
Depends. Some languages outside the Indo-European family entertain the idea of an infinitive. Others go even further and do not inflect at all - such as Cantonese where the verb <span style="color: #6600CC;">生</span> (<span style="color: #6600CC;">''sāng''</span> "to give birth") does not change at all, and it can also be a noun.  As a verb, it takes no endings, no prefixes, no suffixes, no he/she/it -s ... nothing like that. You can add a word like <span style="color: #6600CC;">咗</span> (<span style="color: #6600CC;">''jó''</span>) to indicate that this was in the past but <span style="color: #6600CC;">''jó''</span> is seen as an independent word, not part of <span style="color: #6600CC;">''sāng''</span>.
  
−
And then there are languages which entertain neither concept. Many Native American languages have nothing even approaching an English infinitive.  They use a system that is wholly un-inflected, un-changed and basic. You might ask, what happens in a Lakhóta dictionary? No sweat. Lakhóta considers the most basic form of a verb to be the 3rd person singular. So, while an English dictionary will list ''(to) sing'', Lakhóta will list ''lowáŋ'' "he/she/it sings". Because if you look at the whole shebang, you'll see this is the form with the least amount of 'bits' stuck on:
+
And then there are languages which entertain neither concept. Many Native American languages have nothing even approaching an English infinitive.  They use a system where there is no such thing as an un-inflected verb. You might ask, what happens in a Lakhóta dictionary? No sweat. Lakhóta considers the most basic form of a verb to be the 3rd person singular. So, while an English dictionary will list ''(to) sing'', Lakhóta will list <span style="color: #6600CC;">lowáŋ</span> "he/she/it sings". Because if you look at the whole shebang, you'll see this is the form with the least amount of 'bits' stuck on:
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
Loidhne 56: Loidhne 56:
 
|}
 
|}
  
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Once you know the imperative form, you can derive all but one of the required verb forms by applying a set of rules. Again, we're ignoring irregular verbs. So, as an example, using <span style="color: #008000;">gearr!</span> you get the following:
+
Once you know the imperative singular form, you can derive all but one of the required verb forms by applying a set of rules. Again, we're ignoring irregular verbs. So, as an example, using <span style="color: #008000;">gearr!</span> you get the following:
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
 
| <span style="color: #008000;">gearraidh</span>
 
| <span style="color: #008000;">gearraidh</span>
−
| to form the independent future, add -(a)idh to the imperative
+
| to form the independent future, add <span style="color: #008000;">-(a)idh</span> to the imperative
 
|-
 
|-
 
| <span style="color: #008000;">ghearras</span>
 
| <span style="color: #008000;">ghearras</span>
−
| to form the relative future of a word beginning with b/c/d/g/m/p/s/t, lenite the initial letter and add -(e)as at the end
+
| to form the relative future of a word beginning with b/c/d/g/m/p/s/t, lenite the initial letter and add <span style="color: #008000;">-(e)as</span> at the end
 
|-
 
|-
 
| <span style="color: #008000;">ghearramaid</span>
 
| <span style="color: #008000;">ghearramaid</span>
−
| to form the conditional of a word beginning with b/c/d/g/m/p/s/t, lenite the initial letter and add -(e)amaid at the end
+
| to form the conditional of a word beginning with b/c/d/g/m/p/s/t, lenite the initial letter and add <span style="color: #008000;">-(e)amaid</span> at the end
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
Loidhne 72: Loidhne 72:
 
And so on. It's a fairly long list but on the whole entirely predictable.
 
And so on. It's a fairly long list but on the whole entirely predictable.
  
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The only form that is not predictable is the verbal noun. So just by looking at <span style="color: #008000;">gearr</span>, it's hard to guess how to say "cutting". It could be <span style="color: #008000;">gearradh</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">gearrachdainn</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">gearramh</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">gearrail</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">gearrachd</span>, and so on.  While there are preferred forms common to many areas, in this case <span style="color: #008000;">gearradh</span>), there is usually a lot of variation between dialects. So, while one areas says <span style="color: #008000;">gearradh</span>, another might prefer <span style="color: #008000;">gearrachdainn</span>. That isn't as confusing as it may sound because it's almost always clear from the word order that a word is or isn't a verbal noun and many people are fairly used to hearing different endings for verbal nouns.
+
The only form that is not predictable is the verbal noun. So just by looking at <span style="color: #008000;">gearr</span>, it's hard to guess how to say "cutting". It could be <span style="color: #008000;">gearradh</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">gearrachdainn</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">gearramh</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">gearrail</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">gearrachd</span>, and so on.  While there are preferred forms common to many areas, in this case <span style="color: #008000;">gearradh</span>, there is usually a lot of variation between dialects. So, while one area says <span style="color: #008000;">gearradh</span>, another might prefer <span style="color: #008000;">gearrachdainn</span>. That isn't as confusing as it may sound because it's almost always clear from the word order that a word is or isn't a verbal noun and many people are fairly used to hearing different endings for verbal nouns.
  
 
==Get to the darned infinitive already==
 
==Get to the darned infinitive already==
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Well, in a sense, you already have half the answer. If you equate the English infinitive with "the basic form of a verb that's listed in a dictionary" then you already know that this does not apply to Gaelic since Gaelic uses the imperative for this purpose.
+
Patience, my young padawan... If you equate the English infinitive with "the basic form of a verb that's listed in a dictionary" then you already know that this does not apply to Gaelic since Gaelic uses the imperative singular for this purpose.
  
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But yes, there's a bit more to this story, because you're probably thinking of expressions like ''tha mi a' dol '''a bhualadh''' cù'' "I am going '''to hit''' a dog" or ''bu toigh leam '''a dhol''' a Ghlaschu'' "I want '''to go''' to Glasgow"
+
But, there's a bit more to this story, because you're probably thinking of expressions like <span style="color: #008000;">tha mi a' dol '''a bhualadh''' cù</span> "I am going '''to hit''' a dog" or <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam '''a dhol''' a Ghlaschu</span> "I want '''to go''' to Glasgow".
  
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I've talked about this before - it's important to make a distinction between how something is constructed and how it's translated. On the face of it, this looks like an infinitive. After all, the English equivalent has "to go" and there's that handy little word ''a'' which the dictionary tells me means "to".
+
I've written before that it's important to distinguish between how something is constructed and how it's translated. On the surface, both those forms looks like infinitives because the English translations have "to go" and the Gaelic has the handy little word <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> which in the dictionary means "to".
  
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Yes, except you probably ignored the bit where it says ''prep(osition)'' or something like that. Let's analyse our Gaelic sentence word for word:
+
Yes, <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> means "to", except you probably ignored the bit where it says "prep(osition)", or something like that. So, let's analyse our Gaelic sentence, word for word:
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| tha || mi || a' || dol || a || bhualadh || cù
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">tha</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">mi</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a'</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dol</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bhualadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">cù</span>
 
|-
 
|-
 
| be.PRES.IND || I || at || going || to || LEN.hitting || dog
 
| be.PRES.IND || I || at || going || to || LEN.hitting || dog
Loidhne 93: Loidhne 93:
 
|}
 
|}
  
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The ''a'' in front of ''bhualadh'' unfortunately is not an infinitive particle or anything like that. It's the reduced form of the preposition ''do'' "to(wards)". The one that goes dhomh/dhut/dha/dhi... It's just that in Modern Gaelic, after a verb of motion such as ''dol'' you don't use the full form ''do'' but the reduced form ''a''. So a clearer translation would be
+
Unfortunately, the <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> in front of <span style="color: #008000;">bhualadh</span> is not an infinitive particle or anything like that. It's the reduced form of the preposition <span style="color: #008000;">do</span> "to(wards)", the same <span style="color: #008000;">do</span> that forms <span style="color: #008000;">dhomh/dhut/dha/dhi</span>. However, in Modern Gaelic, after a verb of motion, such as <span style="color: #008000;">dol</span>, you don't use the full form <span style="color: #008000;">do</span> but rather the reduced form <span style="color: #008000;">a</span>. So, a clearer translation would be:
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| tha || mi || a' || dol || a || bhualadh || cù
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">tha</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">mi</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a'</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dol</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bhualadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">cù</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| be.PRES.IND || I || at || going || to'''wards''' || LEN.hitting || dog
+
| be.PRES.IND || I || at || going || to'''(wards)''' || LEN.hitting || dog
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="7" | I am going '''to(wards''' hitting a dog
+
| colspan="7" | I am going to'''(wards)''' hitting a dog
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
You're probably actually already comfortable with this construction - just swap the ''bhualadh'' with a place name, for example:
+
You're probably already comfortable with that construction, so just swap the <span style="color: #008000;">bhualadh</span> with a place name or event, for example:
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| tha || mi || a' || dol || a || Ghlaschu
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">tha</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">mi</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a'</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dol</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">Ghlaschu</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| be.PRES.IND || I || at || going || to(wards) || LEN.Glasgow
+
| be.PRES.IND || I || at || going || to'''(wards)''' || LEN.Glasgow
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="6" | I am going '''to(wards)''' Glasgow
+
| colspan="6" | I am going to'''(wards)''' Glasgow
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
and you most likely wouldn't bat an eyelid. It's the same ''a'' (« ''do'' "to(wards)").
+
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">tha</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">mi</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a'</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dol</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">mhòd</span>
 +
|-
 +
| be.PRES.IND || I || at || going || to'''(wards)''' || LEN.mod
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="6" | I am going to'''(wards)''' a mòd
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
...and in doing that you most likely wouldn't bat an eyelid. Well, they're the same <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> (« <span style="color: #008000;">do</span> "to(wards)").
 +
 
