The genitive case has been the cause of misery for more Irish people than any other event in history, with the possible exception of the Great Hunger.
So as you might expect, the advice of the Bluffer's Guide is to pretend it doesnt exist.
Don't worry about it. Ignore it. Stick your fingers in your ears and go la-la-la-la-la.
Truth is, not even the native speakers understand the genitive, and it has effectively disappeared from the everyday spoken Irish in Connaught. If it doesn't worry them, why should you lose any sleep over it?
There is in fact, a school of thought which maintains the genitive was invented by the Christian Brothers as a particularly sadistic joke. They simply took advantage of the fact most Irish learners are native English speakers, and English doesn't have anything like the genitive case.
The nearest the Saxon tongue comes to it is the possessive case, and the profusion of grocer's apostrophes should come as a relief is you've ever been depressed by your inability to broaden, slenderise, syncopate, attenuate or add a vowel to indicate some obscure relationship.
The Bluffer recommendation is that you ignore them all. Still, if you really feel the need, and you need a shortcut, one is at hand. Thanks once more to those worderful peasants in Galway, who insist on speaking a living and changing language rather than one set out in textbooks, you can simply ignore the whole plethora of alternatives. Just slap a séimhuú in there, and carry on merrily.
We'll churn out a few more rules later on, but for now, this should do you. Where English has -'S, pulg in a H.
In fact, just like this: The Bluffer's Guide : An Gaid Bhluffáir
--
Gearóid Mac Cuinneagáin
Tá m'aerbhád lán d'eascanna
[ Previous Lesson ] [ Return to Index ] [ Next Lesson ]