Difference between revisions of "Demonstratives"

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Demonstratives in Gaelic can take the form of (i) demonstrative adjectives, (ii) demonstrative pronouns, or (iii) demonstrative adverbs. Demonstrative adjectives pattern similarly to other adjectives in Scottish Gaelic in that they modify a noun and succeed it in the sentence. Demonstrative pronouns behave in a similar fashion to their pronoun counterparts in that they can take the place of a determiner phrase. The behavior of demonstrative adjectives is the most exceptional of the demonstratives in that they mark a difference between adverbs of location (I am ''here'') versus adverbs of motion (I went ''here'').
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''For a definition of preposition see the page [[Demonstratives (definition)]]''
  
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Scottish Gaelic marks demonstratives in reference to distance from the speaker. As seen in the table below, the three different levels correspond roughly to the English 'here', 'there', and 'yonder'. An interesting feature of these three levels is that they can be used to indicate spatial as well as temporal distance. When the 3rd degree demonstrative adjective (XXX) is used to describe a noun, then typically the noun is something out of sight for both the speaker and the listener. The 2nd degree demonstrative adjective (XXX), on the other hand, marks the noun in question as being something far away but within sight. 
 
  
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===Demonstratives===
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Demonstratives in Gaelic can occur in Pronomial, Adjectival, and Adverbial forms.
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An interesting feature of Demonstratives in Gaelic, is that they can be used to indicate spatial as well as temporal distance.
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Furthermore, they can occur in both a transitive and intransitive forms, and can take a tense particle.
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 +
 
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==Inventory ==
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border="1" cellpadding="3"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border="1" cellpadding="3"
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! rowspan=1 |Degree
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! rowspan=1 |
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! rowspan=1 |English
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! rowspan=1 |Pronoun 
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! rowspan=1 |Pronoun
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! rowspan=1 |Adj 
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! rowspan=1 |Adjective
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! rowspan=1 |ADVmovement 
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! rowspan=1 |ADV of movement
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! rowspan=1 |ADVlocation 
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! rowspan=1 |ADV of locations
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! rowspan=1 |English 
 
|-
 
|-
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!align="left"|1
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!align="left"|Proximate
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|align="center"|this/here
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|align="center"|seo
 
|align="center"|seo
 
|align="center"|seo
 
|align="center"|seo
 
|align="center"|an-seo
 
|align="center"|an-seo
 
|align="center"|an-sheo
 
|align="center"|an-sheo
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|align="center"|this
 
|-
 
|-
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!align="left"|2
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!align="left"|Distal
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|align="center"|that/there
 
 
|align="center"|sin
 
|align="center"|sin
 
|align="center"|sin
 
|align="center"|sin
 
|align="center"|an-sin
 
|align="center"|an-sin
 
|align="center"|an-shin
 
|align="center"|an-shin
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|align="center"|that
 
|-
 
|-
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!align="left"|3
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!align="left"|Far Distal
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|align="center"|yonder
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|align="center"|siud
 
|align="center"|siud
 
|align="center"|ud
 
|align="center"|ud
 
|align="center"|an-siud
 
|align="center"|an-siud
 
|align="center"|an-shiud
 
|align="center"|an-shiud
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|align="center"|yonder
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|-
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|}
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 +
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== Spatial and Temporal Distance ==
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Scottish Gaelic marks demonstratives in reference to distance from the speaker in three degrees:
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; cellpadding="3"
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! rowspan=1 |
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|-
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|align="left"|''(i) proximate - 'here'''
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|-
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|align="left"|''(ii) distal - 'there'''
 
|-
 
|-
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|}[Lamb 2001]
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|align="left"|''(iii) far distal - 'yonder'''
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|}
 +
 
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Demonstratives can be used to indicate distance in an abstract, temporal manner. When the 2nd degree 'sin' is used in reference to come temporal concept ("an latha sin" 'that day') it is meant to indicate that there is some day in the future that is being discussed, and that the day is specific. Whereas if the speaker uses the 3rd degree 'ud' in reference to a day in the future ("an latha ud" 'some day (in the future)') it is meant that the day is hypothetical.
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 +
 
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Furthermore, the Far Distal demonstrative adjective (ud) is used to describe a noun which refers to an entity which is out of sight for both the speaker and the listener.
 +
 
 +
The 2nd degree demonstrative adjective (sin), on the other hand, marks the noun in question as being something far away but within sight.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
 
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== Demonstrative Adverbs of Movement and Location ==
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 +
Demonstrative Adverbs contrast between movement and Location
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 +
Movement - an-sin - 'We went there'
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 +
Location - an-shin - 'We were there'
  