 +
Of course, the fact that in translation it '''looks''' like an English infinitive does not help. But, if instead of saying "going to hitting a dog" you say "going towards hitting a dog" it might be a bit more apparent.
 +
 
 +
===Miss, miss!===
 +
Yes, I was getting to that. And it's "Sir, Sir!" if you please...😉 There is a pattern that grammar books mention in conjunction with "expressions of motion". Consider this:
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">Thàinig</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">Iseabail</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dh'fhaicinn</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">film</span>
 +
|-
 +
| came || Ishbel || to || seeing || film
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | Ishbel came to see a film
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
or
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">Dh'fhalbh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">iad</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bhruidhinn</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">ris</span>
 +
|-
 +
| PAST.leave || they || to || speaking || against.him
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | They went to speak to him
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
A novice might be tempted to invoke the dratted infinitive here.  But, take a gold star if you already spotted that this is actually the same as the examples further up where <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> does not mark an infinitive but is just the worn down form of the preposition <span style="color: #008000;">do</span>. The most obviuous sign of this is the fact that before vowels and fh you get <span style="color: #008000;">a dh'</span> which is exactly what <span style="color: #008000;">do</span>. The infinitive particle (which we'll meet shortly) never comes with this extra <span style="color: #008000;">dh'</span>.
 +
 
 +
So translating more clearly, the above two are really identical to constructions you're already familiar with using placenames:
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">Thàinig</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">Iseabail</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dh'Alba</span> ||
 +
|-
 +
| came || Ishbel || to'''(wards)''' || Scotland ||
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | Ishbel came to'''(wards)''' Scotland
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">Thàinig</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">Iseabail</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dh'fhaicinn</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">film</span>
 +
|-
 +
| came || Ishbel || to'''(wards)''' || seeing || film
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | Ishbel came to'''(wards)''' see a film
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
or
  
−
Of course the fact that in translation it '''looks''' like and English infinitive doesn't help. But if instead of saying "going to hitting a dog" you say "going towards hitting a dog" it might be a bit more apparent.
+
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">Dh'fhalbh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">iad</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">Bheàrnaraigh</span> ||
 +
|-
 +
| PAST.leave || they || to'''(wards)''' || speaking ||
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | They went to'''(wards)''' Berneray
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">Dh'fhalbh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">iad</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bhruidhinn</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">ris</span>
 +
|-
 +
| PAST.leave || they || to'''(wards)''' || speaking || against.him
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | They went to'''(wards)''' speak to him
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
Yes, I know the last two aren't great English but I'm making a grammatical point about Gaelic.
  
 
==But what about that other one?==
 
==But what about that other one?==
Loidhne 125: Loidhne 199:
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| bu || toigh || leam || leabhar || a || leughadh
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toigh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leabhar</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">cheannach</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || book || INF || buying
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="6" | I would like '''to buy''' a book
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">'s</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">urrainn</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dhomh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">cù</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">(a)</span><sup>1</sup> || <span style="color: #008000;">fhàgail</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COP || ability || to.me || dog || INF || LEN.hitting
 
|-
 
|-
−
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || book || INF || reading
+
| colspan="6" | I am able '''to leave''' a dog
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="6" | I would like '''to read''' a book
+
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| bu || toigh || leam || cù || a || bhualadh
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">chan</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">fhaod</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">mi</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">cù</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">(a)</span><sup>1</sup> || <span style="color: #008000;">ithe</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || dog || INF || LEN.hitting
+
| NEG.COP || permit || I || dog || INF || eating
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="6" | I would like '''to hit''' a dog
+
| colspan="6" | I am not allowed '''to eat''' a dog
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
<small><sup>1</sup>the infinitive particle <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> is notionally there but in pronunciation it is dropped because the next word begins with a vowel (in spoken Gaelic) and thus also commonly dropped in writing too</small>
  
−
This is where you must pay '''very''' close attention to the difference between ''an infinitive'' and ''an infinitive(-like) construction''.
+
These are called modal constructions which is not a very intuitive or self-explanatory name. Unfortunately, we're stuck with it. A modal construction contains a modal verb or expresses a modal concept. Don't frown, I'm getting there. Basically, modal concepts are expressions of wanting, being able to or having to do something. In English, they are mostly simple verbs: ought, must, should, could, want, desire, wish, love... In Gaelic, there are some which are just simple verbs, like <span style="color: #008000;">feum</span> and <span style="color: #008000;">faod</span>. However, Gaelic mostly uses modal constructions that are roundabout ways of stating things like wanting, necessity, possibility, probability, or ability such as: <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam</span>, <span style="color: #008000;">tha agam ri</span>, <span style="color: #008000;">'s urrainn dhomh</span> etc.
  
−
English has a genuine infinitive, that un-changed and basic form of verbs ("(to) sit/eat/drink/run/read/like..."). You can use the infinitive in English to derive other verb forms (like » likes; liked; liking; liketh...). Or you can use it to make ''infinitive constructions''. That would be a sentence that contains a verb in the infinitive, such as ''I like '''to read'''''.
+
Ok, now this is where you must pay '''very''' close attention to the difference between an ''infinitive'' and an ''infinitive('''-like''') construction''.
  
−
Still with me? Ok so what we have in those Gaelic sentences are infinitive(-like) constructions. They are called infinitive-like because they get '''translated''' into English using an infinitive. But look again at the verbs in the Gaelic sentences. Yes, that's right, they're just boring old verbal nouns, ''reading'' and ''going'' with an ''a'' slapped in front of it. The ''a'' is indeed called an infinitive particle (you may want to check out the page on [[The many functions of ə]]) but it's only called that because of its function. It causes lenition but unlike in English, it is not followed by a verb in the infinitive but rather a verbal noun.
+
English has a '''''genuine''' infinitive'', the un-changed and basic form of verbs: (to) sit/eat/drink/run/read/like, and so on. You can use the infinitive in English to derive other verb forms: like » likes; liked; liking; liketh. Or, you can use it to make English sentences with infinitive constructions such as "I like '''to read'''".
  
−
Which means that the Gaelic looks a bit like an infinitive-like construction and that the translation (into English) uses an infinitive but neither of these two things mean that therefore Gaelic has a basic, un-changed, un-inflected form of the verb that you can use like sit/eat/drink/run/read/like.
+
Still with me? OK, so what we have in those Gaelic sentences are '''infinitive(-like) constructions'''. They are called infinitive-like because they get '''translated''' into English by using an English infinitive form. But look again at the verbs in the Gaelic sentences. Yes, they're just verbal nouns, ''reading'' and ''going'' with an
 +
<span style="color: #008000;">a</span> slapped in front of them. Indeed, this <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> is called an '''infinitive particle''' (marked INF above) because of its function, but that's as far as it goes. Unlike in English, it is not followed by a verb in the infinitive form but rather followed by a verbal noun. The infinitive particle <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> causes lenition and you may want to check out the page on [[The many functions of ə]].
  
