prep
-te, -ti added to comparatives, corresponding in
sense to Lat. eo, Eng. the. Identical with 1 de, di
from it,
because of it. In Oir. still treated as an independent word
and always written de (
dé,
Wb. 22 d 2
;
dæ,
Ml. 90 a 11
= de); in Mid.-Ir. wholly enclitic and written together
with the comparative, the unaspirated, now intervocalic, -d-
according to the rules of spelling being written -t-: córaite
(Oir. córu de). -d slender at all phases of the language
and never discarded (Quiggin's explanation of `a chách,'
Quiggin Vorton. Wörter 34
, is wrong). Its place is immediately after the
comparative, only exceptionally separated from it by an
enclitic word as
Ml. 23 d 23
: [im]mi ardu ni de;
ib. 83 b 11
:
bid étrummu doib de.
In certain points the Mid.-Ir. usage diverges from Oir.
In the Glosses -de is used proleptically, referring in a
general way to a cause which follows introduced by the
prep. di or trí, e.g.:
A robtar erdarcu de dind ulc
doratad forru they were the more famous for the evil that
was inflicted on them
Ml. 47 a 18
. airmi ardu ni de tri
dul isna lucu arda for we are the higher for going into high
places
ib. 23 d 23
.
is huilliu de mo ḟreiscsiu do (= di) neuch
rorádis su,
Thes. ii 2. 34
.
.
—B (di, tri + vn. + gen.) conid
étrummu dæ in bochtae...tri frescissin messa fíriéin
ind ríg doib iarum so that the poverty is the lighter through
their expectation of the just judgment of the king afterwards
Ml. 90 a 11
. is moltaidiu de tri tabairt fortachtan cid du
neuch nachidáirilli it is the more praiseworthy through
giving help even to one who does not deserve it
ib. 84 c 13
.
(
LU 60 a 38
fri seems used in a similar way: rafetammár
ém in gilla sin ┐ ní messaite fria fis is dalta dún.)
—
In Mid.-Ir. the prepositional expression was completely
abandoned. The usage is illustrated by the following
examples.
A corresp. to A above: is moti a pian som
cach olc dorónsat their suffering is the greater for the
evil they have committed
LU 33 b 3
.
ba nertiti leis a menma na scéla adfiadar
dó in gilla,
SCC § 20
. is córaiti hí a fromad ima hairigthib
it is the more fit for having been tested
Laws ii 252. 12
.
ferrdi re fer na haicdi a bith urrlum the owner of the article
is the better pleased for its being ready
ib. ii 414. 23
. Cf.
i
152. 23
;
ii 88. 5
;
iii 418. 5
.
finnaid dún in líon atám. ni
meisde nech uaib a rád,
Acall. 1101. 6528
.
comad móti
in pian dó beth beo co fotai isin croich,
PH 2439
. rocumbrig
Ísu in ernaigthe sea...co mbad erusaite do chách a mebrugud
a beth cummair that it should be the easier to remember to
every one for being short
ib. 7862
.
B corresp.
to B above: ni mescaiti hé in lind dól he is none the
more intoxicated for having drunk the ale
Laws iii 202. 6
(Oir. †
ní mescu de dóul (or di óul) ind lenno dó,
RC xxxvii 218
). is bindide sian na
bó a laeg do légan lé the bellowing of the cow is the more
melodious for her calf being left with her
ib. v 62. 19
.
ib. 20
,
27
;
40. 10
.
i 138. 4 f.b.
ropo móde in firt sa do dénam
it was the greater for the working of this miracle (note on
Broccán's Hymn),
Thes. i 346. 21
. conid móti éstither riu
immad erlabra do dénum that the more attention would be
paid them for their much speaking
PH 7840
.
ni feirrde
neach bás súaiṁneach dḟaghbháil ara leabaidh dhó,
TSh.
236. 10
.—
Sg. 2 a 7
: bith má de do buith daitsiu hi coimthecht
oco it will be the greater for thy being associated in it, does
not represent the Mid.-Ir. type, as do is not the possessive
but the prep. di.
Often corresponding to preceding cach + subst.: cach
mét donóir ṡægalta i mbía nech is móiti a guasacht the
more a person possesses of worldly honour the greater his
danger
YBL 167 b 32
. cach airdi bias in torad bid
trumaidi a thuindseom ac toitim the higher the fruit...the
heavier
ib. 167 b 35
; but Mod.-Ir:
dá aoirde an toradh
iseadh is truime
, &c. Already
Laws iii 420. 3
f.b.
