Prepositions

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For a definition of preposition see the page Preposition (definition)

Gaelic has both simple prepositions and complex ones. In this article you'll find first a list of all the prepositions, then at the bottom you'll find some useful charts about how prepositions inflect for person and number.


List of Gaelic Simple Prepositions


PREPOSITION LENITES CASE taken by following
aig 'at' NO DATIVE
air 'on' NO DATIVE
ann an/ anns/ ann 'in' NO DATIVE
à/às 'out of'/'from' (as in place of national origin) NO DATIVE
bho 'from' (as in source of movement) YES DATIVE
chun 'to the' (in the sense of "as far as" but not "into" NO GENITIVE
de (dheL/deL) 'of/off' YES DATIVE
do (doL) 'to/for' YES DATIVE
fo (foL) 'under' YES DATIVE
eadar 'between' NO ACCUSATIVE
far 'off' NO GENITIVE
gu (thun/chun) 'to' NO DATIVE
gun 'without' YES (except the dental sounds <d,t,n,l,r,s>) DATIVE or ACCUSATIVE (Dialectal variation)
le 'with' NO DATIVE
mar 'like'/'as' ? ?
Mu 'about' YES DATIVE
o 'from' YES DATIVE
rè 'during' YES (only when the object is a definite plural) GENITIVE
ri 'to' NO DATIVE
ro (roimh) 'before' YES DATIVE
thar 'over'/'beyond' NO GENITIVE
tharsainn 'across' NO GENITIVE
trìd 'through, on account of' NO GENITIVE
tro (troimh) 'through' YES DATIVE

List of Gaelic Complex and Compound Prepositions

(List taken from Mark 2004:686 and Lamb 2003:49)

CASE take by following noun Preposition
ACCUSATIVE ceangailte ri 'tied to'
coltach ri 'similar to'
gu ruige 'as far as, up to'
DATIVE an coimeas ri 'compared to'
an taca ri 'next to'
barrachd air 'in addition to'
còmhla ri 'along with'
cuide ri 'along with'
faisg air 'close to'
goirid air 'close to'
làmh ri 'next to', 'compared to'
maille ri 'along with'
mun cuairt air 'around"
seachad air 'past'
suas ri 'up to'
thairis air 'across'
GENITIVE a chum 'for the purpose of'
a dh'ionnsaigh 'towards'
a rèir 'according to'
a thaobh 'regarding'
air cùlaibh 'behind'
air feadh 'amongst'
air muin 'on top of'
air sgàth 'for the sake of'
air son 'for'/'because'
air tòir ' in pursuit of
am fianais 'in the presence of'
am measg 'among'
an aghaidh 'against'
an àite 'in place of'
an ceann 'within'
an coinneamh 'met with'
an dèidh 'after'
an làthair 'in the presence of'
às aonais 'without'
às eugmhais 'without'
às leth 'on behalf of'
às dèidh 'after'
fa chomhair 'opposite'
mu chomhair 'opposite'
mu dheidhinn 'concerning'
mu thimcheall 'regarding'
mun cuairt 'around'
os cionn 'above'
ri taobh 'beside'


List of Gaelic Adverbial Particles (intransitive prepositions)

  • a-bhàn 'down', 'downwards'
  • a-nìos 'up', 'upwards'


The Inflection of Gaelic Prepositions

Gaelic Prepositions inflect for person, number and gender when they take a pronoun as an object. For example if we were to say "at me", we use the inflected form "agam".

External Links

References

  • Mark, Colin (2004) The Gaelic-English Dictionary/Am faclair Gàidhlig-Beurla. London: Routledge
  • Lamb, William (2003) Scottish Gaelic. 2nd edition. Munich: Lingcom Europa
  • Deiseal Earranta tta (2006) Reference Cards: Sealbhairean Roimhearach/Riochdairean Roimhearach.