"Liking", "thinking", "wishing".
by Myles Dillon
ALESSON XVII We have seen that td aithne agam air means "I know him". Similar constructions are used for English verbs of liking, loving, respecting, interest and desire: td meas agam air "I respect him", td cion agam air "I like him", td grd agam di (with prep, do) "I love her", bhi trua agam do "I pitied him, td suim agam arm (with prep. z*)"I am interested in it", td duil agam arm "I have a desire for it". Some such abstract nouns take the verb is (copula) and the prep, le: is mian leis "he wishes"; is trua Horn e "I think it a pity"; is doigh Horn "I think it probable", "I think"; and so with adjectives: is maith Horn e "I like it"; is mor Horn e "I think it too much"; ni beag Horn e "I think it enough"; isfada Horn e "I think it too long"; is cuma Horn "I do not care" ("I think it equal"). This construction (is . . . le) expresses opinion ("thinking"). The preposition do is used instead of le to state a fact Note specially ni miste Horn "I do not mind", "I think it no harm", which occurs only in the negative and interrogative; and ni miste dhom "I may as well" ("it is no harm for me"). So also ni mor dom "I must"; nifoldir dom "I must" ("it is not excess for me"); ni beag dom e, or is leor dom e "it is enough for me'. So you can say b'fhada liomfanuint leis "I thought it (too) long to wait for him"; ni mor Horn duit e "I do not grudge it to you". Similarly is ail Horn "I wish"; sin e dob ail Horn do rd "that is what I wanted to say". You have had two simple verbs for "to think", ceapaim and silim: ceapann Sean (or is doigh le Sean) means "John thinks". Note that in West Munster silim is not used in the present tense. 99 100 IRISH VOCABULARY a laghad san (leead) so little bas (baas) m. death beagan (bya-gaan) m. a little cathain? (ka-hin) when? canad ( = ce an ait)? where? ce acu? (kyuka) which {of them)? cios (kees) m. rent cuimhne (keeni) f. memory; cuirim i gcuimhne (do) / remind cuma equal dearmhad (da-rood) m. for- getting, to forget eagal (ogal); is eagal Horn / fear eigin (egin) some fear (feear) m. grass, hay fearr (faar) better, is fearr Horn I prefer feirm (ferim) f.farm firinne (feeringi) f. truth fiiair se bas he died ga (gaa) m. need; ta ga le tine there is need of a fire ionadh (oona) f. wonder; dob ionadh leis he wondered leor (lyor) enough maith: ba mhaith Horn / would like mar gheall ar (youl) about, on account of moill (mweel) f. delay; moill do chur ar to delay saghas (says) m. sort tart (tort) m. thirst tuillim (tilim) / earn, I deserve ubh (6v) m. egg; pi. uibhe (ee) Exercise 39 1. Cad ba mhaith leat i gcoir do dhinneir? 2. An bhfuil duil agat i n-iasc? 3. Nil; is fearr liom uibhe i n-eineacht leis na pratai 4. An bhfuil an t-im ar an mbord? 5. Is eagal liom na mil. 6. Dheineas dearmhad ar e 1 a cheannach agus me sa tsiopa 2 . 7. Is trua liom nar chuireas i gcuimhne dhuit e ach ni fhaca thu sarar imis. 8. Ar mhiste leat an fhuinneog a dhunadh? 9. Nior mhiste, ach ni feidir liom e. 10. Ni miste dhuinn beagan oibre a 1 Note that the phrase e a cheannach remains after the preposition; the prepositional pronoun is not used. 2 See p. 96. LESSON XVII 101. dheanamh. 11. An doigh leat go mbeidh se faar urn thrath- nona? 12. An mbeidh ga le tine againn? 13. Ni bheidh. Is cuma liom-sa mar gheall ar an bhfuacht. 14. An bhfuil eolas na haite seo go maith agat? 15. Ta go deimhin, ach nil a fhios agam ca bhfuil an t-ospideal. 16. Feadfaidh me e a fhiafrai de dhuine eigin. 17. Bhi aithne agam ar dhochtuir a bhi ann, ach fuair se bas anuraidh. 18. Bhi ana-mheas ag gach aon duine air, agus bhi san tuillte go maith aige. 19. Do dheineadh se a dhicheall don te a bheadh breoite, agus nior mhor le haon duine dho an t-airgead d'iarradh se. Exercise 40 I. I would like to write a letter, but I cannot find a pen. 2. My father bought one for me, but I have lost it. 3. You might as well buy another. 4. One is enough for me. 5. 1 think it too long to wait until I find (fut.) it again. 6. They wondered that we were so tired. 7. Which do you prefer, tea or milk? 8. 1 do not care. 9. Any sort of drink will take my thirst away. 10. We shall all die, but we do not know when or where. II. The doctor likes to do his best for us all. 12. He does not mind waiting for you. 13. We think it a pity to delay him. 14. Would you mind closing the door? 15. No, but I do not think it is open. 16. Does Michael like fish for supper? 17. 1 do not know. I prefer eggs. 18. Do you know where the station is? 19. No, but I can (fut.) ask (it of) the guard. 20. He knows the town well. .