nárbh

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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 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
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