PrepositionNounIdioms

=0. Contents=


 * 1) General facts about preposition/noun idioms
 * 2) //à// + noun idioms: //às aonais//, //às dèidh//, //às eugmhais//, //às leth//
 * 3) //air// + noun idioms: //air beulaibh//, //air cùl//, //air feadh//, //air muin//, //air sgàth//, //air son//, //air tàilleabh//, //air tòir//
 * 4) //ann aN// + noun idioms: //an aghaidh//, //an àite//, //am broinn//, //an ceann//, //an coinneamh//, //an cois//, //an comhair//, //an dèidh//, //am feadh//, //am fianais//, //an làthair//, //an luib//, //am measg//
 * 5) //do// + noun idioms: //a dh'aindeoin//, //a chum//, //a dh'ionnsaigh//, //a rèir//, //a thaobh//
 * 6) //mu// + noun idioms: //mu choinneimh//, //mu chomhair//, //mun chuairt//, //mu dheidhinn//, //mu thimcheall//
 * 7) //ri// + noun idioms: //ri linn//, //ri taobh//

This page is about preposition/noun idioms in Gaelic, like //ri taobh// (beside), or //mu dheidhinn// (about). You can read more general information about prepositions themselves here.

=1. General facts about preposition/noun idioms=

a. In addition to the "simple" prepositions, Gaelic also has a large number of **preposition/noun idioms** (sometimes called "complex" prepositions), each of which consists of two words: (a) a dative-governing preposition; and (b) a noun functioning as its complement.

For example:
 * //às dèidh// (after)
 * //air beulaibh// (in front of)
 * //ri taobh// (beside)

b. The noun in these preposition/noun idioms takes an obligatory noun **modifier**, which must be in the genitive case and must follow the noun.

For example:
 * //às dèidh a' gheama// (after the game), where //geama// is the genitive singular form of the masculine noun //gèam// (game).
 * //air beulaibh nan uinneagan// (in front of the windows), where //nan uinneagan// is the genitive form of //na h-uinneagan// (the windows).
 * //ri taobh na h-aibhne// (beside the river), where //aibhne// is the genitive singular form of the feminine noun //abhainn// (river).

c. These preposition/noun idioms are syntactically complex but semantically simple. This can be seen by comparing the surface and deep dependencies involved in a sentence like //Tha an eaglais ri taobh na h-aibhne// (the church is beside the river), as follows:



In terms of surface syntax, the simple preposition //ri// (against) acts as the predicate of the copula verb //tha//, in the usual way, the noun //taobh// (side) is the complement of //ri//, and the genitive noun //aibhne// (river) modifies this noun. However, the deep, semantic dependencies present a much simpler picture - the predicate is //taobh// (side), its theme is //eaglais// (church) and its landmark is //aibhne// (river), similar to the simple prepositions described above. This property (complex syntax but simple semantics) is what makes //ri taobh// an "idiom".

d. Just like with the simple dative-governing prepositions, every preposition/noun idiom comes with six or seven conjugated variants, to be used when the "landmark" role is assigned to a personal pronoun. These consist of the relevant simple preposition, the relevant possessive article, and the noun.

For example:
 * //ri mo thaobh// (beside me), rather than * //ri taobh mi// (an alternative form is //rim thaobh// ).
 * //air ar beulaibh// (in front of us), rather than * //air beulaibh sinn//.

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=2. //à// + noun idioms=

2.1. //às aonais//
without, in the absence of às aonais mo pheathar (without my sister)

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2.2. //às dèidh//
after às dèidh a' gheama (after the game) also: às deaghaidh

coimhead às dèidh + GEN (to look after sb - anglicism?); Tha mi an dòchas gu bheil thu a' coimhead às dèidh Dìleas. (I hope that you are looking after Dileas);

A dedicated page about às dèidh / an dèidh

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2.3. //às eugmhais//
without

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2.4. //às leth//
on behalf of

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=3. //air// + noun idioms=

3.1. //air beulaibh//
in front of air beulaibh nan uinneagan (in front of the windows)

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3.2. //air cùl//
behind air cùl an taighe (behind the house) air cùlaibh?

