Gaelic has no words for 'yes' or 'no'.
Coming from English, where we rely on yes and no for a lot of our conversation (especially 'no' if you are around toddlers) this sounds a bit alien.
How can you get by with no 'yes' and 'no'?
Here is a quick look at how it works.
The quick answer is that you answer questions by using the positive statement form for yes and the negative statement form for no. However there are a few different ways this can look: There are several different sentence types in Gaelic. Let's look at the two most common: 1. Someone is/was/will be somethinging and 2. someone somethinged or will something. The first type of sentence is one that has the -ing form of the verb (aka. verbal noun or presentparticiple). For example "I am running" or "She was taking to him" or "We will be going on vacation on Tuesday." In Gaelic these types of sentences are made like this:
The verb 'to be', subject (noun or pronoun), -ing form of the verb.
Examples:
Tha mi ag obair. = I am working.
Bha iad ag òl tì. = They were drinking tea.
Bidh sinn a' dannsa. = We will be dancing.
Because the verb 'to be' is the main verb, all questions will be answered with that verb.
Here is what it looks like.
A bheil? ---> yes = tha no= chan eil
An robh? ---> yes = bha no= cha robh
Am bi? -----> yes = bidh no= cha bhi
The second type of sentence is one in which there is no verb 'to be'. For example: I walked. They ate. You said....
In this case:
yes= the positive statement form of the verb in the tense the question was asked in.
no= the negative statement form of the verb in the tense the question was asked in.
Examples: An cuir thu e air a' bhord? (will you put it on the table?) yes = cuiridh. no = Cha chuir. As you can see this means that there is a different word for 'yes' and 'no' for every different verb in this type of sentence. The key is to listen to the first part of the sentence to see what verb is being used.
An do dh'òl thu an tì? (did you drink the tea?) yes = Dh' òl no= Cha do dh' òl.
As an expert in linguistics and computational models, I have extensively studied various languages, including Gaelic. My training data includes a vast array of linguistic patterns, grammar rules, and cultural nuances up until January 2022.
Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the article about the Gaelic language:
-
Absence of 'Yes' and 'No' in Gaelic: The Gaelic language does not have direct words for 'yes' and 'no' as English does. Instead, Gaelic employs a more nuanced approach to affirming or negating statements.
-
Positive and Negative Statement Forms: In Gaelic, the way to answer questions often revolves around using the positive statement form to signify 'yes' and the negative statement form to signify 'no'.
-
Two Common Sentence Types in Gaelic:
- Type 1: Sentences that use the "-ing" form of the verb.
- Structure: The verb 'to be' + subject (noun or pronoun) + -ing form of the verb.
- Examples:
- "Tha mi ag obair" = I am working.
- "Bha iad ag òl tì" = They were drinking tea.
- "Bidh sinn a' dannsa" = We will be dancing.
- Type 2: Sentences without the verb 'to be'.
- Structure: For affirmative or negative answers, one refers to the verb tense used in the question.
- Examples:
- "An do dh'òl thu an tì?" (did you drink the tea?)
- yes = Dh' òl
- no = Cha do dh' òl.
- "An cuir thu e air a' bhord?" (will you put it on the table?)
- yes = cuiridh
- no = Cha chuir.
- Type 1: Sentences that use the "-ing" form of the verb.
-
Variability with Different Verbs: For Type 2 sentences, because there is no universal 'yes' or 'no', the affirmative or negative response varies based on the specific verb used in the question. This means listeners must pay attention to the verb in the question to know how to respond appropriately.
In essence, while English speakers are accustomed to using 'yes' and 'no' as straightforward affirmations or denials, Gaelic speakers navigate their conversations using the context and verb structures to convey agreement or disagreement. This linguistic structure not only offers a unique insight into Gaelic grammar but also showcases the intricacies and richness of the language.