−
==What about a dhol and a bhith?==
+
Perhaps easier with more colours and in a visual way, so here is a schematic of how infinitives operate in many Indo-European languages. They either involve just an uninflected, unchanged true infinitive verb (<span style="color: #E1C000;">'''dark yellow'''</span>) or possibly in addition an infinitive particle (<span style="color: #ED7D31;">'''dark orange'''</span>) to form a genuine infinitive construction (<span style="color: #C00000;">'''dark red'''</span>).
−
It wouldn't be Gaelic now if there wasn't an odd one. Normally, if there is no object you just slap the verbal noun after your modal verb or expression, such as
 
  
−
{| class="wikitable"
+
{| style="border-spacing:0;width:50%;"
 +
|- style="border:none;"
 +
| align=center style="color:#00b050;" |
 +
| align=center|
 +
| align=center|
 +
| colspan="2"  align=center| <span style="color:#c00000;">'''the (English) infinitive'''</span>
 +
| align=center|
 +
| align=center style="color:#00b050;" |
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | <span style="color:#00b050;">'''I'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | would
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | like
 +
| align=center style="border-top:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#ED7D31;">'''to'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #c00000;" | <span style="color:#E1C000;">'''buy'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | a
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | <span style="color:#00b050;">'''book'''</span>
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #c00000;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#ED7D31;">particle</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #c00000;" | is a type of <span style="color:#E1C000;">verb</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #c00000;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | pro<span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#c00000;">infinitive </span><span style="color:#ED7D31;">particle</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #c00000;" | <span style="color:#c00000;">infinitve </span><span style="color:#E1C000;">verb</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | common <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
 
 +
{| style="border-spacing:0;width:50%;"
 +
|- style="border:none;"
 +
| align=center style="color:#00b050;" |
 +
| align=center|
 +
| align=center|
 +
| align=center|
 +
| colspan="2"  align=center| <span style="color:#c00000;">'''the (German) infinitive'''</span>
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | <span style="color:#00b050;">'''Ich'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | entschied
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ein
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#00b050;">'''Buch'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#ED7D31;">'''zu'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #c00000;" | <span style="color:#E1C000;">'''kaufen'''</span>
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #c00000;" | ↑
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#ED7D31;">particle</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #c00000;" | is a type of <span style="color:#E1C000;">verb</span>
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #c00000;" | ↑
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | pro<span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | common <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#c00000;">infinitive </span><span style="color:#ED7D31;">particle</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #c00000;" | <span style="color:#c00000;">infinitve </span><span style="color:#E1C000;">verb</span>
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
 
 +
{| style="border-spacing:0;width:50%;"
 +
|- style="border:none;"
 +
| align=center style="color:#00b050;" |
 +
| align=center|
 +
| align=center| <span style="color:#c00000;">'''the (French) infinitive'''</span>
 +
| align=center|
 +
| align=center style="color:#00b050;" |
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | <span style="color:#00b050;">'''Je'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | voudrais
 +
| align=center style="border-top:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#E1C000;">'''acheter'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | un
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | <span style="color:#00b050;">'''livre'''</span>
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#E1C000;">verb</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | pro<span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#c00000;">infinitve </span><span style="color:#E1C000;">verb</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | common <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
 
 +
{| style="border-spacing:0;width:50%;"
 +
|- style="border:none;"
 +
| align=center style="color:#00b050;" |
 +
| align=center|
 +
| align=center| <span style="color:#c00000;">'''the (Spanish) infinitive'''</span>
 +
| align=center|
 +
| align=center style="color:#00b050;" |
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | <span style="color:#00b050;">'''Me'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | gustaria
 +
| align=center style="border-top:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#E1C000;">'''comprar'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | un
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | <span style="color:#00b050;">'''libro'''</span>
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 
|-
 
|-
−
| bu || toigh || leam || seinn
+
| align=center style="border:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |  
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#E1C000;">verb</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || singing
+
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |  
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | ↑
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="4" | I would like to sing
+
| align=center style="border:none;" | pro<span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#c00000;">infinitve </span><span style="color:#E1C000;">verb</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #c00000;border-right:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | common <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
{| class="wikitable"
+
 
 +
In just one kind of construction (sentences with inversion i.e. modal sentences where there is a direct object) Gaelic has something that resembles this. But if you look closely, what looks like an infinitive is made up of totally different things - there is a genuine infinitve particle (<span style="color: #ED7D31;">'''dark orange'''</span>) but where all the other languages have a type of verb (without any endings or fancy stuff like that), Gaelic uses a noun (<span style="color: #00B050;">'''dark green'''</span>). It's like the difference between a pork roast and a seitan roast, both are roasts and may look similar but they're not made from the same things and thus aren't quite the same thing. The result is an infinitive-like (<span style="color: #E18181;">'''pink'''</span>) construction.
 +
 
 +
{| style="border-spacing:0;width:50%;"
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" |
 +
| colspan="2"  align=center style="border-top:2.25pt solid #ff8181;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #ff8181;border-right:2.25pt solid #ff8181;" | <span style="color:#ff8181;">'''infinitive-like construction'''</span>
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | Bu
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | toigh
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" | leam
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#00b050;">'''leabhar'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #ff8181;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#ED7D31;">'''a'''</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #ff8181;" | <span style="color:#00b050;">'''cheannach'''</span>
 +
|-
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #ff8181;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #ff8181;" | ↑
 
|-
 
|-
−
| faodaidh || tu || falbh
+
| align=center style="border:none;" |  
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |  
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #ff8181;border-right:none;" | is a type of <span style="color:#ED7D31;">particle</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #ff8181;" | is a type of <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| may || you || going
+
| align=center style="border:none;" |  
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |  
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:2.25pt solid #ff8181;border-right:none;" | ↑
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #ff8181;" | ↑
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="3" | You may go
+
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |
 +
| align=center style="border:none;" |  
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:none;" | common <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:2.25pt solid #ff8181;border-left:2.25pt solid #ff8181;border-right:none;" | <span style="color:#c00000;">infinitive </span><span style="color:#ED7D31;">particle</span>
 +
| align=center style="border-top:none;border-bottom:2.25pt solid #ff8181;border-left:none;border-right:2.25pt solid #ff8181;" | verbal <span style="color:#00b050;">noun</span>
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 +
So, the Gaelic resembles an infinitive-like construction, and the English translation uses an infinitive, but neither of these two things mean that Gaelic has a basic, un-changed, un-inflected form of the verb that you can use like (to) sit/eat/drink/run/read/like.
 +
 +
For convenience, here's a full table showing how the '''infinitive particle''' <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> and the '''preposition''' <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> (the reduced form of <span style="color: #008000;">do</span>) behave regarding lenition and <span style="color: #008000;">dh'</span>:
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| chan || urrainn || dhomh || snàmh
+
! scope="col" style="width: 50px;" |<span style="color: #008000;">a</span><br>(infinitive particle)
 +
! scope="col" style="width: 100px;" |effect on<br>verbal noun
 +
! scope="col" style="width: 250px;" |example
 +
! scope="col" style="width: 120px;" |<span style="color: #008000;">a</span><br>(reduced form of<br><span style="color: #008000;">do</span> "towards")
 +
! scope="col" style="width: 120px;" |effect on<br>verbal noun<br>(or noun)
 +
! scope="col" style="width: 450px;" |example
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">a/à » - </span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam lìon amaladh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">a » dh'a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a dh'Alba (do dh'Alba) ; thig a dh'amaladh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">b » bh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam creag a bhualadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">b » bh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a Bharraigh (do Bharraigh) ; thig a bhualadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">c » ch</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam leabhar a chàradh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">c » ch</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a Chàrlabhagh (do Chàrlabhagh) ; thig a chàradh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">d » dh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam doras a dhùnadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">d » dh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a Dhiùranais (do Dhiùranais) ; thig a dhùnadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">e/é/è » -</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam ceòl éisteachd</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">e/é/è » dh'</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a dh'Éisteal (do dh'Éisteal) ; thig a dh'èisteachd</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">f » fh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam doras fhosgladh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">f » dh'fh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a dh'Fhionnsbhagh (do dh'Fhionnsbhagh) ; thig a dh'fhosgladh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">g » gh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam doras a ghlanadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">g » gh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a Ghiogha (do Ghiogha) ; thig a ghlanadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">i/ì » -</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam creag ìsleachadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">ì » dh'</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a dh'Ìle (do dh'Ìle) ; thig a dh'ìsleachadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">l » l</span> [Lʲ » l] || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam creag a leigeil</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">l » l</span> [Lʲ » l] || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a Leòdhas (do Leòdhas) ; thig a leigeil</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">m » mh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam cù a mharbhadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">m » mh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a Mhealabost (do Mhealabost) ; thig a mharbhadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">n » n</span> [N/Nʲ » n] || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam doras a neartachadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">n » n</span> [N/Nʲ » n] || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a Nòsdaidh (do Nòsdaidh) ; thig a neartachadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">o/ó/ò » -</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam uisge òl</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">o/ó/ò » dh'</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a dh'Ormasairigh (do dh'Ormasairigh) ; thig a dh'òl</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">p » ph</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam lìon a phasgadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">p » ph</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a Phaibeal (do Phaibeal) ; thig a phasgadh</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| NEG || ability || to.me || swimming
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">r » r</span> [R » r] || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam pàipear a ragachadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">r » r</span> [R » r] || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a Ratharsair (do Ratharsair) ; thig a ragachadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">s » sh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam cù a shàrachadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">s » sh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a Shasainn (do Shasainn) ; thig a shàrachadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">t » th</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam creag a thilgeil</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">t » th</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a Thiriodh (do Thiriodh) ; thig a thilgeil</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="4" | I cannot swim
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">u/ù » -</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam doras ùrachadh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a (do)</span> || <span style="color: #008000; background: #C0FFFF">u/ù » dh'</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thig a dh'Uibhist (do Uibhist) ; thig a dh'ùrachadh</span>
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
But if the verbal noun happens to be dol or bith (and in some dialects tighinn is also affected), the infinitive particle gets slapped in front of dol, bith (and tighinn):
+
So there is a bit of an overlap, on the face of it, but as you can very clearly see, they're not the same.
 +
 