: cach
codnaidetu i mbia fer inmuillti is indligthiti cú. cach
éccodnatu i mbia fer inmuillti is dligthechaiti cú the more
sensible...the more unlawful, &c.
With multiplicatives: áibinniti fo deich ten times as
beautiful
LL 151 b 1
f.b.
áigthidiu de, áigthidite the more
dreaded
:
arimp áigthidiude,
Wb. 23 d 23
. ansu de, ansaite
the heavier
, eo gravius:
air is ansu de a dothaim mani airissedar ind lám fri talmain occo,
Ml. 131 b 4
. curap andsati
(v.l. ánsude),
Trip. 218. 20
. ardu de, ardaite the higher
:
cia
thés hi loc bes ardu ní ardu de,
Ml. 23 d 23
.
airtem .i.
airdiu de indem a eiṁ fair,
Laws ii 240. 1
. armad ardiu
crand is móide co mór benaid na gætha fris the higher a
tree is the more do the winds beat against it
YBL 167 b 32
.
roimpá form Finnachta ní ba airdite a ḟine,
LL 308 a 22
.
assu de, usaite the easier
:
is assu de tabairt in ferso
huachtaraig,
Ml. 107 c 16
.
usaite le in torad dogní ó láim
inn [f]uath ledb ina fiadnaisi,
Laws i 152. 23
. comad
usaidi do bidbaid a fagail (sc. the debts),
ib. iii 152. 13
.
ussaite,
Fél.² xxxii 34
. bindiu de, bindite the sweeter
:
is bindide sian na bó a laeg do légan le,
Laws v 62. 19
.
buidechu de, budigiu de, budechaiti the more satisfied:
tabar in deired fledi do mathib Lochlainne corop budechaiti
iat,
CRR 20. 8
. calmu de, calmaite the braver
:
is nertmairite┐ is calmaite in menma daenna,
PH 4801
. córu
de, córaite the more proper
: is córaiti hi a fromad ima
hairigthib it is the more fit for having been proved by its
tests
Laws ii 252. 12
. dánu de, dánaite the more audacious
:
co mbad dánaite tísad diabul dia aimsiugud,
PH 4781
.
deccru de the harder
:
deacraide,
TSh. 257. 26
.
BS 54. 10
. deissiu de: deiside the nicer, &c.
P. O'C.
1531
. dligthigiu de, dligthigite
, dligthechaiti the more
lawful
:
cach éccodnatu i mbia fer inmuillti is dligthechaiti
cú,
Laws iii 420. 1
f.b.
dligthidiu de, dligthite the more
lawful
:
cach codnaidetu i mbia fer inmuillti is indligthiti
cú,
ib. 420. 2 f.b.
Cf. dligite, indligite in the corresp. passage,
ib. 198. 17
sq.; but
dlighthighi,
ii 202. 6
,
dlithidhe,
iii 524. 2
do not, as Atkinson thinks, contain -de. dóchu de, dóchaite
the more likely
: dochaite in gním do dénum dó uair adeir
it is more likely that he has committed the deed for he says
so
Laws iii 110. 3
f.b.
Lism. L. 390 b
.
Anecd. ii 36 § 21
.
Bor. 105
.
dochaidi,
Miscell. Celt. Soc. 332. 15
.
dothíde,
Seanchaint 205
. doilgiu de, doilgite the more difficult:
anscuiche .i. is doilgiti a scuchad...ó bias fola lánlóige and,
Laws iii 12. 19
. duibiu de the blacker
:
duibhide,
P. O'C.
1531
. dúthrachtachu de, -taigite the more zealous,
earnest
:
cumad dúthrachtaigite dobérmaisne ár menmain
inár nernnaigthi,
PH 7849
. erdarcu de, erdarcaite the
more famous
Ml. 47 a 18
, quoted above. erusu de,
erusaite the easier:
co mbad erusaite do chách a mebrugud
a beth cummair,
PH 7862
. essamnu de, essamnaite
the more fearless: it essamnu de ar rofitetar is, &c.,
Wb.
23 b 12
. étrummu de, étrumaite the lighter
Ml. 90 a 11
,
quoted above.
dia tartaid si fortachtain doib som bid
étrummu doib de,
ib. 83 b 11
. ferr de the better
:
ciarud-chualatar ilbélre ┐ cenuslabratar nípat ferr de,
Wb. 12 d 28
.
bieid [ní ?] bes ferr de,
ib. 32 a 13
. cumad ḟearrde áith that
its strength might be the better
Laws ii 240. 6
. acht ferrdi
re fer na haicdi a bith urrluṁ the owner of the article is the
better pleased for its being ready
ib. 414. 23
.
is feardi in
fear sin na dána sin do chindemain aigi,
v 20. 27
.
nír bo
measaiti seom ┐ níbot ferdi sio,
YBL 112 a 48
.
ferrdi a
Íssa haithnisi,
Miscell. Celt. Soc. 338. 3
.
conid ferrde lemsa
cech pian fogéb ar ainm ṅDé,
PH 2427
.
dá mad hé in
bith uli dogébtha maille re díth tanma cá bud ḟerrde dosin,
ib. 7582
.
ní ferrde le Find féin scél do dénam fair,
Acall.
