Breandán wrote:
WeeFalorieMan wrote:
And in the next sentence:… sháigh sí a dhá láimh san olann … – Why is it a dhá láimh instead of a dá láimh? I thought there wouldn't be any séimhiú when you say "her two hands".
Possessive pronouns ignore numbers and affect the main noun only.
I think it's worth pointing out that this applies to dhá only.
His two houses: a dhá thigh
Her two houses: a dhá tigh
Their two houses: a dhá dtigh
But numbers 3 and over are handled differently, with the numeral lenited or eclipsed. If this is different in a dialect you know, please let us know. These are the forms I know:
His three houses: a thrí tithe
Her three houses: a trí tithe
Their three houses: a dtrí tithe
Of course, not all dialects use the plural after numerals over 3, and so that comes into play somewhere in this.
My research leads me to believe:
With 4 houses it is: a cheithre tithe, a cheithre tithe and a gceithre tithe. i.e that cheithre does not delenite to cheithre even if it means "her four houses".
With 5 houses it is: a chúig tithe, a chúig tithe agus a gcúig tithe, i.e. that chúig does not delenite to cúig even if it means "her five houses".
With 6 houses: a shé tithe, a sé tithe, a sé tithe
With 7 houses: a sheacht tithe, a seacht tithe, a seacht tithe
With 8 houses: a ocht (d)tithe, a hocht (d)tithe, a n-ocht (d)tithe
With 9 houses: a naoi dtithe, a naoi dtithe, a naoi dtithe
With 10 houses: a dheich tithe, a deich tithe, a ndeich tithe
However, not every combination is attested in the Irish of Ua Laoghaire or Ó Loingsigh, so some gaps are having to filled in by guesswork....