Irish/Present tense in -idh

Present tense forms in -idh

In older forms of the language the 3rd person present verb forms were in -idh, e.g. féadaidh sé, ólaidh sé. These forms are still used in certain dialects and contexts. In Teileann they remain as normal present tense forms, in free variation with forms in -ann. Further north they appear to be only used as a "historical present" in a narrative register.

The historical present

The forms in -idh can be used in the narrative register to refer to past actions, for example:

Ach goidé a rinne sé ach ar bhfeiceáil ar thógáil ruball Árd-na-gaoithe dó, agus pillidh sé.

These forms have been recorded in Toraigh