 +
Just to drive home the difference about what something IS and how you translate it, here's an illustrative example closer to home. In English, you say ''I am going home'' using the present tense verb ''am'' and the progressive ''going''. But in the same setting, in German you have to say <span style="color: #6600CC;">Ich gehe nach Hause</span>. Does that mean <span style="color: #6600CC;">gehe</span> is a progressive? No. German has a sort-of progressive (<span style="color: #6600CC;">gehend</span>) but doesn't use it much, certainly not like English does. Instead, German uses a straight present tense here (<span style="color: #6600CC;">gehe</span>) and no progressive. So while in translation between English and German a present progressive is used in place of a straight present, that does NOT mean that <span style="color: #6600CC;">gehe</span> is therefore a progressive or that ''going'' is a present tense. What something IS and how you translate it are two very different things...
 +
 
 +
===Prep is everything===
 +
There is a special case scenario. If you get a modal construction which has a verbal noun in it which is followed by a preposition, then you don't get fronting or even lention or anything, it pretty much is a case of just stringing the words together:
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| bu || toigh || leam || a || dhol || dhan || sgoil
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toigh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">'''éisteachd'''</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">'''ri'''</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">ACDC</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || listening || against || ACDC
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="7" | I would like to listen to ACDC
 
|-
 
|-
−
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || INF || LEN.going || to.the || school
+
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="7" | I would like '''to go''' to school
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">Am</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">faod</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">mi</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">'''coimhead'''</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">'''air''' an</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">telebhisean</span>?
 
|-
 
|-
−
| bu || toigh || leam || a || thighinn || dhachaigh || a-rithist
+
| INTERR || may || I || watching || on the || television
 
|-
 
|-
−
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || INF || LEN.coming || homewards || again
+
| colspan="7" | May I watch television?
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="7" | I would like '''to come''' home again
+
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| an || caomh || leat || a || bhith || ag || éisteachd?
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">Cha</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">chòir</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dhut</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">'''bruidhinn'''</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">'''ri'''</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">Calum</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| INTERR || gentle || with.you || INF || LEN.being || PARTICIPLE || listening
+
| NEG || COND || right || to.you || speaking || against || Calum
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="7" | would you like '''to be''' listening?
+
| colspan="7" | You should not talk to Calum
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
Just those two. Don't ask me why. Of course you can combine them:
+
===A word on relatives===
 +
No, not the kind that visits and drinks your alc, but relative clauses. Let's take the sentence from above (I would like '''to buy''' a book) and make it "the book" which will help make the form more transparent:
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toigh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">an</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leabhar</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">cheannach</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || the || book || INF || buying
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="7" | I would like '''to buy''' the book
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 +
When you turn that into a relative clause, the words move around, but the <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> stays the same:
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| bu || toigh || leam || a || dhol || a || Ghlaschu
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">an</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leabhar</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toigh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">cheannach</span>
 +
|-
 +
| the || book || REL || COND || agreeableness || with.me || INF || cheannach
 
|-
 
|-
−
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || INF || LEN.going || to(wards) || LEN.Glasgow
+
| colspan="8" | The book I would like '''to buy'''
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
So we've picked up a relative particle which does nothing except link the <span style="color: #008000;">an leabhar</span> bit with the <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam a cheannach</span> bit, but other than that, no change really. Fortunately the place where "the book" goes in the sentence is the same as in English, so it's not too much of a mind-bender.
 +
 +
==But I have a book which says this is an infinitive==
 +
As the Germans say: Paper is patient. It will hold E=mc² just the same as an election leaflet by a political party promising a land of milk and honey, hope and glory and pink unicorns.
  
−
==But I have a book which says there is an infinitive==
+
There are two important points to be aware of regarding the particle <span style="color: #008000;">a</span>. First, there are many different particles in Gaelic which are just written and spoken as <span style="color: #008000;">a</span>. One has to learn the specific uses of each <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> and keep their meanings and uses apart. Second, many people writing about grammar have come from a university background where traditionally the description of grammar (of any language) is, or was, heavily influenced by Latin and Greek grammar. Like a pair of shades, the Latin and Greek formulas kind of colour your vision, without your thinking about the coloured tint. I experienced the same issue when I ran into Native American languages for the first time. I discovered there were very few concepts of European grammars that were helpful.
−
Paper is patient as the Germans say. It will hold E=m2 just the same as an election leaflet promising a land of milk and honey.
 
  
−
Firs of all, there are many different particles in Gaelic which are just written ''a'' and keeping them apart. Secondly, many people writing about grammar have come from a university background where traditionally the description of grammar (of any language) is or was heavily influenced by Latin and Greek. Like a pair of shades, it kind of colours your vision without thinking. I had the same issue when I ran into Native American languages the first time where very few of the European concepts of grammar go very far.
+
So, one can be prone to see the Latin and Greek categories in languages that don't have those categories. There can be a tendency to try and force-fit these concepts and then explain things that do not fit as "exceptions". For example, in unit 95, from Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks (an excellent book except for this unit), you are told that:
  
−
So one is a bit prone to seeing these Latin and Greek categories and trying to make them fit and describe everything else as "exceptions". Take unit 95 from (the otherwise excellent) Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks where you're told that:
+
:''Infinitives are used with the following auxiliary verbs and idioms:
  
−
:''Infinitive are used with the following auxiliary verbs and idioms:
+
:''(a) the modal verbs <span style="color: #008000;">feum</span> and <span style="color: #008000;">faod</span>''
−
:''(a) the modal verbs feum and faod''
 
 
:''(b) modal idioms expressing obligation''
 
:''(b) modal idioms expressing obligation''
 
:''(c) a number of idioms expressing 'wanting, liking, hoping, capability, remembering, obligation, managing'''
 
:''(c) a number of idioms expressing 'wanting, liking, hoping, capability, remembering, obligation, managing'''
 
:''(d) verbs expressing motion or intent''
 
:''(d) verbs expressing motion or intent''
−
:''(e) the verb sguir 'cease'''
+
:''(e) the verb <span style="color: #008000;">sguir</span> 'cease'''
  
−
This list unfortunately conflates at least three different things, which isn't helpful. To begin with, (a), (b) and (c) are really the same thing. It's a longish way of saying "modal verbs and expressions" - for starters, there are others aside from feum and faod.  
+
This list unfortunately conflates at least three different things, which is not helpful. To begin, (a), (b) and (c) are really the same thing. They present a long way of saying "modal verbs and expressions" - which is both shorter and more correct because there are other modal verbs in addition to <span style="color: #008000;">feum</span> and <span style="color: #008000;">faod</span>.  
  
−
The fourth one, (d), kind of refers both to a-c (the ''intent'') part and expressions of motion - which is something else as we saw. The examples in Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks under (d) are really what we already talked of above, instances of the reduced form of ''do'' "to(wards)":
+
The (d) examples kind of refer both to (a)-(c), regarding ''intent'', and the expressions of motion which we have already examined. The (d) examples, in Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks, are really instances of "motion", already discussed, which operate using <span style="color: #008000;">a</span>, the reduced form of <span style="color: #008000;">do</span> "to(wards)":
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| chaidh || Iain || a || cheannach
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">chaidh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">Iain</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">cheannach</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| (PAST).go || Iain || to(wards) || LEN.crying
+
| (PAST).go || Iain || to'''(wards)''' || LEN.buying
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="4" | Iain went '''to buy''' it (« '''towards''' buying it)
+
| colspan="4" | Iain went '''to buy''' (« '''towards''')
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
This is blatantly obvious in the third example:
+
It is blatantly obvious, in this (d) example, that <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> is not an infinitive particle but the preposition <span style="color: #008000;">do</span>/<span style="color: #008000;">a</span> "towards":
−
 
