pron demonstrative relative, nasalising,thatwhich,what. On the spelling á seeCeltica ii 339 - 40 . Orig.neut. art.,GOI § 473 (cf.5 a). Combines with ro to form arro (in later lang. ar): arrolegais,Wb. 28d7 , but an- (the usual form before vowels) is also found: anrogadammar,Wb. 15c22 . anró gad,Trip.² 1370 . an ro-ráidis,PH 726 . an raibhe,Keat. ii 265 . In later language also spelt i n-: i n-atconnarc,LU 3322 . ind digní,Mon. Tall. 134.20 (§ 21) . Also ina n-: ina mboí,LU 8416 (H). ina fuaratar,Ann. Conn. 1235.13 . na n-: na tongat,Sc.M² 16 . na n-dingentar,TBC-LL¹ 6179 . nandenaid,Auraic. 58 . In O.Ir. folld. by absolute and deuterotonic form of vb. a n-asbiur,Wb. 17d12 ; but later the conjunct and prototonic forms become common (see Bergin,Ériu xi 139 n.1 ): a taibred,Sc.M² 1 . a sir,Dán Dé xxiii 37 . a ndenat,PH 2858 . When the demonst.rel. is plural in meaning personal pronouns referring to it areplural: a n-as sīrem diib,Ériu ii 130 § 102 . The vb. may also be pl. a mbid . . . de neithibh,Desid. 5724 . a rabhadar do liagaibh cloch,Keat. ii 3504 . a bhfuilti corrthathose of you who are tired,Donlevy 216.6 .
Frequently cecha n-whatever, however much,etc., seecech.
(a) Asnom.: an as suthin,Wb. 13d9 . anasberthar ho giunwhat is spoken, 5d14 . for nem a (anv.l.) conrúalae . . . as mó mílib míle,Fél. Ep. 25 . arrobúi isind tsaltir nulithe whole contents of the Psalter,Mon. Tall. 133.11 (§ 16) . a nas aithgin do airechaib feda iseadh is dire do athechaib feadha,Laws iv 152.5 Comm. seachnuim a mbí a n-éintigh,Desid. 6426 . a dtarla dá chóir,TSh. 762 .
(b) Asaccus.: á fil etarruwhat is between them,Wb. 27d19 . tuicci an gaibes in salm, 12d42 . a pridchimmeniwhat we preach, 15b14 . a forchongair do chomalnad, 5c23 . a ndogensawhat I shall do,LU 8082 (FB 6 ). tongu-sa a toinges mo thúath,MU² 928 . mā rosaigh a broth a n-rosaig a blas`if its broth attains what its taste attains',RC xii 86 § 91 . ar ordaigh an t-aingeal-sain,Dán Dé xiv. 14 .
(c) With follg. partitive DI: a ndudesta . . . di foirbthetu,Wb. 1a9 . a césme di cach imniud, 13c7 . anrofiugrad di Críst`what has been figured of Christ', 15a34 . a mbaī di mnāib . . . hi Cūailṅge,TBC-I¹ 868 . a nrobíth leis día slōgaib, 1657 . an fogebed in gilla di scothaib,Trip.² 365 . ni hairemthar ar' marbad do macaib rí,RC xviii 173.13 . With different order of words: a n-du imnedaib . . . fo-daimi,Ml. 55d11 . a ndo ligdath doadbat,Ériu ii 114 § 39 .
With copula andsuperl.: a n-as sirem diib `the longest of them',Ériu ii 130 § 102 . a n-romba dech do thimthagaib flatha fer nGaoidelthe best of the garments . . .,Corm. Y 1059 . an-as dech foruaradar do echraidh in righ,Marco P. 35 . i mba fearr do cach berla ┐ a nba leithiu ┐ a mba caemu `what was best . . .',Auraic. 1053 . in rop messa día muintir,RC x. 184.24 . Note also: is a mbeo beres a n-as beodu ┐ i na[s] segondo,TBC-I¹ 693 (compar. forsuperl.?). Less frequently with partitive gen.: doberat a n-as dech sét in dúine,TBFr. 419 . con-aitcetar ferann fair .i. an ba dech Mide,Dinds. 78 (RC xv. 478 ).
(d) With prec. prep. (frequent in later lang.): do-farget (sic leg.) a rro-fera ar-a ferthar fris `he offers what he has given for what is given to him',Laws v 502.22 (see howeverGOI 680 ). ni tabair dír[e] asa n-gatass,Ir. Recht 22 § 24 (seeGOI 298, 680 ). farnan bechtaeon what is not certain,Bürgschaft 20 § 60 (GOI 298, 680 ). bui dliged . . . fora raibhi do Thartraidhibh,Marco P. 82 . nach smuainid air a nabruid,Donlevy 468.13 . Gort an Óir ghairthear don Mhaigh . . . ó n-ar bronnadh d'ór lais-sean . . . ann`from the quantity of gold',Keat. ii 4470 . tré n-ar imreadar d'ulc air `on account of the injury they had done him', 4634 . tréas a ndearnsad do bhagar air,Desid. 3429 . Most frequently with DI, giving mod.dia,dá approximating to a newrel. particle: duine d'a marand indíuany man of those now living,PH 7318 . gach ní dā ndubrais,Feis Tighe Chonáin 105 . na h-uili obuir trocuire diar mol in eglus,ZCP vi 25.4 . ni ternō nech dona tainic anoir `of those that came . . .',Dinds. 23 (RC xv. 323 ). an aenridiri is lugha dob olc da roibhi ina aimsir,ZCP vi 100.12 . gach aon dár fhás ┐ dá bhfásfaidhevery one who has sprung and will spring,TSh. 13 . Temporal use: feacht n-æn da roibhe Cond Cetcathach,Ériu iii 150 . fecht n-aen dá táncatar,Acall. 361 . laithe n-aen … da raibe Find, 5737 . feacht n-aen da tainic Find, 5917 . la da raibhi Crist,Smaointe B. Chr. 1754 . gach úair da dtéighinn ’na theach,L. Cl. A. B. 187 § 9 . fechtus dia m-bui E. hi Frémainn,IT i 128 § 15 . fecht eli da raibe C. .c. a nDruim Cet,BCC 146.5 . lá airithi da ndechaid C. .c. do Temraig, 126.20 . feacht n-aon da ttainic Columcille,Anecd. iii 6 . feacht dia m-báttar,Hy Fiach. 336.1 . Also with acht: co tuctha a longa leó acht a ndechaidh ar éicin,RC xvii 361.17 (Tig.).
(e) When the antecedent is a noun therel. clause is syntactically gen.: ar comalnad andotairrngert `to fulfil what he had promised',Mon. Tall. 146.20 (§ 51) . i farrad na n-dingentar innossa,TBC-LL¹ 6178 . cuirter fesa uathaib co hAth Cliath ar cend ar ḟacsat and do Gallaib,RC xviii 289.30 (Tig.). ag soin críoch ar chanamor `that is the sum of what I have sung',TD 15.54 . ag clos a ndoirtid,Desid. 4282 . ar son a ndéineann, 731 .