Panu Petteri Höglund
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Líne 7:
==Leid an Lae ó Phanu/Today's Tip from Panu==
===Má, mura, sula, nuair===
In English, we usually have present tense in a subordinate clause, '''when we have a future tense in the main clause''': '''''when''' he '''comes''' home, I''''ll''' be glad'', "'''if''' you understand this, you '''will''' pass the exam", "you '''will''' not be allowed in, '''unless''' you '''buy''' a ticket", "I '''will''' buy a ticket '''before''' I '''go''' in". In Irish, the story is a little more complicated:
* If the subordinate clause is introduced with the conjunction ''nuair'', it has a future tense form: ''nuair a thiocfaidh sé abhaile, beidh lúcháir orm''. (In those dialects which add ''-s'' to the present and future forms of the verb in a direct relative clause, it is also usually added in a ''nuair'' clause: ''nuair a thiocfas sé abhaile...'' However, this -s is not a part of the Caighdeán, so we will not use it on the Vicipéid.)
* If it is a ''má'' clause, it functions as in English: ''má thuigeann tú an méid seo, gheobhaidh tú pas sa scrúdú''.
* If it is a ''sula/sara'' ("before") or a ''mura/muna/mana'' ("unless") clause, the story is more complicated. Present tense seems to be the caighdeán recommendation, thus ''mura gceannaíonn tú ticéad, ní bheidh cead isteach agat'', and some writers follow it. However, the reality is, that with these two conjunctions, traditional Gaeltacht speech (and Ó Dónaill's Irish-English dictionary, which is a treasure trove of great Gaeltacht Irish) has preferred either future tense: ''mura gceannóidh tú ticéad, ní bheidh cead isteach agat'', ''ceannóidh mé ticéad sula rachaidh mé isteach'' or present subjunctive: ''mura gceannaí tú ticéad, ní bheidh cead isteach agat'', ''ceannóidh mé ticéad sula dté mé isteach''. Present subjunctive seems not to be taught at schools these days, but it is still quite a living form, and often encountered in literature.
If you read Connemara literature, you will see that ''sula'' has there the form ''sul má'', and that it is followed by the ''-s'' form of the future tense: ''ceannóidh mé ticéad sul má rachfas mé isteach''. This is dialect however and should not be imitated by us.
Questions are welcome, as usually.
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