nárbh

Irish

Alternative forms

• nárbh’, nár bh’ (superseded)

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.

Related terms

Irish copular forms

Simple copular forms Present/future Affirmative Negative Interrogative Neg. inter. Main clauses is ní an nach Direct relative clauses nach Indirect relative clauses ar, arbv Other subordinate clauses gur, gurbv an nach Past/conditional Affirmative Negative Interrogative Neg. inter. Main clauses ba, b’v níor, níorbhv ar, arbhv nár, nárbhv Direct relative clauses ba, abv nár, nárbhv Indirect relative clauses ar, arbhv Other subordinate clauses gur, gurbhv ar, arbhv nár, nárbhv Present subjunctive Affirmative Negative gura, gurabv nára, nárabv		Compound copular forms Base word Present/future Past/conditional cá cár, cárbv cár, cárbhv cé cér, cérbv cér, cérbhv dá dá mba, dá mb’v de/do dar, darbv dar, darbhv faoi faoinar, faoinarbv faoinar, faoinarbhv i inar, inarbv inar, inarbhv le lenar, lenarbv lenar, lenarbhv má más má ba, má b’v mura mura, murabv murar, murarbhv ó (prep.) ónar, ónarbv ónar, ónarbhv ó (conj.) ós ó ba, ó b’v trí trínar, trínarbv trínar, trínarbhv
v Used before vowel sounds