Post by Admin on May 2, 2017 17:36:25 GMT
I'm going to be talking about the adjectives side of Cardinal Numbers today.
Here are all the things about them that you must take in.
They are used in specifying a quantity of things (trí bhád = 3 boats)
The number 1: There are 3 possibilities for "one boat":
bád = bád amháin = aon bhád amháin = one boat
but not : aon bhád: this takes the meaning of "any boat," in questions, or in negativen sentences, "no boat":
An bhfuil aon bhád agat? = Do you have a boat?, Níl aon charr agam = I don't have a car
The numbers 2-10 und 12 are sometimes used with quantities of people (except duine), but mostly in their place on uses the special numbers of person: trí fhear = tríúr fear = 3 men
The noun following 1 is always in the singular and is (after aon) lenited
e.g. aon bhád amháin = 1 boat
The noun following 2 (dhá) is always in the singular and is lenited, if possible (2nd declension) in the dual-form* (the dual is equivalent to the dative form)
e.g.: dhá bhád = 2 boats (singular), dhá mhuic = 2 pigs (muic is the dial of muc), dhá láimh = 2 hands (láimh is the dual of lámh)
The noun following 3-10 is today mostly in the singular, but it is
lenited after 3-6 (e.g.: trí bhád = three boats)
eclipsed after 7-10 (e.g.: seacht mbád = seven boats)
less commonly, the noun following 3-10 is in the plural, but it is
not lenited after 3-6 (e.g.: trí bliana = three years )
(an h-prefix preceding a vowel: e.g.: trí huibhe = 3 eggs )
eclipsed after 7-10 (e.g.: seacht mbliana = seven years )
The plural after 3-10 ist always used when:
counting of years (special plural form for bliain: bliana):
aon bhliain, dó bhliain, trí bliana, sé bliana, seacht mbliana, etc.
The gen. noun ceann (= "piece" lit. "head"), plural: cinn
ceann = 1 piece, dhá cheann = 2 pieces, trí cinn = 3 pieces, seacht gcinn = 7 pieces
(instead of ceann there are also similar words in this vein)
units of measurement and the like: e.g.: trí cinn = 3 pieces, trí huaire = 3 hours, three times, trí huibhe = 3 eggs, trí fichid/trí scóir = 3 x 20, trí scilinge = 3 shillings, trí pingine = 3 pence
With the numbers from 11-19 déag comes after the noun: trí bhád déag = 13 boats
otherwise they acta as the numbers from 1-10
déag (-ten) is lenited after a noun with a final vowel sound (in the singular), e.g.: aon chóta dhéag = 11 coats . This isn't the case if the noun is in the plural: trí bliana déag = 13 years
after even steps of tens or twenties (except deich) nouns are unlenited and always in the singular (originally, this is the genitive plural), e.g.: tríocha bád = 30 boats, caoga ceann = 50 pieces, fiche bliain = 20 years
with a following adjective:
an adj. after aon + feminine noun is lenited and is in the singular e.g: aon bhean mhór amháin
an adj. after aon + masculine noun remains unlenited in the singular e.g: aon fhear mór amháin
an adj. after dhá till deich + noun is lenited and is in the plural e.g: dhá bhád mhóra, seacht mbád mhóra
(if one uses a noun in the plural after 3-10, lenition of the adjective follows only then if the noun ends in a slender consonant: e.g. trí capaill mhóra = 3 big horses , otherwise not: trí bróga móra = 3 big shoes )
with an article
the singular article an precedes 1, 2, 11, 12 (dhá after an article de-lenited to dá).
e.g.: an t-aon bhád déag = the 11 boats, an dá bhád = the 2 boats, an dá bhád déag = the 12 boats.
In the genitive, the t-prefix is omitted on aon with a masc. noun : an aon, preceding femin. nouns, though still na haon; an dá remains unchanged. (after aon one also commonly places the noun in the genitive)
e.g.: seolta an aon bháid déag = the sails of the eleven boats, leabhar na haon mhná amháin = the book of the one woman, seolta an dá bhád = the sails of the two boats.
plural-article na precedes 3-10 and 13-19:
e.g.: na trí bhád = the 3 boats, na ceithre bhád = the 4 boats, na hocht mbád = the 8 boats.
In the genitive there is eclipsis on the number:
e.g.: seolta na dtrí bhád = the sails of the 3 boats, stábla na gceithre bho = the stall of the 4 cows
singular article an preceding even tens (except deich):
e.g.: an fiche bliain = the 20 years, an caoga bád = the 50 boats.
céad/míle also in the plural (with the plural article: na) na céadtha / na mílte = hundreds/thousands of... After this, follows the noun, mostly in the plural: na céadtha mná = hundreds of women
miscellaneous and variants
ceithre, cúig appear often in lenited form (cheithre, chúig)
preceding dhá always in instead of i (e.g.: in dhá bhaile = in two towns)
fiche is a noun, which can be declined (5th declension ):
genitive fichead, dative fichid, plural fichid (with other numbers, otherwise: fichidí)
similarly, the other powers of 10 are declined
instead of fiche/fichid also scór/scóir (after that also nouns in the plural are possible.)
