Thoir (irregular verb)
The irregular verb thoir means "to give", "to take with", "to take from", "to bring" depending upon which preposition it is used with. their is one of 11 irregular verbs in Gaelic. Because many of the forms of thoir take forms based on the root bheir, it is often mixed up with the verb beir 'catch'. They're not the same verb at all!
Contents
Uses
- thug do "gave
- thug le take with/"bring" thug mi leam an leabhar I took the book with me. THe preposition is obligatory.
- thug bho "take from"
Summary of forms
- Independent forms of the verb thoir are used without any particles.
- Dependent forms of the verb thoir are used after an, nach, gun and other verbal particles.
- Unlike regular verbs, the dependent past tense particle do is never used with thoir.
| context | independent | Dependent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| basic forms | active | past | thug | tug | |
| Future | bheir3 | toir | |||
| Relative Future | --- | bheir | |||
| impersonal1 | past | thugadh | tugadh | ||
| future | bheirear | toirear | |||
| relative future | --- | bheirear | |||
| Conditional Mood | active | bheireadh2 (bheirinn1 in 1st singular) |
toireadh2 (toirinn1 in 1st sing) | ||
| impersonal | bheirte | toirte | |||
| Imperative Mood | 2nd person | singular | thoir1 | --- | |
| plural | thoiribh1 | ||||
| verbal noun | toirt | ||||
Notes:
- 1 these forms are not used with any subject, they contain the subject in the inflection of the verb (Pro-Drop)
- 2 takes tu rather than thu in the 2nd person.
- 3 don't confuse bheir with the verb Beir 'catch'! They are not the same verb.
Non Conditional Moods (indicative, interrogative, negative)
Active Voice
Past tense
| Declarative | Question | Negative | Negative Question | embedded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | thug mi | an tug mi | cha tug mi | nach tug mi | gun tug mi |
| 2 | thug thu | an tug thu | cha tug thu | nach tug thu | gun tug thu |
| 3 masc | thug e | an tug e | cha tug e | nach tug e | gun tug e |
| 3 fem | thug i | an tug i | cha tug i | nach tug i | gun tug i |
| 1 pl | thug sinn | an tug sinn | cha tug sinn | nach tug sinn | gun tug sinn |
| 2 pl | thug sibh | an tug sibh | cha tug sibh | nach tug sibh | gun tug sibh |
| 3 pl | thug iad | an tug iad | cha tug iad | nach tug iad | gun tug iad |
Present tense
As is common in Gaelic, there is no present tense form of the verb. When a simple present meaning ("I give something") or a progressive meaning (I am giving something) is intended, the periphrastic construction is used with the present tense of the verb bi (be), i.e., tha, along with the verbal noun.
Tha mi a' toirt an rud do be.pres 1s prog give.vn the thing to.3sm I'm giving the thing to him.
Future tense
The future tense in Gaelic is used to express the idea that an event will happen sometime after the speech time. Unlike English, the future tense can also be used with a present tense meaning, to express the idea that an action is habitual.
| Declarative | Question | Negative | Negative Question | Relative Future1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bheir mi | an toir mi | chan toir mi | nach toir mi | a bheir mi |
| 2 | Bheir thu | an toir thu | chan toir thu | nach toir thu | a bheir thu |
| 3 masc | Bheir e | an toir e | chan toir e | nach toir e | a bheir e |
| 3 fem | Bheir i | an toir i | chan toir i | nach toir i | a bheir i |
| 1 pl | Bheir sinn | an toir sinn | chan toir sinn | nach toir sinn | a bheir sinn |
| 2 pl | Bheir sibh | an toir sibh | chan toir sibh | nach toir sibh | a bheir sibh |
| 3 pl | Bheir iad | an toir iad | chan toir iad | nach toir iad | a bheir iad |
Note:
- the relative future is used after certain particles such as ma or the particle used with questions a.
