dia daoibh a chairde. Just wanted to make sure I'm correct in my usage regarding the directional adverbs of up/down.

So if I was up on a roof with Mick and Mick decided to go down the ladder I could call down to the perosn holding the ladder Tá Mick ag teacht síos but if i went down first (Mick still on the roof ) then Mick decided to follow me I would then say to the person holding the ladder Tá Mick ag teacht anuas?

Apologies for the roof example but this has always thrown me a bit so it helps me to picture it that way.

'maith agaibh.

Normally you use the adverbs with "an-" with the verb "teacht", and the adverbs with "s-" with the verb "dul/ghoil/ghabháil":

Chuaigh sé síos/suas/siar/soir...
agus
tháinig sé aníos/anuas/aniar/anoir...

ie. when you say "He came down" in English, you have to say "he came from up (?)" in Irish (I dunno if this exists in English )

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

It doesn't, but it's a good example for that very reason...because we don't really use that form in English (Not for up and down, anyway. We do for directions, such as "it came from the south"), it makes it easier to remember the Irish. Kind of like saying that possessions are "at me" but illnesses are "on me"...the fact that it is so very different from English kind of helps it to stick.

Redwolf

Then how do you say when you come from a higher place (or a lower place)?

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

Tá sé ag dul/goil síos. He is going down.
Tá sé ag teacht anuas. He is coming down.


Directions are used a lot in Irish. And for things that would never be used for in English.
Tháinig sé aniar aduaidh orm. [It came from the Northwest on me]. Meaning - It came out of the blue.

But I don't think it makes a difference in English or Irish if your friend is up or down at the time. It is the person that's doing the activity that matters.

I just wanted to exclaim how much I like this one, and explain a (perhaps folk) etymology for it. Basically, the Northwest is the only direction Ireland's never been invaded from. So, if an invasion would come from the Northwest, it'd be a complete surprise, out of the blue.

Not sure if it's the true etymology, but it's an interesting one nonetheless.

I love these kind of phrases too. Another good one is Baintear siar asam (I was shocked/taken aback)

On another tangent, what verb would you use if you were asking someone to hold/steady the ladder for you?

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Táim ag foghlaim fós. Fáilte roimh gach aon cheartúchán.

I'd just say -
Coinnigh greim (maith) air.

There are probably other ways to say it too.

go raibh míle maith agaibh 'chuile dhuine. An-chabhrach ar fad.

I'd love to know if that is true - it sounds really interesting.

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