(no subject)

[kittydesade]

Cad is ainm duit? What's your name? (Lit. What is name to you?)
Tomás. Thomas.

Tomás is ainm dom. Thomas is my name. (Lit. Thomas is name to me.)

The forms dom (to me), duit (to you) combine the preposition to and the pronoun me in one word. Such forms are common in Irish and you will meet them again. (The book's phrasing, not mine.)

You may also ask:
Cé hé tusa? Who are you?
Mise Seán.
Is mise Áine.


Mise (I, me), tusa (you) - emphatic forms of pronouns
The forms mise and tusa are obtained from mé and tú by adding -se and -sa, which you have already met in Unit 1. These special forms are used when emphasis or contrast are required.

Is rúnaí mé. I am a secretary.
Is rúnaí mise freisin. I am also a secretary.
An múinteoir tú? Are you a teacher?
An múinteoir tusa? Are YOU a teacher? (Side note: That is singularly unhelpful, an example lacking context or explanation.)

It would not do to just stress the mé or tú in the first and third sentences here, the 'emphatic' forms are needed as well as added stress. Another example involving contrast is mise agus tusa (me and you) where the basic mé/tú are not possible. Naming, and enquiries about names, also require these special forms.

The full set of emphatic forms: mise, tussa, seisean, sise, sinne, sibhse, siadsan
e.g.
Tá mé réidh. I am ready.
Tá mise réidh... these examples are crap.


I've discovered an incredibly hilarious and yet mean impulse in myself. If I could figure out a way to do this without spending ridiculous amounts of travel money I would totally go up to some of the GOP candidates in my usual clothes, with some plain/natural makeup on, maybe, okay, maybe slightly fancier clothes. Hair brushed and pulled back in my usual ponytail, and talk as I normally do. I would ask them some questions about issues, health care, immigration, the economy, whatever, and record their answers.

Then I would go out in the sun for a couple of days, get a tan, put on makeup slightly more decorative or warpaintlike in accordance with said tan, put on a leather jacket and my cowgirl boots and some jeans and dress, well, like me only slightly more aggressive, and speak Spanish till I started picking up an accent even when I spoke English. Then I'd go ask them the questions again, and see how long it takes before I cater to their expectations just to watch them dance.

I am a bad, bad person.

Anyway. Mostly caught up on tags! Or at least, most of the tags I owe are now less than a month old, which is a plus. Still haven't finished all the Nanowrimo icons I wanted to, but, soon. And other than dealing with my to-do list I'm pretty well caught up on shit. For which I am fairly surprised and very pleased. Now I just have to remind myself that not managing to do full, regular exercises for a few weeks probably will take its toll, even if it's only in small ways. Argh. Two steps forward, one step back. Which is still forward progress. Slowly but surely.

Also, still learning Irish. Ohyeah.