Book 2:
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Preface
Phonetics

Dictionary

exercise LXXXVIII

§ 496. The form ant of the article

We have already seen that the ordinary form of the article "the" is an. We have also seen that after some prepositions the longer and older form san is used. We have now to see that another old form ant is sometimes yet used.

§ 497. The form ant, of the article is used before MASCULINE NOUNS, but only when these nouns are inthe NOMINATIVE CASE, thus ant uan, the lamb; olann an uian, the wool of the lamb (genetive or possessive case). Leis an uan, with the lamb (dative case)

We have already stated a rule from which the gender of most nouns can be easily learned from the ending of the world.

In the spoken language this t, really part of the article, is pronounced as part of the following word, and hence we usually write it t-uan (thoo'-ăn), an t-am (thom), etc.

§ 498 Translate into English

• Ċonnaic mé an fiaḋ duḃ indém, amuiġ ar an sliaḃ.
• An ḃean agus an t-uan.
• Níl an t-urlár glan: atá gual air.
• An ḃfaca sé an t-iolar ins an spéir.
• Ċonnaic sé; agus ḃí an t-uan agus an t-eun marḃ.
• Atá deifir ṁór ar an uan úd.
• Ḃí cuṁa ar an eun, nuair bní a ṁáṫair marḃ.
• Taḃair an ṁin do’n eun sin, atá ocras air.
• Ná taḃair an deoċ úd do’n uan.
• Atá an t-asal ag an doras.

§ 499. Translate into Irish

• The lamb is outside at the door.
• The horse and the ass are coming home from the well, they are not thirsty, they are hungry.
• The eagle is on the cliff, he is angry.
• The lime is is white, the wall is black.
• Put the bread in your pocket, you are hungry.
• The gold is heavy, the silver is bright.
• Put the knife on the floor, the floor is clean.

note that
phonetic
symbols
are not
necessarily pronounced
as in English

See § 13-16