 
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| thàinig || Anna || a || dh'fhaicinn
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">thàinig</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">Anna</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dh'fhaicinn</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| (PAST).come || Ann || to(wards) || dh'.LEN.seeing
+
| (PAST).come || Ann || to'''(wards)''' || dh'.LEN.seeing
 
|-
 
|-
 
| colspan="4" | Ann came '''to see''' (« '''towards''' seeing)
 
| colspan="4" | Ann came '''to see''' (« '''towards''' seeing)
Loidhne 254: Loidhne 615:
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
The combination of ''dh''' appearing alongside lenition is textbook behaviour for ''do'' "to(wards)". Compare sentences like the following you'll be very familiar with:
+
The combination of <span style="color: #008000;">dh'</span> appearing alongside lenition is classic behaviour for <span style="color: #008000;">do</span> "to(wards)". Compare these sentences, of the type you may be familiar with:
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| thoir || an || leabhar || do || dh'Fhionnlagh
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">thoir</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">an</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leabhar</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">do</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dh'Fhionnlagh</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| give || DEF.ART || book || to(wards) || dh'.LEN.Finlay
+
| give || DEF.ART || book || to'''(wards)''' || dh'.LEN.Finlay
 
|-
 
|-
 
| colspan="5" | give the book '''to(wards)''' Finlay
 
| colspan="5" | give the book '''to(wards)''' Finlay
 
|-
 
|-
−
| thug || e || ubhal || do || dh'Fhearchar
+
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">thug</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">e</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">ubhal</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">do</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dh'Fhearchar</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| PAST.give || he || apple || to(wards) || dh'.LEN.Fergus
+
| PAST.give || he || apple || to'''(wards)''' || dh'.LEN.Fergus
 
|-
 
|-
 
| colspan="5" | he gave an apple '''to(wards)''' Fergus
 
| colspan="5" | he gave an apple '''to(wards)''' Fergus
Loidhne 272: Loidhne 637:
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
And (e) is again a misreading of the ''a'' that appears in such constructions. Some verbs simply take certain prepositions, ''sguir'' normally taking ''de''. So the ''a'' in the case of ''sguir'' is just the worn down form of ''de''. So re-analysing the example from Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks, it's a simple case of:
+
And (e) is again a misreading of the <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> that appears in <span style="color: #008000;">sguir</span> constructions. Some verbs simply take certain prepositions, and <span style="color: #008000;">sguir</span> normally takes <span style="color: #008000;">de</span>. So the <span style="color: #008000;">a</span>, in the case of <span style="color: #008000;">sguir</span>, is just the worn down form of the partitive particle <span style="color: #008000;">de</span>. So, here's a re-analysis of the example from Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks:
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| sguir || iad || a || chaoineadh
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">sguir</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">iad</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">chaoineadh</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| (PAST).stop || they || PART || LEN.crying
+
| (PAST).stop || they || PARTITIVE || LEN.crying
 
|-
 
|-
 
| colspan="4" | they stopped crying (lit. they stopped from crying)
 
| colspan="4" | they stopped crying (lit. they stopped from crying)
Loidhne 284: Loidhne 649:
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
being the shortened version of
+
The above is the shortened version of:
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| sguir || iad || de || chaoineadh
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">sguir</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">iad</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">de</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">chaoineadh</span>
 
|-
 
|-
−
| (PAST).stop || they || PART || LEN.crying
+
| (PAST).stop || they || PARTITIVE || LEN.crying
 
|-
 
|-
 
| colspan="4" | they stopped crying (lit. they stopped from crying)
 
| colspan="4" | they stopped crying (lit. they stopped from crying)
Loidhne 296: Loidhne 661:
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks then goes on to talk about ''Indirect objects of infinitives'' - there isn't a hint of anything infinitive-ish in the Gaelic and the only reason why the chapter is called thus is because the English translation uses infinitives. In Gaelic, it's just our friend the verbal noun:
+
Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks goes on, in unit 95a, to talk about ''Indirect objects of infinitives'' even though there is not a hint of anything infinitive-like in the Gaelic examples.  The only reason this unit has been given that heading is because the English translations use infinitives. In Gaelic, it's just the verbal noun being employed:
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
| bu || toil || leam || bruidhinn || ri || Seumas
+
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toil</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bruidhinn</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">ri</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">Seumas</span>
 
|-
 
|-
 
| COND.copula || pleasant || with.me || speaking|| against || James
 
| COND.copula || pleasant || with.me || speaking|| against || James
Loidhne 306: Loidhne 671:
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
But because the translation of this is ''I would like '''to speak''' to James'', this is suddenly labelled an infinitive.
+
Unfortunately, because the translation of this is "I would like '''to speak''' to James", this is incorrectly labelled an infinitive.
 +
 
 +
===Isn't the infinitive particle just a possessive pronoun?===
 +
Good question. I would say no, simply because if it was a possessive, one would expect a difference between masculine and feminine objects; compare <span style="color: #008000;">a chù</span> "his dog" vs <span style="color: #008000;">a cù</span> "her dog". But the infinitive particle, unlike the possessive pronouns, always lenites the verbal noun after it.
 +
 
 +
Of course, there is the special case of having a pronoun as an object, i.e. something like "I want to hit '''you'''", in modal expressions:
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toil</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">do</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bhualadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND.copula || pleasant || with.me || your || LEN.hitting
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | I would like '''to hit''' you
 +
|-
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">chòir</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dhut</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">mo</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bhualadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND.copula || right || to.you || my || LEN.hitting
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | You ought '''to hit''' me
 +
|-
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toil</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">am</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">faicinn</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND.copula || pleasant || with.me || their || seeing
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | I would like '''to see''' them
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Over time, it's conceivable that the pattern of the third person masculine possessive pronoun has resulted in creating some sort of generalized infinitive-like pattern, i.e.:
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toil</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">phòsadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND.copula || pleasant || with.me || his || LEN.marrying
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | I would like '''to marry''' him
 +
|-
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toil</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">pòsadh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND.copula || pleasant || with.me || her || marrying
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="5" | I would like '''to marry''' her
 +
|}
 +
But, overall, it makes no difference because one just has to learn these patterns the way they are today.
 +
 
 +
==What about a dhol, a bhith and a thighinn?==
 +
Well, it wouldn't be Gaelic if there wasn't an odd one. Normally, if there is no object you just place the verbal noun after the modal verb or expression, such as:
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toigh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">seinn</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || singing
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | I would like to sing
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">faodaidh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">tu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">falbh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| may || you || going
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | You may go
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">chan</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">urrainn</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dhomh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">snàmh</span>
 +
|-
 +
| NEG || ability || to.me || swimming
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | I cannot swim
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
But if the verbal noun happens to be <span style="color: #008000;">dol</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">bith</span> (and in some dialects <span style="color: #008000;">tighinn</span>), the infinitive particle, <span style="color: #008000;">a</span>, gets put in front of <span style="color: #008000;">dol</span>, <span style="color: #008000;">bith</span> (and <span style="color: #008000;">tighinn</span>), causing them to lenite:
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toigh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dhol</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dhan</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">sgoil</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || INF || LEN.going || to.the || school
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="7" | I would like '''to go''' to school
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toigh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">thighinn</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dhachaigh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a-rithist</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || INF || LEN.coming || homewards || again
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="7" | I would like '''to come''' home again
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">an</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">caomh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leat</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bhith</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">ag</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">éisteachd?</span>
 +
|-
 +
| INTERR || gentle || with.you || INF || LEN.being || PARTICIPLE || listening
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="7" | would you like '''to be''' listening?
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Just those two, or three, if you include <span style="color: #008000;">tighinn</span>. Don't ask me why.
 +
 
 +
Of course, you can combine the uses of <span style="color: #008000;">do</span>, worn down to <span style="color: #008000;">a</span>:
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toigh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">dhol</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">Ghlaschu</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || INF || LEN.going || to'''(wards)''' || LEN.Glasgow
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="7" | I would like to go to'''(wards)''' Glasgow
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===and ''a bhith''?===
 +
Nice try, but no, <span style="color: #008000;">a bhith</span> is not an infinitive, just an infinitive-like form. <span style="color: #008000;">Bith</span> is just a verbal noun, the equivalent of English "being", rather than "to be". It's quite obvious from expressions such as <span style="color: #008000;">bith-bhuan</span> or <span style="color: #008000;">a' dol á bith</span> that it's a verbal noun, even though it is not possible to use it with <span style="color: #008000;">ag</span>.  The form <span style="color: #008000;">*a' bith</span> is not an option.
 +
 
 +
But, in terms of use, <span style="color: #008000;">bith</span> behaves like a verbal noun, except that <span style="color: #008000;">bith</span> has to be followed by <span style="color: #008000;">ag/a'</span> plus another verbal noun.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
| <span style="color: #008000;">bu</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">toigh</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">leam</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">bhith</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">ag</span> || <span style="color: #008000;">ithe</span>
 +
|-
 +
| COND || agreeableness || with.me || INF || LEN.being || PARTICIPLE || eating
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="6" | I would like to eat (lit. I would like '''to be''' eating)
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Since I can't say this often enough, I'll state it again even though this page is not about correct idiomatic usage: don't over-use this, it's not a common construction. As a rule of thumb, if you use <span style="color: #008000;">a bhith</span> more than once on half an A4 page of written Gaelic, you're probably over-using it.
  
