Chapter 5: Adverbs, Prepositions & Conjunctions
Adverbs derived with 'an'
Many adverbs are ‘derived' from other words, much as carefully is derived form the word careful in English. The most common of these in Pictish are those formed form adjectives by placing an in front. This often, but not always, corresponds to adding –ly to the English adjective.
córag |
careful |
an górag |
carefully |
poblag |
public |
an boblag |
publicly |
pontúol |
punctual |
an bontúol |
punctually |
múil |
slow |
an v úil |
slowly |
bíu |
quick |
an víu |
quickly |
madh |
good |
an vadh |
well |
Dath ar bus nó an téith an víu, vel hé?
[dath urr booss noan tayth un vee-oo, vell eh]
This bus is going fast, isn't it?
Velig gi an bedi °ganti mui an vúil, plís?
[velly geen beddy ganty mween voo-ill, pleess]
Can you speak more slowly, please?
Bedith hí ganti Caledonag ion an vad
[bedd-ith ee ganty Caledonag yonn un vadd]
She can speak Caledonic very well
This should not be confused with an used to link the verb buth ‘to be' with a following noun or adjective:
(a) Lennig ar lívrin an °górag Read the booklet carefully
(b) Cathig gi buth an °górag You must be careful
Adverbs of time
mora vori |
tomorrow morning |
avori |
tomorrow |
noch avori |
tomorrow night |
adith |
today |
árbí |
ever |
nárbí |
never |
am árbí |
for ever |
gog °drá |
every time; always |
gog uathnoch |
every week |
gog °dhith |
every day |
gog °vís |
every month |
or ar trá |
at the time |
or ethi |
afterwards |
or ar °voment |
at the moment |
am ar °voment |
for the moment |
nas |
now |
ar vlídhan nó |
this year |
a mlineth |
for years |
or tráian |
at times |
hin henni |
since then |
derinoch |
last night |
deridith |
yesterday |
anoch |
tonight |
mora nó |
this morning |
Adverbs of place
These are the smallest of the three main classes and include both location in a place or motion to/from a place. This they answer the questions Where?, To where? and From where? The word for ‘where' is pá?
Ai pá dag gi an téith?
[ah pah da geen tayth]
Where are you going?
'Here', 'There'
Here is anó and there is anán.
Dá mi anó I am here
Dá mi an téith anán I am going there
Here is and there is are dai anó and dai anán respectively.
Dá anó ig carr núith
[daa uh-'noh igg car noo-ith]
Here is your new car
Dá anán ar ven nán, ai sui canto mi deridith
[daa uh-'naan urr venn naan, ah swee kanto mee derry-dith]
There is that woman I spoke to yesterday
Other adverbs of place and direction
anós |
up, upwards |
anís |
down, downwards |
rád nó |
this way |
rád nán |
that way |
er cuith |
on the left |
er dest |
on the right |
Points of the compass
The basic four are: túa north, des south, ór east and ír west, all masculine. Intermediate points are formed with ‘east' or ‘west' first, and the second element mutates:
ír-dúa |
north west |
ór-dúa |
north east |
ír-dhes |
south west |
ór-dhes |
south east |
Movement towards and from the primary points are ind icated with prefixes a- and de- respectively.
adus |
northwards |
dedus |
from the north |
adhes |
southwards |
dedhes |
from the south |
anór |
eastwards |
denór |
from the east |
anír |
westwards |
denír |
from the west |
The preposition 'in' for most, general lcoations is ans, e.g. Dá va díg ans ar tus ‘My house is in the north'.
But in some cases, the preposition an is used: Bú mi a Bert ‘I live in Perth '.
Stative adverbs with 'er'
These express physical states and use er + noun or verb:
er ogil |
open |
er dhún |
closed, shut |
er gall |
lost |
er glí |
locked |
er uerth |
for sale |
er dán |
on fire |
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