"Cha" as a negative particle opposed to Níl

dlofnep

Just an observation.

While examining the ulster dialect of Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx Gaelic - I noticed that all three tend to use "Cha" as a negative particle, opposed to Níl. I'm curious as to the origins of Níl - given that such widespread use of Cha - might indicate that it was originally the correct negative particle. Now that's purely speculation on my behalf - But does anybody know for how long Níl has been in existence as a negative particle, and if it has always been native to Connemara and Munster, or was Cha used in the past? Did the Caighdeán oifigiúl play any role in it?

It's not overly important - Just curious more than anything

Aard

Not sure about "cha", but níl is a contraction of "ní fhuil".


(EDIT: Whoops, of course "ní" lenites...:$)

Krusader

Níl = Ní + fhuil

since ní lenites in the present tense and "fh" is silent, in speech and over time it was shortened to níl

From Wiki:

The negative particle in Scottish Gaelic, Manx and Northern Ulster Ulster Irish is cha/chan (chan eil, cha bhfuil/chan fhuil = "is not"; chan is from the Old Irish emphatic negative nichon). In standard Irish the negative particle is ní (níl = "is not", a contraction of ní fhuil); ní is a retention of the normal Old Irish negative; these are illustrated by the sentence "I have no money":

Scottish Gaelic — Chan eil airgead agam.
Ulster Gaelic — Chan fhuil/Cha bhfuil airgead agam.
Manx - Cha nel argid aym.
Standard Irish — Níl airgead agam.

Enkidu

A few things:
It appears as Chan in front of a vowel.
It causes eclipses while Ní causes lenition.

You'll also find it in Mayo Irish, for example in some of the books from Cló Mhaigh Eo.

An gal gréine

Sa tsean-Ghaeilge, ba í an mhír dhiúltach ná:
"Níchan".
Thar am chuaigh scaifte amháin le "ní" agus scaifte eile le "cha/chan"