 
==In a word==
 
==In a word==
−
Practically speaking, this means:
+
Practically speaking, these are the points to remember:
−
# don't go hunting for references to the infinitive in Gaelic. You're wasting your time. There is nothing approaching this kind of basic verb form in Gaelic. That's just the way it is.
+
# Don't go hunting for references to the infinitive in Gaelic. You're wasting your time. There is nothing approaching any kind of basic, infinitive verb form in Gaelic. That's just the way it is.
−
# the dictionary form of a Gaelic verb is the imperative (order form).
+
# The dictionary form of a Gaelic verb is the singular imperative (order/command form).
−
# after a verb of motion (most commonly ''a' dol'') the ''a'' is a reduced form of the preposition "to(wards)"
+
# After a verb of motion, most commonly <span style="color: #008000;">a' dol</span>, the <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> is a reduced form of the preposition <span style="color: #008000;">do</span> "to(wards)".
−
# in inverted phrases (such as ''bu toigh leam leabhar a leughadh''), what you get is the relative particle ''a'' plus a verbal noun. Which is often ''translated'' into English with an infinitive but that doesn't make Gaelic have one of those.
+
# In inverted phrases, such as <span style="color: #008000;">bu toigh leam leabhar a leughadh</span>, the <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> is the infinitive particle <span style="color: #008000;"></span> plus a verbal noun. That <span style="color: #008000;">a</span> is often ''translated'' into English using an English infinitive form; however, that does '''not''' make Gaelic have an infinitive it can call its own.
  
−
So the whole hunt for a Gaelic infinitive is fuelled mainly
+
So, the whole hunt for a Gaelic infinitive is fuelled mainly
−
* by learners hoping for a quick fix
+
* by learners hoping for a quick fix,
−
* and by linguists (in the old days) trying to squeeze all languages into the corset of grammatical terms that work in Latin and Greek.
+
* by linguists (in the old days) trying to squeeze all languages into the corset of grammatical terms that work in Latin and Greek,
−
* by various people looking at the English sentence and thinking "English has an infinitive here, so Gaelic must have one too"
+
* and by various people looking at an English sentence and thinking "English has an infinitive here, so Gaelic must have one too".
  
 
Simples!
 
Simples!
  
−
Now, what's [[inversion]]?
+
Now, what's [[Inversion|inversion]]?
  
 
<br />
 
<br />
 
{{BeaganGramair}}
 
{{BeaganGramair}}

Mùthadh on 19:21, 25 dhen Fhaoilleach 2019

No, not showing off, I had to ask a friend to correct my Latin (it's been a long time!) and there's a reason for the Latin phrase being added to the page because it loosely translates as We have an infinitive, or do we?.

First things first

What's an infinitive and would it go with a glass of Château Musar? Probably yes, as to the latter. As to the former, it's actually hard to state exactly what it is because the definition of the infinitive varies slightly depending on which language you're looking at.

Coming at the infinitive from English, it is often described as the dictionary form (also called the citation form), for example, to go or by dropping the to, simply go. It gets more complicated than that but I want to sidestep the precise definition of the infinitive in English because it's a bit of a head-bender (and that's me you're talking to!) and because the English concept is not really a helpful concept for Gaelic, as we'll see.

Anyway, this thing called the infinitive crops up in many European languages. For example, in Spanish, the basic form of verbs (those ending in -ir, -er or -ar) is referred to as the infinitive and these are also the forms you look for in the dictionary, for example, morir "(to) die" or masticar "(to) chew". In German, the equivalent is -en, for example, bedienen "(to) serve", verschlimmbessern "(to) disimprove", schattenparken "(to) park in the shade" or verniedlichen "(to) make cute". And so on.

What's the attraction?

Well, on the whole, the infinitive is the basis for inflection if the language in question has an inflection system. In English, ignoring irregular verbs, if you know (to) place then you know that by adding -(e)d you get the past, by adding -(e)s you get the he/she/it forms (he/she/it places) and by adding -ing you get the participle (placing).

In some languages, you can also use infinitives to make ungrammatical but somewhat intelligible sentences if you're not fluent. So something like "I place money here yesterday" or "Ich lesen Buch" (I read book), while not grammatical, can be understood. Infinitives are one of the first verb forms taught to students of English, German, Spanish or French because they allow you to say a lot relatively fast, with relative ease.

What about languages which are not English?

Depends. Some languages outside the Indo-European family entertain the idea of an infinitive. Others go even further and do not inflect at all - such as Cantonese where the verb 生 (sāng "to give birth") does not change at all, and it can also be a noun. As a verb, it takes no endings, no prefixes, no suffixes, no he/she/it -s ... nothing like that. You can add a word like 咗 (jó) to indicate that this was in the past but jó is seen as an independent word, not part of sāng.

And then there are languages which entertain neither concept. Many Native American languages have nothing even approaching an English infinitive. They use a system where there is no such thing as an un-inflected verb. You might ask, what happens in a Lakhóta dictionary? No sweat. Lakhóta considers the most basic form of a verb to be the 3rd person singular. So, while an English dictionary will list (to) sing, Lakhóta will list lowáŋ "he/she/it sings". Because if you look at the whole shebang, you'll see this is the form with the least amount of 'bits' stuck on:

walowáŋ I sing
yalowáŋ you sing
lowáŋ he/she/it sings
uŋlowáŋ we two sing
uŋlowáŋpi we (more than two) sing
yalowáŋpi you (plural) sing
lowáŋpi they sing

Which brings us to Gaelic and the Gaelic dictionary in which the most un-inflected, un-changed and basic form of a verb is considered to be the imperative singular, the form you use to order one person around.

leugh! read!
seinn! sing!
gearr! cut!

Once you know the imperative singular form, you can derive all but one of the required verb forms by applying a set of rules. Again, we're ignoring irregular verbs. So, as an example, using gearr! you get the following:

gearraidh to form the independent future, add -(a)idh to the imperative
ghearras to form the relative future of a word beginning with b/c/d/g/m/p/s/t, lenite the initial letter and add -(e)as at the end
ghearramaid to form the conditional of a word beginning with b/c/d/g/m/p/s/t, lenite the initial letter and add -(e)amaid at the end

And so on. It's a fairly long list but on the whole entirely predictable.

The only form that is not predictable is the verbal noun. So just by looking at gearr, it's hard to guess how to say "cutting". It could be gearradh or gearrachdainn or gearramh or gearrail or gearrachd, and so on. While there are preferred forms common to many areas, in this case gearradh, there is usually a lot of variation between dialects. So, while one area says gearradh, another might prefer gearrachdainn. That isn't as confusing as it may sound because it's almost always clear from the word order that a word is or isn't a verbal noun and many people are fairly used to hearing different endings for verbal nouns.

Get to the darned infinitive already

Patience, my young padawan... If you equate the English infinitive with "the basic form of a verb that's listed in a dictionary" then you already know that this does not apply to Gaelic since Gaelic uses the imperative singular for this purpose.

But, there's a bit more to this story, because you're probably thinking of expressions like tha mi a' dol a bhualadh cù "I am going to hit a dog" or bu toigh leam a dhol a Ghlaschu "I want to go to Glasgow".

I've written before that it's important to distinguish between how something is constructed and how it's translated. On the surface, both those forms looks like infinitives because the English translations have "to go" and the Gaelic has the handy little word a which in the dictionary means "to".

Yes, a means "to", except you probably ignored the bit where it says "prep(osition)", or something like that. So, let's analyse our Gaelic sentence, word for word:

tha mi a' dol a bhualadh cù
be.PRES.IND I at going to LEN.hitting dog
I am going to hit a dog

Unfortunately, the a in front of bhualadh is not an infinitive particle or anything like that. It's the reduced form of the preposition do "to(wards)", the same do that forms dhomh/dhut/dha/dhi. However, in Modern Gaelic, after a verb of motion, such as dol, you don't use the full form do but rather the reduced form a. So, a clearer translation would be:

tha mi a' dol a bhualadh cù
be.PRES.IND I at going to(wards) LEN.hitting dog
I am going to(wards) hitting a dog

You're probably already comfortable with that construction, so just swap the bhualadh with a place name or event, for example:

tha mi a' dol a Ghlaschu
be.PRES.IND I at going to(wards) LEN.Glasgow
I am going to(wards) Glasgow
tha mi a' dol a mhòd
be.PRES.IND I at going to(wards) LEN.mod
I am going to(wards) a mòd

...and in doing that you most likely wouldn't bat an eyelid. Well, they're the same a (« do "to(wards)").

Of course, the fact that in translation it looks like an English infinitive does not help. But, if instead of saying "going to hitting a dog" you say "going towards hitting a dog" it might be a bit more apparent.

Miss, miss!

Yes, I was getting to that. And it's "Sir, Sir!" if you please...😉 There is a pattern that grammar books mention in conjunction with "expressions of motion". Consider this:

Thàinig Iseabail a dh'fhaicinn film
came Ishbel to seeing film
Ishbel came to see a film

or

Dh'fhalbh iad a bhruidhinn ris
PAST.leave they to speaking against.him
They went to speak to him

A novice might be tempted to invoke the dratted infinitive here. But, take a gold star if you already spotted that this is actually the same as the examples further up where a does not mark an infinitive but is just the worn down form of the preposition do. The most obviuous sign of this is the fact that before vowels and fh you get a dh' which is exactly what do. The infinitive particle (which we'll meet shortly) never comes with this extra dh'.