 
== Transitivity ==
 
== Transitivity ==
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Demonstratives in Gaelic, just like those found in other languages, can be used in two different ways: transitively or intransitively. Intransitive demonstratives are used on their own without any other elements such as in example (1). Transitive demonstratives, on the other hand, are always collocated with a noun as demonstrated in example (2). 
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 +
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1) '''this''' is mine
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2) '''this book''' is mine
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Transitive demonstratives in Gaelic are created by combining an article, a noun, and a demonstrative particle, in that order. There are three demonstrative particles: ''seo'' proximate (this), ''sin'' distal (that), ''siud'' or '' 'ud or siud'' far distal (yonder).
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3)
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:{|
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|an||cù||'''seo'''
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|-
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|the||dog||this
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|-
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|colspan="4"|'this dog'
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|}
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4)
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:{|
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|an||cù||'''sin'''
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|-
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|the||dog||that
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|-
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|colspan="4"|'that dog'
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|}
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5)
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:{|
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|an||cù||''''ud'''/'''siud'''
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|-
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|the||dog||yonder
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|-
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|colspan="4"|'yonder dog'
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|}
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If the noun is modified by an adjective, the adjective comes before the demonstrative particle:
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6)
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:{|
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|an||cù||mòr||'''seo'''
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|-
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|the||dog||big||this
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|-
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|colspan="4"|'this big dog'
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|}
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Intransitive demonstratives in Gaelic do not need any other elements such as an article and a noun.
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7)
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:{|
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|Thoir||dhomh||'''seo'''
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|-
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|give||to.me||this
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|-
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|colspan="4"|'Give me this'
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|}
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8)
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:{|
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|Thoir||dhomh||'''sin'''
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|-
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|give||to.me||that
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|-
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|colspan="4"|'Give me that'
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|}
  
 
== Tense ==
 
== Tense ==
  
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Demonstrative adjectives in Scottish Gaelic can be used to mark differences in tense. An above example highlights the difference in spatial relations between the 2nd and 3rd degree demonstratives 'XXX' and 'XXX', wherein the difference indicates whether or not the noun phrase in question is in view of the interlocutors. Similarly, the same demonstratives can be used to indicate temporal relations on a linear scale. When the 2nd degree 'XXX' is used, that is to indicate that there is a specific
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The pairing of tense and demonstratives results in the function which introduces referents which play a role in the following discourse. (Lamb)
  
 
== Distribution ==
 
== Distribution ==
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 +
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; cellpadding="3"
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! rowspan=1 |
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|-
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|align="left"|'''Demonstrative Pronouns''' - distribute like common nouns, but unlike pronouns they do not combine with prepositions
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|-
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|align="left"|'''Demonstrative Adjectives''' - distribute like other adjectives such that they follow the noun they modify
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|-
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|align="left"|'''Demonstrative Adverbs''' - distribute like adverbs (?)
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|}
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
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*Lamb, William (2003) ''Scottish Gaelic''. 2nd edition. Munich: Lingcom Europa
  
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[[Category:Syntax]][[Category:Semantics]]
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[[Category:Syntax]]
 

Latest revision as of 21:15, 4 September 2012

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


Demonstratives in Gaelic can occur in Pronomial, Adjectival, and Adverbial forms. An interesting feature of Demonstratives in Gaelic, is that they can be used to indicate spatial as well as temporal distance. Furthermore, they can occur in both a transitive and intransitive forms, and can take a tense particle.


Inventory

Pronoun Adj ADVmovement ADVlocation English
Proximate seo seo an-seo an-sheo this
Distal sin sin an-sin an-shin that
Far Distal siud ud an-siud an-shiud yonder


Spatial and Temporal Distance

Scottish Gaelic marks demonstratives in reference to distance from the speaker in three degrees:

(i) proximate - 'here'
(ii) distal - 'there'
(iii) far distal - 'yonder'

Demonstratives can be used to indicate distance in an abstract, temporal manner. When the 2nd degree 'sin' is used in reference to come temporal concept ("an latha sin" 'that day') it is meant to indicate that there is some day in the future that is being discussed, and that the day is specific. Whereas if the speaker uses the 3rd degree 'ud' in reference to a day in the future ("an latha ud" 'some day (in the future)') it is meant that the day is hypothetical.


Furthermore, the Far Distal demonstrative adjective (ud) is used to describe a noun which refers to an entity which is out of sight for both the speaker and the listener.

The 2nd degree demonstrative adjective (sin), on the other hand, marks the noun in question as being something far away but within sight.


Demonstrative Adverbs of Movement and Location

Demonstrative Adverbs contrast between movement and Location

Movement - an-sin - 'We went there'

Location - an-shin - 'We were there'

Transitivity

Demonstratives in Gaelic, just like those found in other languages, can be used in two different ways: transitively or intransitively. Intransitive demonstratives are used on their own without any other elements such as in example (1). Transitive demonstratives, on the other hand, are always collocated with a noun as demonstrated in example (2).


1) this is mine

2) this book is mine

Transitive demonstratives in Gaelic are created by combining an article, a noun, and a demonstrative particle, in that order. There are three demonstrative particles: seo proximate (this), sin distal (that), siud or 'ud or siud far distal (yonder).

3)

an cù seo
the dog this
'this dog'

4)

an cù sin
the dog that
'that dog'

5)

an cù 'ud/siud
the dog yonder
'yonder dog'

If the noun is modified by an adjective, the adjective comes before the demonstrative particle:

6)

an cù mòr seo
the dog big this
'this big dog'


Intransitive demonstratives in Gaelic do not need any other elements such as an article and a noun.

7)

Thoir dhomh seo
give to.me this
'Give me this'

8)

Thoir dhomh sin
give to.me that
'Give me that'

Tense

The pairing of tense and demonstratives results in the function which introduces referents which play a role in the following discourse. (Lamb)

Distribution

Demonstrative Pronouns - distribute like common nouns, but unlike pronouns they do not combine with prepositions
Demonstrative Adjectives - distribute like other adjectives such that they follow the noun they modify
Demonstrative Adverbs - distribute like adverbs (?)

References

  • Lamb, William (2003) Scottish Gaelic. 2nd edition. Munich: Lingcom Europa
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