5358
. fíriánu de the more righteous
:
condid f.d.,
Wb.
2 a 7
. fotu de the longer
:
faidite,
Acall. 6811
. gairddiu
de, gardditi the shorter
:
gardditi lind éistecht riss mad
colléic,
LL 96 b 54
.
Acall. 6815
.
Laws ii 216. 7
. gairdi is
used in the same sense as gardditi, cf.
siaiti,
ib. l. 10
. giliu
de the brighter
:
gilide,
P. O'C. 1531
. imdu de, imdaite
the more abundant
: ut gratia habundet
.i. corop imdu de
duún,
Wb. 3 a 12
.
condib imdu de torand inna forgnúso,
Sg. 198 a 4
. inducbaidiu de the more glorious
:
robtar
i. de apud deum
,
Ml. 47 a 18
. irlamu de, urlamaite the
readier: omnis autem qui in agone contendit ab omnibus sé
abstinet
.i. armbad irlamu de don buaith,
Wb. 11 a 7
.
is
bés dósom cosc inna mban i tossug...armbat irlamude ind
ḟir fo chumachte Dæi,
ib. 22 c 10
. irlithiu de, irlithite the
more obedient:
armbat irlithiu dé mandatís dei
,
Wb. 22 d 2
.
ísliu de the lower
:
íslide,
Lec. 534 a 11
. lainniu de,
laindite the more eager
:
co mbad laindite leo in forcetul
do gabáil do láim,
PH 6759
. lemnethu de or slemnethu
de the more willing
:
ardislemnethu de do hícc inna
fiach,
Wb. 4 a 10
. lethnu de the broader
:
leithneide,
Rel. Celt. i 159. 101
. lia de, liaiteeo plus, eo plures
:
hóre am essamin se precepte...is lia de creitfess,
Wb. 23 b 7
.
imurcruidh dáine do thiachtain do chaithiuṁ in bídh célsine
uair nocha liauite in biad...cia beth, &c., for the food is not
the more plentiful though, &c.,
Laws ii 28. 17
. luathu de,
luathaite the quicker: is airi doníthar in tréiniugadh so orra
comad luathaide dosoisdís a féich dḟeichemain toichida,
Laws iii 152. 12
. lugu de, lugaiteeo minus
: ní lughaiti
dlighes in gairi do dénuṁ they are not the less bound to
undertake the maintenance
Laws ii 192. 5
.
noco lugaite
smacht ná díre in coma bith indligedh,
ib. iii 418. 5
.
cé
beith nech...noco lugaiti dligus a fochraic díc ris,
iv 48.
24
.
nuchu lugaidi is grád hé céli do beth aigi,
v 40. 10
.
dothéged Étáin cach dia dia athreos ┐ ba lugaide a galar
som ón do suidiu,
TE § 9
LU.
rodígaib a thuara ┐ nírbo
lugaide a nert Lugdach,
Thes. ii 344. 29
.
is aire roartraig in
taingel hi ṅgné solais in tṡnechta comad lugaiti nobídgtis
na banscala riana ḟacsin,
PH 3384
.
co mbad lugaide,
ib.
5207
.
(rotescad a tengaid) arái ní lugati dogníd sum
forcetul in popuil inní sin,
ib. 2549
.
scarad cuirp ┐ anma
┐ ni lugaite marus in tanumm,
ib. 7480
. mailliu de,
maillite the slower
:
is gnáth mirr do thabairt im chorpaib
dóine i nadnocul conid maillite thinaid,
PH 7023
. mescu de, mescaite the more intoxicated:
noco mescaiti
hé in lind dól,
Laws iii 202. 6
. messa de, mesaite, meiste,
miste the worse.
messude,
Trip. 218. 9
Eg. mesaidie:
cia...nir uó m.,
IT i 109. 6
. messaite:
rafetammar in gillu
sin ┐ ní m. fria fis is dalta dún,
LU 60 a 38
. mesaite
LU 54 a 17
.
messaiti,
SR 1244
.
