Ainmfhocal + ainmfhocal
Noun + noun
Nuair a bhíonn dhá ainmfhocal ag seasamh le chéile san aon fhrása amháin, gan aon alt eatarthu, agus an chéad ainmfhocal á cháiliú ag an dara ceann, caithfidh an dara ceann a bheith sa tuiseal ginideach:
When two nouns stand in a phrase together, without any article between them, and the first noun is qualified by the second, the second noun must be in the genitive case:
do chárta aitheantais
your identity card (lit. your card of identity)
an scéal grinn
the funny story (lit. the story of humour)
Deirtear gur ainmfhocal éiginnte é an dara hainmfhocal, sé sin le rá nach bhfuil alt roimhe agus nach ainmfhocal dílis é.
We say that the second noun is an indefinite noun, which is another way of saying that it does not have an article before it and it is not a proper noun.
Pléann an téacs seo le cásanna nuair a leanann ainmfhocal éiginnte ainmfhocal eile. Clúdaíonn sé seo freisin cásanna nuair is ainm briathartha é ceann ar bith de na hainmfhocail, mar shampla dearadh leathanach Idirlín agus an próiseas dearaidh (ó dearadh, ainm briathartha den bhriathar dear). Is ionann ainm briathartha agus ainmfhocal anseo.
This text deals with cases when an indefinite noun follows another noun. This also covers cases when one of the nouns is a verbal noun, for example (web page design, lit. design of pages of Internet) and (the design process, lit. the process of design), from (designing), the verbal noun of (to design). Nouns and verbal nous are treated the same here.
Tuiseal ainmneach agus tabharthach (uimhir uatha)
Nominative and dative case (singular)
Nuair atá an chéad ainmfhocal san uimhir uatha agus sa tuiseal ainmneach nó tabharthach:
When the first noun is in the singular and in the nominative or dative case:
Más firinscneach an chéad ainmfhocal, ná cuirtear séimhiú ar an dara hainmfhocal:
If the first noun is masculine, no mutation on the second:
bád seoil
sailing boat (lit. boat of sail)
An Garda Síochána
lit. the guardian of peace
Más baininscneach an chéad ainmfhocal:
If the first noun is feminine:
Uaireannta bíonn ar dhaoine séimhiú a chur ar an dara hainmfhocal ar nós dá mba aidiacht é:
Sometimes people aspirate the second noun as if it were an adjective:
an scoil ghnó
the business school
Uaireannta eile ní bhíonn:
Sometimes they don't:
an scoil gnó
the business school
An chuid is mó den am is cuma cé acu an bhfuil nó nach bhfuil an séimhiú ann mar ní chothaíonn sé sin aon doiléire. Uaireannta eile, áfach, is féidir an séimhiú a úsáid chun difríocht idir coincheapa éagsúla a chur in iúl, agus doiléire a sheachaint:
Most of the time it does not matter whether your aspirate or not because no ambiguity is caused. Some other times, though, the aspiration can be used to differentiate between different concepts and to avoid ambiguity:
monarcha bhrící = monarcha atá déanta as brící, cuma cén rud a tháirgtear sa mhonarcha.
a brick factory = a factory made of bricks, whatever it makes.
monarcha brící = monarcha a tháirgíonn brící, cuma cén t-ábhar as ar tógadh í.
a brick factory = a factory that makes bricks, whatever it was built of.
Sa chás seo, úsáidtear an séimhiú chun cur in iúl gur dlúthchuid den mhonarcha iad na brící, agus úsáidtear an loime (= easpa séimhithe) chun cur in iúl nach dlúthchuid den mhonarcha iad.
In this case, the aspiration is used to communicate that the bricks are an integral part of the factory, while lack of aspiration says that they are not an integral part of it.
Tá moltaí déanta ag an Choiste Téarmaíochta i dtaobh na ceiste seo, le fáil anseo.
The Terminology Committee has made some recommendations regarding this matter, available here.
Tuiseal ginideach (uimhir uatha)
Genitive case (singular)
Nuair atá an frása iomlán sa tuiseal ginideach, caithfear an chéad ainmfhocal a chur sa tuiseal ginideach, agus má tá alt roimhe, caithfear na gnáthrialacha a leanúint chun oibriú amach an bhfuil séimhiú ag teastáil air freisin. Tá an dara hainmfhocal sa tuiseal ginideach cheana féin.
