Difference between revisions of "Sentential possession"
From Scottish Gaelic Grammar Wiki
AndrewCarnie (talk | contribs) m (→Possession using Le) |
AndrewCarnie (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 53: | Line 53: | ||
==see also== | ==see also== | ||
*[[Genitive case]] | *[[Genitive case]] | ||
| − | *[[ | + | *[[Possessive Pronouns]] |
*how to indicate the perfect (I have eaten): [[Viewpoint Aspect]] | *how to indicate the perfect (I have eaten): [[Viewpoint Aspect]] | ||
*how to indicate obligation (I have to go/I need to go): [[Modality]] | *how to indicate obligation (I have to go/I need to go): [[Modality]] | ||
Revision as of 18:49, 21 June 2009
Possession using 'Aig'
Gaelic has no verb 'have' . Instead sentential possession is indicated by using the verb Bi (Tha, Bha, Beidh etc) followed by the possessed element followed by the preposition aig and then the possessor:
1)
Tha leabhar aig Calum Be.pres book at Calum Calum has a book
When the possessor is pronominal one of the inflected forms of aig (e.g. agam, agad, aige, etc.) is used:
2)
Tha leabhar aige Be.pres book at.3sm He has a book
Idioms using Tha ... agam
- Need: Tha feum agam dòl "I need to go"
- Love: Tha gaol agam ort "I love you
Possession using Le
To indicate a more intimate kind of possession, such as ownership, Gaelic uses a structure parallel to the one above, using the preposition Le (preposition) meaning with, instead of aig. Just as Gaelic doesn't have a verb have it also doesn't have a verb "own:
3)
Tha leabhar le Calum Be.pres book with Calum Calum owns a book
When the possessor is pronominal one of the inflected forms of aig (e.g. agam, agad, aige, etc.) is used:
4)
Tha leabhar leis Be.pres book with.3sm He owns a book
see also
- Genitive case
- Possessive Pronouns
- how to indicate the perfect (I have eaten): Viewpoint Aspect
- how to indicate obligation (I have to go/I need to go): Modality