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3.3. //air feadh//
throughout, amongst air feadh na h-Alba (throughout Scotland)

Tha na 129 buill de Phàrlamaid na h-Alba a’ sireadh gaisgich ionadail **air feadh** na h-Alba. (The 129 members of the Scottish Parliament are searching for local heroes throughout Scotland)

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3.4. //air muin//
on top of

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3.5. //air sgàth//
for the sake of, on account of air sgàth na cloinne (on account of the children)

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3.6. //air son//
for (the sake of) air son do mhàthar (for your mother)

Cheannaich a màthair geansaidh ùr **airson** Anna. (Her mother bought a new jumper for Anna) Chluich Anna a' chlàrsach **airson** uair a thìde. (Anna played the harp for an hour) Chaidh sinn **airson** cofaidh. (We went for coffee)

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3.7. //air tàilleabh//
because of, on account of air tàilleabh a' bhoireannaich seo (because of this woman) also: air shàilleabh

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3.8. //air tòir//
in pursuit of, after, in search of air tòir an ionmhais (in search of treasure)

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=4. //ann aN// + noun idioms=

4.1. //an aghaidh//
against an aghaidh na gaoithe (against the wind)

4.2. //an àite//
an àite an airgid

4.3. //am broinn//
inside, within an broinn na màileid

4.4. //an ceann//
within

4.5. //an coinneamh//
to meet

4.6. //an cois//
beside, at the side of, accompanying an cois an rathaid

4.7. //an comhair//
in the direction of, -wards an comhair a cinn

4.8. //an dèidh//
after an dèidh a' gheama (after the game) also: an deaghaidh

A dedicated page about às dèidh / an dèidh

4.9. //am feadh//
throughout am feadh na h-Alba (throughout Scotland)

4.10. //am fianais//
in the presence of

4.11. //an làthair//
in the presence of

4.12. //an lùib//
along with, in contact with an lùib na litreach

4.13. //am measg//
among(st), amid(st), in the midst of am measg dhaoine bochda (among poor people)

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=5. //do// + noun idioms=

a chum - for the purpose of


 * = a dh'aindeoin ||= despite, in spite of, irrespective of ||= a dh'aindeoin nan duilgheadasan ||= i.e. do ||
 * = a dh'ionnsaigh ||= towards ||= a dh'ionnsiagh a' bhaile (towards the town) ||= i.e. do ||
 * = a rèir ||= according to, in proportion to ||= a rèir c(h)oltais ||= i.e. do ||
 * = a thaobh ||= about, concerning, with regard to, with reference to, regarding ||= a thaobh a' chòrr dheth ||= i.e. do ||

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=6. //mu// + noun idioms=


 * = mun chuairt ||= about, round about ||= mu chuairt a' chaisteil mhòir (round about the big castle) ||=  ||
 * = mu choinneimh ||= before, in the presence of, in front of, in preparation for, opposite ||= mu choinneamh nan taighean ||=   ||
 * = mu dheidhinn ||= about, concerning ||= mu dheidhinn a' ghaoil (about love) ||=  ||
 * = mu thimcheall ||= about, around, regarding ||= mu thimcheall choilltean ||=   ||

mu chomhair - opposite

An cuala tu mu dheidhinn Iain agus Ealasaid? (Did you hear / Have you heard about John and Elizabeth?) Tha mi duilich mu dheidhinn sin. (I am sorry about that.);

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=7. //ri// + noun idioms=


 * = ri linn ||= during, because of, with regard to ||= ri linn nam mearachdan sin ||=   ||
 * = ri taobh ||= beside ||= ri taobh a' chait (beside the cat) ||=  ||

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fa choimhair - opposite gu ruige - as far as, up to
 * = os cionn ||= over, above ||= os cionn an dorais (above the door) ||=  ||

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