Impersonal/Passive Voice
Gaelic verbs don't technically have a Passive verb form. Instead the passive is typically represented through a periphrastic construction using the verbs Rach or Tha + the passive marker air. It does, however, have an impersonal form. The Impersonal is used to indicate an indeterminate subject. thugadh can be best translated as "someone gave". When used with a pronoun, the pronoun represents the logical object of the verb. So "thugadh e" means "Someone gave/took it". This is often translated as "it was taken/given", hence the typical "passive" label.
Since Gaelic doesn't distinguish between subject and object pronouns (unlike it's sibling Modern Irish), it is very difficult to determine if these pronouns are subjects or objects. We list them here as if they were subjects, with the understanding that the pronouns in the following tables represent the logical objects of the verb (the thing that was said, not the sayer).
Past tense
| Declarative | Question | Negative | Negative Question | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 masc | thugadh e | an tugadh e | cha tugadh e | nach tugadh e |
| 3 fem | thugadh i | an tugadh i | cha tugadh i | nach tugadh i |
| 3 pl | thugadh iad | an tugadh iad | cha tugadh iad | nach tugadh iad |
Present tense
The use of a passive in the present tense is odd, even in English. We leave this blank here.
Future tense
| Declarative | Question | Negative | Negative Question | Relative Future1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 masc | bheirear e | an toirear e | cha toirear e | nach toirear e | a bheirear e |
| 3 fem | bheirear i | an toirear i | cha toirear i | nach toirear i | a bheirear i |
| 3 pl | bheirear iad | an toirear iad | cha toirear iad | nach toirear iad | a bheirear iad |
Notes
- the relative future is used after certain particles such as a the particle used with questions, or ma "if".
Conditional Mood
Active
| Declarative | Question | Negative | Negative Question | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | bheirinn1 | an toirinn | cha toirinn | nach toirinn |
| 2 | bheireadh tu2 | an toireadh tu | cha toireadh tu | nach toireadh tu |
| 3 masc | bheireadh e | an toireadh e | cha toireadh e | nach toireadh e |
| 3 fem | bheireadh i | an toireadh i | cha toireadh i | nach toireadh i |
| 1 pl | bheireadh sinn (bheireamaid3) | an toireadh sinn (an toireamaid3) | cha toireadh sinn (chan toireamaid3) | nach toireamaid sinn (nach toireamaid3) |
| 2 pl | bheireadh sibh | an toireadh sibh | cha toireadh sibh | nach toireadh sibh |
| 3 pl | bheireadh iad | an toireadh iad | cha toireadh iad | nach toireadh iad |
Notes:
- The 1st person singular form is never used with an overt pronoun, the verb contains the pronoun already.
- The pronoun tu is used here instead of thu
- The 1st person plural has a special inflected form, which like the first person singular is never used with a pronoun. This 1st person plural form is rarely used anymore.
passive
| Declarative | Question | Negative | Negative Question | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 masc | bheirte e | an toirte e | cha toirte e | nach toirte e |
| 3 fem | bheirte i | an toirte i | cha toirte i | nach toirte i |
| 3 pl | bheirte iad | an toirte iad | cha toirte iad | nach toirte iad |
Imperative Mood
The imperative of abair is rarely used to mean "say!". Instead it often has the meaning of "What an X" Abair an duine What a guy!".
To express an imperative meaning say, most speakers will use the regular verb can instead.
References
- Black, Ronald (2006) Cothrom Ionnsachaidh Peebles: Self-published.
- Byrne, Michel (2002) Gràmar na Gàidhlig. Eilean Leòdhais: Stòrlann-Acair.
- Deiseal Earranta tta (2006) Reference Cards: Sealbhairean Roimhearach/Riochdairean Roimhearach.
- Mark, Colin (2004) The Gaelic-English Dictionary/Am faclair Gàidhlig-Beurla. London: Routledge
- Mark, Colin (2006), Gaelic Verbs: Systemised and Simplified" 2nd Edition. Edinburgh: Steve Savage Publishers. http://www.savagepublishers.com/138.html
- Lamb, William (2003) Scottish Gaelic. 2nd edition. Munich: Lingcom Europa