instead of is fiche, is tríocha etc. of course also agus fiche, agus tríocha
instead of is fiche ("and 20") then also fichead ("of 20") or ar fhichid ("on 20") are possible and vice versa
- trí bhád is fiche / agus fiche = 23 boats ("3 boats and 20")
- trí bhád fichead = 23 boats ("3 boats of 20")
- trí bhád ar fhichid = 23 boats ("3 boats on 20")
Instead of e.g. is caoga, is seachtó ("and 50", "and 70") equivalent to caogad, seachtód ("of 50", "of 70") or ar caogaid, ar seachtóid ("on 50", "on 70") etc. are possible (but not as common as with fiche)
- trí bhád is seachtó = 73 boats ("3 boats and 70")
- trí bhád seachtód = 73 boats ("3 boats of 70")
- trí bhád ar seachtóid = 73 boats ("3 boats on 70")
instead of céad is dhá bhád then dhá bhád is céad/ar chéad (102 boats); despite the rule of thumb that numbers over one hundred have céad leading.
The twenties or vigesimal system can also be used above 100 : e.g.: sé fichid bád = 120 boats (lit.: "6x20 boats") instead of: céad is fiche bád = 120 boats;
seacht bhfichid = 140 ("7x20"), cúig fichid = 100, ocht bhfichid = 160, naoi bhfichid = 180, etc.
instead of dhá cheann then péire = both
instead of 12 then doiséinne or dosaen ( = dozen):
e.g.: doiséinne uibheacha = a dozen eggs , in multiples: dhá dhosean uibheacha = two dozen eggs, deich ndosaen uibheacha = 120 eggs .
daichead (40) is the compact form of dá fhichead ("2x20"),
instead of that one, also dhá scór (+ noun in the plural) or ceathracha (analog to tríocha = 30)
instead of caoga or dhá fhichead a deich (50) also leathchéad ("half a hundred")
e.g.: caoga bád = deich mbád is dá fhichead = leathchéad bád = 50 boats
equivalent to céad go leith = 150 (lit.: "100 with half ")
punt (pound) vor déag (also 11-19) always punta
e.g.: dhá phunta dhéag = 12 pounds
I am not done with Numbers however. Just realise yourself that this is indeed hard. It takes time to learn how Numbers work in Irish. Numbers in Irish are definitely among the hardest to learn across the different languages so don't feel that they are just hard to you. Believe me, all us Irish learners have been there.
Here are all the things about them that you must take in.
They are used in specifying a quantity of things (trí bhád = 3 boats)
The number 1: There are 3 possibilities for "one boat":
bád = bád amháin = aon bhád amháin = one boat
but not : aon bhád: this takes the meaning of "any boat," in questions, or in negativen sentences, "no boat":
An bhfuil aon bhád agat? = Do you have a boat?, Níl aon charr agam = I don't have a car
The numbers 2-10 und 12 are sometimes used with quantities of people (except duine), but mostly in their place on uses the special numbers of person: trí fhear = tríúr fear = 3 men
The noun following 1 is always in the singular and is (after aon) lenited
e.g. aon bhád amháin = 1 boat
The noun following 2 (dhá) is always in the singular and is lenited, if possible (2nd declension) in the dual-form* (the dual is equivalent to the dative form)
e.g.: dhá bhád = 2 boats (singular), dhá mhuic = 2 pigs (muic is the dial of muc), dhá láimh = 2 hands (láimh is the dual of lámh)
The noun following 3-10 is today mostly in the singular, but it is
lenited after 3-6 (e.g.: trí bhád = three boats)
eclipsed after 7-10 (e.g.: seacht mbád = seven boats)
less commonly, the noun following 3-10 is in the plural, but it is
not lenited after 3-6 (e.g.: trí bliana = three years )
(an h-prefix preceding a vowel: e.g.: trí huibhe = 3 eggs )
eclipsed after 7-10 (e.g.: seacht mbliana = seven years )
The plural after 3-10 ist always used when:
counting of years (special plural form for bliain: bliana):
aon bhliain, dó bhliain, trí bliana, sé bliana, seacht mbliana, etc.
