User:Erisceres/O'Nolan's Introduction to Studies in Modern Irish

Lesson I: Classification Sentences Using Masculine Nouns and Pronouns with the Copula and an Indefinite Predicate

Key: copula, predicate, subject, conjunction.

The Copula

In copular syntax, a subject is described by a predicate, while the copula is the word that links the two together. In present/future main clauses, is is the affirmative copular form, ní – which triggers h-prothesis – is the negative copular form, and an is the interrogative copular form.

Vocabulary:

• is – affirmative copula
• ní^H – negative copula
• an – interogative copula

The Known Masculine Subject

Where the predicate consists of a masculine singular noun and the subject is already known (i.e. the subject just consists of “it”), the masculine disjunctive singular pronoun é is used for the subject. The demonstratives é seo and é sin equate to “this” and “that” respectively.

The Indefinite Predicate

In simple copular syntax, the indefinite predicate follows immediately after the copula, and precedes the subject:

• Is leabhar é. “It is a book.”

In intensive copular syntax, where the predicate is emphasised, the indefinite predicate precedes the copula while the neuter disjunctive singular predicate pronoun ea (only used in copular clauses) takes its original position:

• Leabhar is ea é. “It is a book” (rather than anything else suggested).

When responding to the interrogative, the affirmative form is is ea while the negative form is ní hea:

• An leabhar é sin? Ní hea. “Is that a book? No.”
• An peann é? Is ea. “Is it a pen? Yes.”

In the interrogative where the predicate is unknown, interrogative predicate pronouns are used instead of the copula:

• Cad é an rud é sin? Is leabhar é. “What is that thing? It is a book.”
• Cé acu leabhar nó peann é seo? Peann is ea é. “Which is this, a book or a pen? It is a pen.”
• Cé acu leabhar nó peann é sin? Ní leabhar ná peann é, ach lasán. “Which is that, a book or a pen? It is neither a book nor a pen, but a match.”

Note:

• Cad é an rud é sin? – This syntax has no copula element. The predicate is cad, “what”. In the subject, an rud é sin means “the sort of thing that that object is”; the preceding pronoun é refers to an rud.
• Cé acu leabhar nó peann é seo? – Again, this syntax has no copula element. The subject is simply é seo, “this”. Headed by the interrogative predicate pronoun cé, “which”, the subject presents an alternative divided by the conjunction nó, “or”; the preceding prepositional pronoun acu refers to this presented alternative leabhar nó peann, “a book or a pen”.