nárbh

Irish

Alternative forms

Particle

nárbh (before consonants nár) (introduces negative past/conditional copular clauses of various kinds; used before vowels and fh plus vowel)

  1. wasn’t/wouldn’t... be? (used to introduce a negative question)
    Nárbh fhearr leat cupán tae?
    Wouldn’t you prefer a cup of tea?
  2. which/who wasn’t/wouldn’t be (used to introduce both direct and indirect relative clauses)
    an bhean nárbh iascaire í ― the woman who wasn’t a fisherwoman
    an bhean nárbh fhearr léi bainne ― the woman who wouldn’t prefer milk
    • 1939, Peig Sayers, “Inghean an Cheannaidhe”, in Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Description d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études; 270) (overall work in French), Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, page 194:
      Do bhíodar sé mhí gan fille, agus nuair a chonaic Máire an t-árthach ag teacht chun cuain, bhí sceitimíní ar a croidhe le lúthgháir agus le h-áthas, ní nárbh’ iongnadh.
      They were [away] six months without returning, and when Máire saw the vessel coming to port, her heart had raptures of gladness and joy, which was not surprising.
  3. that... it wasn’t/wouldn’t be; whether/if... it wasn’t/wouldn’t be (used to introduce a negative past/conditional copular subordinate clause, including an indirect question)
    Dúirt sí nárbh fhearr léi cupán tae.
    She said that she wouldn’t prefer a cup of tea
    Ní raibh a fhios agam nárbh fhearr léi cupán tae.
    I didn’t know whether she would prefer a cup of tea.
Irish copular forms
Simple copular forms
Present/future
AffirmativeNegativeInterrogativeNeg. inter.
Main clauses isníannach
Direct relative clauses nach
Indirect relative clausesar, arbv
Other subordinate clausesgur, gurbvannach
Past/conditional
AffirmativeNegativeInterrogativeNeg. inter.
Main clausesba, b’vníor, níorbhvar, arbhvnár, nárbhv
Direct relative clausesba, abv nár, nárbhv
Indirect relative clausesar, arbhv
Other subordinate clausesgur, gurbhvar, arbhvnár, nárbhv
Present subjunctive
AffirmativeNegative
gura, gurabvnára, nárabv
     Compound copular forms
Base wordPresent/futurePast/conditional
cácár, cárbvcár, cárbhv
cécér, cérbvcér, cérbhv
dá dá mba, dá mb’v
de/dodar, darbvdar, darbhv
faoifaoinar, faoinarbvfaoinar, faoinarbhv
iinar, inarbvinar, inarbhv
lelenar, lenarbvlenar, lenarbhv
mámásmá ba, má b’v
muramura, murabvmurar, murarbhv
ó (prep.)ónar, ónarbvónar, ónarbhv
ó (conj.)ósó ba, ó b’v
trítrínar, trínarbvtrínar, trínarbhv
v Used before vowel sounds
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