So translating more clearly, the above two are really identical to constructions you're already familiar with using placenames:

Thàinig Iseabail a dh'Alba
came Ishbel to(wards) Scotland
Ishbel came to(wards) Scotland
Thàinig Iseabail a dh'fhaicinn film
came Ishbel to(wards) seeing film
Ishbel came to(wards) see a film

or

Dh'fhalbh iad a Bheàrnaraigh
PAST.leave they to(wards) speaking
They went to(wards) Berneray
Dh'fhalbh iad a bhruidhinn ris
PAST.leave they to(wards) speaking against.him
They went to(wards) speak to him

Yes, I know the last two aren't great English but I'm making a grammatical point about Gaelic.

But what about that other one?

I was getting there. So there are sentences like the following:

bu toigh leam leabhar a cheannach
COND agreeableness with.me book INF buying
I would like to buy a book
's urrainn dhomh cù (a)1 fhàgail
COP ability to.me dog INF LEN.hitting
I am able to leave a dog
chan fhaod mi cù (a)1 ithe
NEG.COP permit I dog INF eating
I am not allowed to eat a dog

1the infinitive particle a is notionally there but in pronunciation it is dropped because the next word begins with a vowel (in spoken Gaelic) and thus also commonly dropped in writing too

These are called modal constructions which is not a very intuitive or self-explanatory name. Unfortunately, we're stuck with it. A modal construction contains a modal verb or expresses a modal concept. Don't frown, I'm getting there. Basically, modal concepts are expressions of wanting, being able to or having to do something. In English, they are mostly simple verbs: ought, must, should, could, want, desire, wish, love... In Gaelic, there are some which are just simple verbs, like feum and faod. However, Gaelic mostly uses modal constructions that are roundabout ways of stating things like wanting, necessity, possibility, probability, or ability such as: bu toigh leam, tha agam ri, 's urrainn dhomh etc.

Ok, now this is where you must pay very close attention to the difference between an infinitive and an infinitive(-like) construction.

English has a genuine infinitive, the un-changed and basic form of verbs: (to) sit/eat/drink/run/read/like, and so on. You can use the infinitive in English to derive other verb forms: like » likes; liked; liking; liketh. Or, you can use it to make English sentences with infinitive constructions such as "I like to read".

Still with me? OK, so what we have in those Gaelic sentences are infinitive(-like) constructions. They are called infinitive-like because they get translated into English by using an English infinitive form. But look again at the verbs in the Gaelic sentences. Yes, they're just verbal nouns, reading and going with an a slapped in front of them. Indeed, this a is called an infinitive particle (marked INF above) because of its function, but that's as far as it goes. Unlike in English, it is not followed by a verb in the infinitive form but rather followed by a verbal noun. The infinitive particle a causes lenition and you may want to check out the page on The many functions of ə.

Perhaps easier with more colours and in a visual way, so here is a schematic of how infinitives operate in many Indo-European languages. They either involve just an uninflected, unchanged true infinitive verb (dark yellow) or possibly in addition an infinitive particle (dark orange) to form a genuine infinitive construction (dark red).

the (English) infinitive
I would like to buy a book
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
is a type of noun is a type of particle is a type of verb is a type of noun
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
pronoun infinitive particle infinitve verb common noun


the (German) infinitive
Ich entschied ein Buch zu kaufen
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
is a type of noun is a type of noun is a type of particle is a type of verb
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
pronoun common noun infinitive particle infinitve verb


the (French) infinitive
Je voudrais acheter un livre
↑ ↑ ↑
is a type of noun is a type of verb is a type of noun
↑ ↑ ↑
pronoun infinitve verb common noun


the (Spanish) infinitive
Me gustaria comprar un libro
↑ ↑ ↑
is a type of noun is a type of verb is a type of noun
↑ ↑ ↑
pronoun infinitve verb common noun


In just one kind of construction (sentences with inversion i.e. modal sentences where there is a direct object) Gaelic has something that resembles this. But if you look closely, what looks like an infinitive is made up of totally different things - there is a genuine infinitve particle (dark orange) but where all the other languages have a type of verb (without any endings or fancy stuff like that), Gaelic uses a noun (dark green). It's like the difference between a pork roast and a seitan roast, both are roasts and may look similar but they're not made from the same things and thus aren't quite the same thing. The result is an infinitive-like (pink) construction.

infinitive-like construction
Bu toigh leam leabhar a cheannach
↑ ↑ ↑
is a type of noun is a type of particle is a type of noun
↑ ↑ ↑
common noun infinitive particle verbal noun

So, the Gaelic resembles an infinitive-like construction, and the English translation uses an infinitive, but neither of these two things mean that Gaelic has a basic, un-changed, un-inflected form of the verb that you can use like (to) sit/eat/drink/run/read/like.

For convenience, here's a full table showing how the infinitive particle a and the preposition a (the reduced form of do) behave regarding lenition and dh':

a
(infinitive particle) 		effect on
verbal noun 		example a
(reduced form of
do "towards") 		effect on
verbal noun
(or noun) 		example
a a/à » - bu toigh leam lìon amaladh a (do) a » dh'a thig a dh'Alba (do dh'Alba) ; thig a dh'amaladh
a b » bh bu toigh leam creag a bhualadh a (do) b » bh thig a Bharraigh (do Bharraigh) ; thig a bhualadh
a c » ch bu toigh leam leabhar a chàradh a (do) c » ch thig a Chàrlabhagh (do Chàrlabhagh) ; thig a chàradh
a d » dh bu toigh leam doras a dhùnadh a (do) d » dh thig a Dhiùranais (do Dhiùranais) ; thig a dhùnadh
a e/é/è » - bu toigh leam ceòl éisteachd a (do) e/é/è » dh' thig a dh'Éisteal (do dh'Éisteal) ; thig a dh'èisteachd
a f » fh bu toigh leam doras fhosgladh a (do) f » dh'fh thig a dh'Fhionnsbhagh (do dh'Fhionnsbhagh) ; thig a dh'fhosgladh
a g » gh bu toigh leam doras a ghlanadh a (do) g » gh thig a Ghiogha (do Ghiogha) ; thig a ghlanadh
a i/ì » - bu toigh leam creag ìsleachadh a (do) ì » dh' thig a dh'Ìle (do dh'Ìle) ; thig a dh'ìsleachadh
a l » l [Lʲ » l] bu toigh leam creag a leigeil a (do) l » l [Lʲ » l] thig a Leòdhas (do Leòdhas) ; thig a leigeil
a m » mh bu toigh leam cù a mharbhadh a (do) m » mh thig a Mhealabost (do Mhealabost) ; thig a mharbhadh
a n » n [N/Nʲ » n] bu toigh leam doras a neartachadh a (do) n » n [N/Nʲ » n] thig a Nòsdaidh (do Nòsdaidh) ; thig a neartachadh
a o/ó/ò » - bu toigh leam uisge òl a (do) o/ó/ò » dh' thig a dh'Ormasairigh (do dh'Ormasairigh) ; thig a dh'òl
a p » ph bu toigh leam lìon a phasgadh a (do) p » ph thig a Phaibeal (do Phaibeal) ; thig a phasgadh
a r » r [R » r] bu toigh leam pàipear a ragachadh a (do) r » r [R » r] thig a Ratharsair (do Ratharsair) ; thig a ragachadh
a s » sh bu toigh leam cù a shàrachadh a (do) s » sh a Shasainn (do Shasainn) ; thig a shàrachadh
a t » th bu toigh leam creag a thilgeil a (do) t » th thig a Thiriodh (do Thiriodh) ; thig a thilgeil
a u/ù » - bu toigh leam doras ùrachadh a (do) u/ù » dh' thig a dh'Uibhist (do Uibhist) ; thig a dh'ùrachadh

So there is a bit of an overlap, on the face of it, but as you can very clearly see, they're not the same.

Just to drive home the difference about what something IS and how you translate it, here's an illustrative example closer to home. In English, you say I am going home using the present tense verb am and the progressive going. But in the same setting, in German you have to say Ich gehe nach Hause. Does that mean gehe is a progressive? No. German has a sort-of progressive (gehend) but doesn't use it much, certainly not like English does. Instead, German uses a straight present tense here (gehe) and no progressive. So while in translation between English and German a present progressive is used in place of a straight present, that does NOT mean that gehe is therefore a progressive or that going is a present tense. What something IS and how you translate it are two very different things...