LL 106 b d
. measaiti
YBL 112 a 48
.
SG 70. 24
. mesaidi FDG.
MR 14. 22
.
meisti:
is m. lóg a roind,
Laws iii 462. 17
,
19
.;
ib. 478. 24
.
mana derntai...bud meisti dáibh,
RC xiv 56
.
CRR 20 § 14
.
cá bud ḟerrdi ┐ cá bud mesti,
PH 7582
.
ní meisde nech
uaib (a rád),
SG 118. 25
.
miste,
ib. 97. 35
. misde:
is m.
nár bhuan a leithéit,
Atlantis iv 226. 4
.—Cf. messa s.v. olc. moltaidiu
de the more praiseworthy: is m. d. tri tabairt fortachtan,
Ml. 84 c 13
. móo de, móite eo maior, eo maius.
móo
de,
Wb. 2 a 8a
.
SCC § 10
.
mou de,
Ml. 53 c 13
. moaide
Laws ii 404. 11
.
mouite,
ii 22. 1
.
moaite,
ii 202. 1
.
mó
de,
Wb. 29 c 4
.
mode,
Thes. ii 346. 27
. bith má de eo
maius erit
Sg. 2 a 7
.
maiti,
Trip. 114. 22
. cumud móite,
Laws ii 22. 17
.
noco moite,
iii 406. 7 f.b.
ba mote,
LU
121 b 33
.
móti,
LL 206 a 21
.
PH p. 806 b
.
bid moti bas
trén mo scél,
LU 119 b 3
.
nucu moiti,
Laws ii 414. 2
.
móide,
ML 40. 9
.
moide,
Laws ii 88. 5
.
moidi,
ib. 350. 18
.
YBL 158 a 46
;
167 b 32
.—Cf. mór. nertaidiu de the
stronger
:
nertiti,
SCC § 20
. nertmairite the stronger
:
is
nertmairite ┐ is calmaite in menma daenna,
PH 4801
.
óibindiu de, áibinnite the more beautiful
:
is áibinniti fo
deich,
LL 151 b 1
f.b.
prapaiti the quicker
:
comad prapaidi noḟoirbred,
Lec. 441 b 35
. sia de, siaite the longer:
condib sia de,
Sg. 201 b 16
.
siaiti,
Laws ii 216. 10
.
is siaidi
a anad,
ib. i 282. 43
.
siaide,
MR 318. 17
.
siauite,
Laws ii
28. 18
;
114. 5
. socomlu de, socomlaite the easier
:
co
mbad tṡoccomlaite do Ísu marcachus do dénum,
PH 4455
.
soimbertu de the more easily plied:
bennachais Patraic
na iarnu comdar s.d. (v.l. soimberta de),
Trip. 218. 21
. soirthiu de, soirthite the easier: s.d. in labrad di, &c., the easier
is the pronunciation from, &c.,
Sg. 15 a 4
. suthnu de,
suthnaiti lasting the longer
Lec. 441 b 37
. tanu de,
tanaite the thinner
:
á sémigud co mbí tanu de,
Ml.
34 a 27
. tressa de, tressaite the stronger
:
co mbad
t.d. hiress apstal do fulung tribulationum,
Wb. 25 a 14
.
Mid.-Ir.
treisidi,
TBC-LL¹ 2484
Y. trummu de, trumaite
the heavier
:
trummute,
Lism. L. ix 13
LL (trumaidi, Lism.).
cach airdi bias in torad bid trumaidi a thuindseom oc
toitim,
YBL 167 b 34
.
tromaide,
AFM 1768. 19
.
truimite,
Acall. 5152
. uilliu de, uillite the greater
:
Thes. ii 2.
34
.
uilliti hé in dá sreith do beth air,
Laws i 138. 4 f.b.
iv
34. 29
.
MOD. Suffixed to any adjective: ní folláinede madra
marbh é bheith san uisge glan. Ní milsede an domblas é
bheith i nárthach airgid. Níor ṁeasa do dhuine rud do
ghearrfadh a sgórnach ná sgian óir. Aran gcuma gcéadna
ní folláinede ┐ ní milsede ┐ ní macántaide sgéal neaṁcháidh
é bheith dá innsint i ngaedhilg uasail, P. O'Leary
GJ vi 110
.
Other comparatives from the mod. literary period are
deiside, gilide, giorraide, liaide, siaide, teoide, usaide.
—But in the spoken language usually confined to a small
number of adjectives. Very common are fearrde, miste,
móide (q.v.), idiomatically used with the copula and the
prepositions la and do. The original sense has been
obscured and as a living comparative particle -de seems
obsolete.