Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns describe qualities or concepts rather than concrete objects. In Irish, many abstract nouns are formed from adjectives, such as turning ‘good’ (maith) into ‘goodness’ (maitheas). They are essential for expressing degrees and comparisons and are divided into two main types: ordinary and gradual.

Ordinary Abstract Nouns

An ordinary abstract noun (an t-ainmfhocal teibí gnách) expresses a quality in a general sense, without reference to a specific person or thing possessing it.

Formation

Ordinary abstract nouns are typically formed from adjectives in several ways:

Many adjectives can form more than one abstract noun. For example, from maith (good), you can have maith, maithe, and maitheas.

Usage

These nouns express a general quality and are often used with the definite article.

• Ní maith liom an dorchadas. - I don’t like darkness.

Gradual Abstract Nouns

The gradual abstract noun (an t-ainmfhocal teibí céime) is used to express a specific degree or extent of a quality. It is closely related to the comparative form of the adjective and is sometimes called the “abstract comparative”.

Formation

• For adjectives ending in -ach, -mhar, or a vowel, the gradual form is the same as the comparative.
  • dá chrua é (from crua)
  • dá aistí é (from aisteach)
  • dá ghreannmhaire é (from greannmhar)
• This also applies to adjectives whose comparative ends in -a.
  • dá dheacra é - however difficult it may be
  • dá fhearúla é - however manly he may be
• Other adjectives use either the comparative form or the comparative with -(e)acht or -íocht added.
  • minic -> minice or minicíocht
  • moch -> moiche or moicheacht
  • ard -> airde or airdeacht
• Some adjectives use a special form, such as maith (good), which uses feabhas (improvement, excellence) as its gradual abstract noun instead of maitheas or maithe.

Usage

The gradual abstract noun is used when indicating the extent or degree of a quality, especially in the specific grammatical structures outlined below.

• méid na donachta - the extent of the wickedness

Syntax of Gradual Abstract Nouns

Gradual abstract nouns appear in several important constructions to express comparison and degree. These often involve the particles a, cá, and dá.

a + Abstract Noun: Expressing ‘How…’

This structure is used to make a statement about the degree of a quality, equivalent to English phrases like “how good he is” or “how little money you have”.

The particle a causes lenition.

This construction can be combined with prepositions:

• Fuair sé ardmholadh trina fheabhas a rinne sé an obair. - He received great praise for how well he did the work. (trina = trí + a)

Certain prepositions create fixed phrases:

• ar a laghad - at least
• ar a mhéad - at most
• ar a luaithe - at the earliest
• ar a dhéanaí - at the latest
• ar a fheabhas - excellently

With the conjunction agus, it can describe a circumstance:

• Tá sé go han-mhaith agus a óige atá sé. - He is very good, considering how young he is.

With ach, it has a restrictive sense:

• Sin é an bealach is fearr ach a dheacracht atá sé. - That is the best way, even if it is difficult.

This structure can also be translated as “as … as”:

• Labhramar a laghad Béarla agus ab fhéidir. - We spoke as little English as possible.

Cá + Abstract Noun: Asking ‘How…?’

To form a direct or indirect question about the degree of a quality, cá is used.

This cá is a combination of the interrogative word cá and the particle a (cá < cá + a), so it causes lenition.

When forming an indirect question, you must use cá or its equivalent.

• Níl a fhios agam cá fheabhas atá sé. - I don’t know how good he is. (Indirect question)
• Is iontach a fheabhas atá sé. - It is astonishing how good he is. (Not an indirect question)

dá + Abstract Noun: Expressing ‘However…’

The particle dá is used to mean “however…” (e.g., “however good he is”). It is formed from the preposition de and the particle a (dá < de + a) and causes lenition.

This construction has several variations depending on the verb and sentence structure.

With Verbs

• dá + noun + direct relative clause: dá fheabhas a rinne sé é - however well he did it
• dá + noun + indirect relative clause: dá fheabhas a ndearna sé é - however well he did it
• dá + noun + dá + indirect relative clause: dá fheabhas dá ndearna sé é - however well he did it

With the Verb bí

• dá + noun + direct relative clause: dá fheabhas atá sé - however good he is
• dá + noun + dá + indirect relative clause: dá fheabhas dá bhfuil sé - however good he is
• dá + noun + subject (verb bí omitted): dá dheacracht é - however difficult it may be

With Nouns

• dá + noun + noun + relative clause: dá mhéad dúil a bhí aige ann - however much he liked it
• dá + noun + de + noun: dá laghad de dhuine - however insignificant a person
• noun + dá + noun (attributive): amhras dá laghad - the slightest doubt (literally, “a doubt, however small”)

This attributive use is common in negative sentences:

• Níl amhras dá laghad faoi. - There is not the slightest doubt about it.

The Bigger, The Better

To express a proportional relationship like “the bigger, the better,” Irish uses the dá construction in the first clause.

This structure links the degree of one quality to the degree of another.

• Dá laghad a gcím díot is amhlaidh is fearr dom. - The less I see of you, the better for me.
• Dá mhéad dá smaoiním is ea is measctha a bhíonn mo smaointe. - The more I think, the more confused my thoughts are.

Expressing Gradual Change: ‘Getting Better’

To describe a process of change, such as something “getting better” or “getting worse”, Irish uses the verb téigh (to go) with the preposition i (in) and a gradual abstract noun.

• Rachaidh sé i bhfeabhas amárach. - It will get better tomorrow.

The preposition chun (to) can also be used.

• Tá sé ag dul chun donachta. - It is getting worse.