When the whole phrase is in the genitive case, the first noun must be put in the genitive case and if there is an article before it, the usual rules must be observed to work out if a mutation is needed. The second noun is in the genitive case already.
Más baininscneach an chéad ainmfhocal, ná cuirtear aon chlaochlú ar an dara ceann:
If the second noun is feminine, no mutation on the second noun:
an scoil gnó/ghnó > foirgneamh na scoile gnó
the business school > the business school building
Más firinscneach an chéad ainmfhocal:
If the forst noun is masculine:
Má chríochnaíonn tuiseal ginideach an chéad ainmfhocail ar chonsan caol, cuir séimhiú ar an dara hainmfhocal:
If the genitive case of the first noun ends with a slender consonant, aspirate the second noun:
scéal grinn > ag insint scéil ghrinn
a funny story > telling a funny story
an fód móna > méid an fhóid mhóna
the patch of turf > the size of the patch of turn
Ná cuirtear séimhiú, áfach, má chríochnaíonn an chéad ainmfhocal ar cheann de na consain d, n, t, l, s agus má thosaíonn an dara hainmfhocal ar cheann ar bith de na consain seo freisin (riail an "dentals"):
Don't aspirate, though, if the first noun ends with one of the consinants d, n, t, l, s and if the second noun also begins with one of those consonants (the "dentals" rule):
an bád seoil > captaen an bháid seoil
the saling boat > captain of the sailing boat
Má chríochnaíonn tuiseal ginideach an chéad ainmfhocail ar chonsan leathan nó ar ghuta, arís, is conspóideach an cheist í ar cheart nó nár cheart séimhiú a chur ar an dara hainmfhocal.
If the genitive case of the first noun ends with a broad consonant or a vowel, again, it is controversial question whether the second noun should or shouldn't be aspirated.
Deir daoine áirithe gur cheart, ar nós dá mba aidiacht é:
Some people say that it should, as if it were an adjective:
ár gcomhlacht garáiste
our garage company
> deireadh ár gcomhlachta gharáiste
> the end of our garage company
Deir daoine eile nár cheart, mar ní aidiacht é:
Other people say it shouldn't because it is not an adjective:
> deireadh ár gcomhlachta garáiste
> the end of our garage company
Uaireannta is féidir an difríocht idir bríonna éagsúla a chur in iúl trí úsáid nó neamhúsáid an tséimhithe:
Sometimes, the difference bewteen different meanings can be expressed by using or not using aspiration:
an bosca páipéir
the paper box
> dath an bhosca pháipéir, más bosca déanta as páipéar atá i gceist
> the colour of the paper box, if a box made of paper is meant
> dath an bhosca páipéir, más bosca líonta le páipéar atá i gceist
the colour of the paper box, if a box filled with paper is meant
Uimhir iolra (gach tuiseal)
Plural (all cases)
Má chríochnaíonn an chéad ainmfhocal ar chonsan caol, cuirtear séimhiú ar an dara hainmfhocal:
If the first noun ends with a slender consonant, aspirate the second noun:
bunachar sonraí > bunachair shonraí
database (lit. base of data) > databases
oifigeach cánach > oifigigh chánach
tax official (lit. official of tax) > tax officials
Slabhrú
Chaining
Nuair a bhíonn slabhra frásaí den chineál seo sa téacs, cuirtear na rialacha céanna i bhfeidhm arís is arís eile:
When a chain of phrases of this kind of occurs in text, the same rules are applied again and again:
sonraí
data
bunachair shonraí
databases, literally bases of data
dearadh bunachar sonraí
database design, literally design of bases of data
próiseas deartha bunachar sonraí
the database design process, literally process of design of bases of data
Tá nós ann sa ghnáthchaint, áfach, an tuiseal ginideach a sheachaint i slabhraí fada casta, mar shampla bata fear siúil in ionad bata fir shiúil.
There is a tendency in every-day speech, though, to avoid the genitive case in long complicated chains, for examle (a walking man's stick) instead of (...).
Michal Boleslav Měchura
valselob@hotmail.com