The gen. noun ceann (= "piece" lit. "head"), plural: cinn
ceann = 1 piece, dhá cheann = 2 pieces, trí cinn = 3 pieces, seacht gcinn = 7 pieces
(instead of ceann there are also similar words in this vein)
units of measurement and the like: e.g.: trí cinn = 3 pieces, trí huaire = 3 hours, three times, trí huibhe = 3 eggs, trí fichid/trí scóir = 3 x 20, trí scilinge = 3 shillings, trí pingine = 3 pence
With the numbers from 11-19 déag comes after the noun: trí bhád déag = 13 boats
otherwise they acta as the numbers from 1-10
déag (-ten) is lenited after a noun with a final vowel sound (in the singular), e.g.: aon chóta dhéag = 11 coats . This isn't the case if the noun is in the plural: trí bliana déag = 13 years
after even steps of tens or twenties (except deich) nouns are unlenited and always in the singular (originally, this is the genitive plural), e.g.: tríocha bád = 30 boats, caoga ceann = 50 pieces, fiche bliain = 20 years
with a following adjective:
an adj. after aon + feminine noun is lenited and is in the singular e.g: aon bhean mhór amháin
an adj. after aon + masculine noun remains unlenited in the singular e.g: aon fhear mór amháin
an adj. after dhá till deich + noun is lenited and is in the plural e.g: dhá bhád mhóra, seacht mbád mhóra
(if one uses a noun in the plural after 3-10, lenition of the adjective follows only then if the noun ends in a slender consonant: e.g. trí capaill mhóra = 3 big horses , otherwise not: trí bróga móra = 3 big shoes )
with an article
the singular article an precedes 1, 2, 11, 12 (dhá after an article de-lenited to dá).
e.g.: an t-aon bhád déag = the 11 boats, an dá bhád = the 2 boats, an dá bhád déag = the 12 boats.
In the genitive, the t-prefix is omitted on aon with a masc. noun : an aon, preceding femin. nouns, though still na haon; an dá remains unchanged. (after aon one also commonly places the noun in the genitive)
e.g.: seolta an aon bháid déag = the sails of the eleven boats, leabhar na haon mhná amháin = the book of the one woman, seolta an dá bhád = the sails of the two boats.
plural-article na precedes 3-10 and 13-19:
e.g.: na trí bhád = the 3 boats, na ceithre bhád = the 4 boats, na hocht mbád = the 8 boats.
In the genitive there is eclipsis on the number:
e.g.: seolta na dtrí bhád = the sails of the 3 boats, stábla na gceithre bho = the stall of the 4 cows
singular article an preceding even tens (except deich):
e.g.: an fiche bliain = the 20 years, an caoga bád = the 50 boats.
céad/míle also in the plural (with the plural article: na) na céadtha / na mílte = hundreds/thousands of... After this, follows the noun, mostly in the plural: na céadtha mná = hundreds of women
miscellaneous and variants
ceithre, cúig appear often in lenited form (cheithre, chúig)
preceding dhá always in instead of i (e.g.: in dhá bhaile = in two towns)
fiche is a noun, which can be declined (5th declension ):
genitive fichead, dative fichid, plural fichid (with other numbers, otherwise: fichidí)
similarly, the other powers of 10 are declined
instead of fiche/fichid also scór/scóir (after that also nouns in the plural are possible.)
instead of is fiche, is tríocha etc. of course also agus fiche, agus tríocha
instead of is fiche ("and 20") then also fichead ("of 20") or ar fhichid ("on 20") are possible and vice versa
- trí bhád is fiche / agus fiche = 23 boats ("3 boats and 20")
- trí bhád fichead = 23 boats ("3 boats of 20")
- trí bhád ar fhichid = 23 boats ("3 boats on 20")
Instead of e.g. is caoga, is seachtó ("and 50", "and 70") equivalent to caogad, seachtód ("of 50", "of 70") or ar caogaid, ar seachtóid ("on 50", "on 70") etc. are possible (but not as common as with fiche)
- trí bhád is seachtó = 73 boats ("3 boats and 70")
- trí bhád seachtód = 73 boats ("3 boats of 70")
- trí bhád ar seachtóid = 73 boats ("3 boats on 70")
instead of céad is dhá bhád then dhá bhád is céad/ar chéad (102 boats); despite the rule of thumb that numbers over one hundred have céad leading.
The twenties or vigesimal system can also be used above 100 : e.g.: sé fichid bád = 120 boats (lit.: "6x20 boats") instead of: céad is fiche bád = 120 boats;
seacht bhfichid = 140 ("7x20"), cúig fichid = 100, ocht bhfichid = 160, naoi bhfichid = 180, etc.
instead of dhá cheann then péire = both
instead of 12 then doiséinne or dosaen ( = dozen):
e.g.: doiséinne uibheacha = a dozen eggs , in multiples: dhá dhosean uibheacha = two dozen eggs, deich ndosaen uibheacha = 120 eggs .
daichead (40) is the compact form of dá fhichead ("2x20"),
instead of that one, also dhá scór (+ noun in the plural) or ceathracha (analog to tríocha = 30)
instead of caoga or dhá fhichead a deich (50) also leathchéad ("half a hundred")
e.g.: caoga bád = deich mbád is dá fhichead = leathchéad bád = 50 boats
equivalent to céad go leith = 150 (lit.: "100 with half ")
punt (pound) vor déag (also 11-19) always punta
e.g.: dhá phunta dhéag = 12 pounds
I am not done with Numbers however. Just realise yourself that this is indeed hard. It takes time to learn how Numbers work in Irish. Numbers in Irish are definitely among the hardest to learn across the different languages so don't feel that they are just hard to you. Believe me, all us Irish learners have been there.