Prep is everything

There is a special case scenario. If you get a modal construction which has a verbal noun in it which is followed by a preposition, then you don't get fronting or even lention or anything, it pretty much is a case of just stringing the words together:

bu toigh leam éisteachd ri ACDC
COND agreeableness with.me listening against ACDC
I would like to listen to ACDC
Am faod mi coimhead air an telebhisean?
INTERR may I watching on the television
May I watch television?
Cha bu chòir dhut bruidhinn ri Calum
NEG COND right to.you speaking against Calum
You should not talk to Calum

A word on relatives

No, not the kind that visits and drinks your alc, but relative clauses. Let's take the sentence from above (I would like to buy a book) and make it "the book" which will help make the form more transparent:

bu toigh leam an leabhar a cheannach
COND agreeableness with.me the book INF buying
I would like to buy the book

When you turn that into a relative clause, the words move around, but the a stays the same:

an leabhar a bu toigh leam a cheannach
the book REL COND agreeableness with.me INF cheannach
The book I would like to buy

So we've picked up a relative particle which does nothing except link the an leabhar bit with the bu toigh leam a cheannach bit, but other than that, no change really. Fortunately the place where "the book" goes in the sentence is the same as in English, so it's not too much of a mind-bender.

But I have a book which says this is an infinitive

As the Germans say: Paper is patient. It will hold E=mc² just the same as an election leaflet by a political party promising a land of milk and honey, hope and glory and pink unicorns.

There are two important points to be aware of regarding the particle a. First, there are many different particles in Gaelic which are just written and spoken as a. One has to learn the specific uses of each a and keep their meanings and uses apart. Second, many people writing about grammar have come from a university background where traditionally the description of grammar (of any language) is, or was, heavily influenced by Latin and Greek grammar. Like a pair of shades, the Latin and Greek formulas kind of colour your vision, without your thinking about the coloured tint. I experienced the same issue when I ran into Native American languages for the first time. I discovered there were very few concepts of European grammars that were helpful.

So, one can be prone to see the Latin and Greek categories in languages that don't have those categories. There can be a tendency to try and force-fit these concepts and then explain things that do not fit as "exceptions". For example, in unit 95, from Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks (an excellent book except for this unit), you are told that:

Infinitives are used with the following auxiliary verbs and idioms:
(a) the modal verbs feum and faod
(b) modal idioms expressing obligation
(c) a number of idioms expressing 'wanting, liking, hoping, capability, remembering, obligation, managing'
(d) verbs expressing motion or intent
(e) the verb sguir 'cease'

This list unfortunately conflates at least three different things, which is not helpful. To begin, (a), (b) and (c) are really the same thing. They present a long way of saying "modal verbs and expressions" - which is both shorter and more correct because there are other modal verbs in addition to feum and faod.

The (d) examples kind of refer both to (a)-(c), regarding intent, and the expressions of motion which we have already examined. The (d) examples, in Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks, are really instances of "motion", already discussed, which operate using a, the reduced form of do "to(wards)":

chaidh Iain a cheannach
(PAST).go Iain to(wards) LEN.buying
Iain went to buy (« towards)

It is blatantly obvious, in this (d) example, that a is not an infinitive particle but the preposition do/a "towards":

thàinig Anna a dh'fhaicinn
(PAST).come Ann to(wards) dh'.LEN.seeing
Ann came to see (« towards seeing)

The combination of dh' appearing alongside lenition is classic behaviour for do "to(wards)". Compare these sentences, of the type you may be familiar with:

thoir an leabhar do dh'Fhionnlagh
give DEF.ART book to(wards) dh'.LEN.Finlay
give the book to(wards) Finlay
thug e ubhal do dh'Fhearchar
PAST.give he apple to(wards) dh'.LEN.Fergus
he gave an apple to(wards) Fergus

And (e) is again a misreading of the a that appears in sguir constructions. Some verbs simply take certain prepositions, and sguir normally takes de. So the a, in the case of sguir, is just the worn down form of the partitive particle de. So, here's a re-analysis of the example from Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks:

sguir iad a chaoineadh
(PAST).stop they PARTITIVE LEN.crying
they stopped crying (lit. they stopped from crying)

The above is the shortened version of:

sguir iad de chaoineadh
(PAST).stop they PARTITIVE LEN.crying
they stopped crying (lit. they stopped from crying)

Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks goes on, in unit 95a, to talk about Indirect objects of infinitives even though there is not a hint of anything infinitive-like in the Gaelic examples. The only reason this unit has been given that heading is because the English translations use infinitives. In Gaelic, it's just the verbal noun being employed:

bu toil leam bruidhinn ri Seumas
COND.copula pleasant with.me speaking against James
I would like to speak to James

Unfortunately, because the translation of this is "I would like to speak to James", this is incorrectly labelled an infinitive.

Isn't the infinitive particle just a possessive pronoun?

Good question. I would say no, simply because if it was a possessive, one would expect a difference between masculine and feminine objects; compare a chù "his dog" vs a cù "her dog". But the infinitive particle, unlike the possessive pronouns, always lenites the verbal noun after it.

Of course, there is the special case of having a pronoun as an object, i.e. something like "I want to hit you", in modal expressions:

bu toil leam do bhualadh
COND.copula pleasant with.me your LEN.hitting
I would like to hit you
bu chòir dhut mo bhualadh
COND.copula right to.you my LEN.hitting
You ought to hit me
bu toil leam am faicinn
COND.copula pleasant with.me their seeing
I would like to see them

Over time, it's conceivable that the pattern of the third person masculine possessive pronoun has resulted in creating some sort of generalized infinitive-like pattern, i.e.:

bu toil leam a phòsadh
COND.copula pleasant with.me his LEN.marrying
I would like to marry him
bu toil leam a pòsadh
COND.copula pleasant with.me her marrying
I would like to marry her

But, overall, it makes no difference because one just has to learn these patterns the way they are today.

What about a dhol, a bhith and a thighinn?

Well, it wouldn't be Gaelic if there wasn't an odd one. Normally, if there is no object you just place the verbal noun after the modal verb or expression, such as:

bu toigh leam seinn
COND agreeableness with.me singing
I would like to sing
faodaidh tu falbh
may you going
You may go
chan urrainn dhomh snàmh
NEG ability to.me swimming
I cannot swim

But if the verbal noun happens to be dol or bith (and in some dialects tighinn), the infinitive particle, a, gets put in front of dol, bith (and tighinn), causing them to lenite:

bu toigh leam a dhol dhan sgoil
COND agreeableness with.me INF LEN.going to.the school
I would like to go to school
bu toigh leam a thighinn dhachaigh a-rithist
COND agreeableness with.me INF LEN.coming homewards again
I would like to come home again
an caomh leat a bhith ag éisteachd?
INTERR gentle with.you INF LEN.being PARTICIPLE listening
would you like to be listening?

Just those two, or three, if you include tighinn. Don't ask me why.

Of course, you can combine the uses of do, worn down to a:

bu toigh leam a dhol a Ghlaschu
COND agreeableness with.me INF LEN.going to(wards) LEN.Glasgow
I would like to go to(wards) Glasgow

and a bhith?

Nice try, but no, a bhith is not an infinitive, just an infinitive-like form. Bith is just a verbal noun, the equivalent of English "being", rather than "to be". It's quite obvious from expressions such as bith-bhuan or a' dol á bith that it's a verbal noun, even though it is not possible to use it with ag. The form *a' bith is not an option.

But, in terms of use, bith behaves like a verbal noun, except that bith has to be followed by ag/a' plus another verbal noun.

bu toigh leam a bhith ag ithe
COND agreeableness with.me INF LEN.being PARTICIPLE eating
I would like to eat (lit. I would like to be eating)

Since I can't say this often enough, I'll state it again even though this page is not about correct idiomatic usage: don't over-use this, it's not a common construction. As a rule of thumb, if you use a bhith more than once on half an A4 page of written Gaelic, you're probably over-using it.

In a word

Practically speaking, these are the points to remember:

  1. Don't go hunting for references to the infinitive in Gaelic. You're wasting your time. There is nothing approaching any kind of basic, infinitive verb form in Gaelic. That's just the way it is.
  2. The dictionary form of a Gaelic verb is the singular imperative (order/command form).
  3. After a verb of motion, most commonly a' dol, the a is a reduced form of the preposition do "to(wards)".
  4. In inverted phrases, such as bu toigh leam leabhar a leughadh, the a is the infinitive particle plus a verbal noun. That a is often translated into English using an English infinitive form; however, that does not make Gaelic have an infinitive it can call its own.

So, the whole hunt for a Gaelic infinitive is fuelled mainly

  • by learners hoping for a quick fix,
  • by linguists (in the old days) trying to squeeze all languages into the corset of grammatical terms that work in Latin and Greek,
  • and by various people looking at an English sentence and thinking "English has an infinitive here, so Gaelic must have one too".

Simples!

Now, what's inversion?


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