can anyone translate 'Níl dé air' for me please.

Latest post Wed, Dec 16 2015 17:18 by otuathail. 3 replies.
  • Tue, Nov 17 2015 17:59

    can anyone translate 'Níl dé air' for me please.

    can anyone translate 'Níl dé air' for me please.

     

    thanks.

     

     

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  • Wed, Nov 18 2015 1:29 In reply to

    • Dale D
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    Re: can anyone translate 'Níl dé air' for me please.

    The literal translation I have come up with is "Smoke is not on him" but I am certain this is an idiomatic construct.   shows as meaning "smoke" but also "breath" or "puff".

    I suspect it may mean, "He doesn't smoke" (as in tobacco products) but I could be mistaken.

    Another possibility is, if  is being used to mean "breath" instead of "smoke", then it might translate as "He is not breathing."

    The context of the sentence may be the determining factor.

    Anyone else willing to chime in?

    Dale D

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  • Sun, Dec 13 2015 15:01 In reply to

    • LauraHuntORI
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    Re: can anyone translate 'Níl dé air' for me please.

    Cad é an comhthéacs? 

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  • Wed, Dec 16 2015 17:18 In reply to

    • otuathail
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    Re: can anyone translate 'Níl dé air' for me please.

    'Níl dé air' means 'there's not a trace of him (or it)', 'there's no sign of him (or it)', 'he's (or it's) vanished without a trace', etc.

    The word dé means smoke, puff, breath, glimmer.

    You might also come across 'níl dé ná deatach air' which has the same meaning as above.

    See also a similar useage in Ó Dónaill's Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla

     fhacas  air le blianta, I haven't set eyes on him for years

    http://www.teanglann.ie/en/eid/d%C3%A9_air

    Barra

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