(4) d’ḟóbair (d’óbair), both spellings used (Munster).
(5) d’ḟóbair (d’óbair), used after buḋ (Munster).
O’Reilly gives “fobar or do ḟobar” but the final r is always pronounced slender. O’Begley’s spelling is dobair and obair (after is).
Two constructions are used:
I. Followed by infinitive or verbal noun.
A. With preps. do or le and their regimen, to denote subject.
Ex. Fhobair daṁ tituim, I had like to fall (Ulster and Meath).
Ex. Fhobair liom tuitim, “I had a’most to fall” (Donegal and Meath).
Ex. Fhobair dó mo ṁarḃaḋ, he had like to kill me (Armagh).
Ex. Fhobair duit a ḃualaḋ, you had like to strike him (Armagh).
Ex. Fhobair dó muc a ċeannaċ, he had like to buy a pig (Tyrone).
Ex. Fhobair do Shéaġan do leagaḋ, John had like to knock you down (Armagh).
Ex. Dobair ḋó bás d’ḟáġail, he was like to die (O’Begley).
Ex. [Buḋ ḋ’óbair dam é ḋearṁad (Cork). G.J., Nov., p. 118].
Ex. Fhóbair dam tuitim (Galway).
B. In Galway and Mayo the personal is often substi- tuted for the prepositional pronoun, when verb is intrans.
Ex. Fhobair mé tuitim. (Galway).
[Cf. Is feasaċ mé (Galway) = is fiosaċ dam].
C. When the infinitive alone is used, the sense is passive.
Ex. irhobAip mo tiiAi^bA, I had like to be killed (Armagh). Ex. phobAii^ A buAlA', he had like to be beaten (Armagh). Ex. t:hobAii 00 leAgA*, you had like to be knocked down (Armagh). [Cf. 1f C11A 'Oxim A 'AnAm, I ought to do it ; but 1f C11A A 'oAnAm =:it ought to be done]. D, Very oflen, especially in Munsler, the infinitive is omitted, the phrase thus contracted being then generally applicable to someihing that had almost aken place. Ex. 'o'f b<Mf 'ouic, you had a narrow escape (Munster). Ex. i:hbAii lcAc, " you had a'most " (Donegal). Ex. phbAiiA 'ouic, you had like (Armagh). Note to A and C Can 0'Begley be correct in making oob<xii 'DAmfA mo mAibA'=:I was like to be killed ? I asked several native speakers of Irish to English this phrase for me, and their translation invariably was, " I had like to kill myself !" II. Followed by conditional, or, in some districts, though incorrectly, by past tense, preceded by 50. A. Conditional vvithout assertive verb. Vhobii^ 50 ocuicfinn, I had like to fall (Armagh). 0'fb<Mi 50 ocuiCfiiin, in Munster. O'fbAif 50 mbuAilf e , you had like to strike him (Kerry). phobAif 50 mbuAilfi'e , he had like to be struck (Armagh). DobAii 50 ti'oeAimuo(f)Ainn , I had like to have forgot it (0'Begley)- "OobAii^ 50 ^cufvcAoi An iUAi5 ai ah iAiiti cli oo'n CfbuAJ, the left wing had like to have been routed (O'Begle^). 5ui h-obuii 5" ligfeA' 6. incmn AmAc, so that he had like to dash (let) his brains out, SeAjn o HeAccAin (t/. <?./., voL iii.. No. 29, p. 68). .A'f 5ui f bAii 50 mbiMffeA' mo cfoi'e, so that my heart had like to break, SMmfA An 5heitTiii'D, p. 59. B. Past tense. This usage obtains in Connaught and Meath, but must be corrupt, as it is unknown in most districts, and looked on by good Irish speakers as bad Irish, ^hobAii^ 5ui CU1C m (Mayo and Galway). ^hobAii^ 50 noeACAi'D f a| bini' (Meath). III. Construction with assertive verb : Botli I. and II. are often found preceded by if or buo, in order to distinguish present and past time. A. Present time 1f obAii ' A cl Do cAilbeAtTiAin, he is like to lose his credit (0'Begley), I. 1f bAii 50 Dcuicfinn, I am like to fall (Galway), II. B. Past time bu' bAii^ DAui 'eAi^mAD, I was near orgetting it (Cork ; G.J., Nov. Number, p. 118), I. bu bAif 50 Dcuicfinn, I was or had like to fall (Galway), II. bu bAii^ 50 beAgf (Munster), II. If we take I. and II. as the correct form of the phrase, fobAii wuld appear to be an impersonal use of ihe 3rd sing. past tense of fobfAim, I attack, to which probably belongs, as infinitive, the word bAiic, attempt, efort, occurring in thc Ossianic poem, Cac 3uiii'e (v. blic- fleAfg oe ihilfenAib nA jAe'oibse, p. 167). Cf. also pobAiifioc, they attacked. O'Don. Supp. If, however, III. be the correct form of this idiom, of which the others would seem to bc contractions, we would then have to analyze in another manner. '0'fbAii or bAif might then perhaps be considered as com- pounded of preposiiion 'oo, for, and fobAii^ (subs.), attack, approach, fobAif if Ainm o'tonnfoigi', Cor, Gloss. The word for word translation of bA 'bAii^ 'OAm 'eAfmAO, for instance, would then be, " It was for an approach for me to forget it," which might afterwards develop into the present sense. I think the latter likely to be thc true explanation. s. L<voioe. 15- 16, 17- 18. PROVERBS MUNSTER, (Mr. P. M'Carthy, Clohane Castle). (CONTINUED.) 1f 5i|e i^tJil "t'A cil n t) ftil i>. cfoluf. Sharper is one eye in the corner than two eyes in the light. 1f fejin ]^tiil le 51a|- n f iJil le huAij. Better is hope from the prison than from the grave, CnuA-pAnn (or cnuAfui^eAnn) c|iipioll be<x|ic=Many a little makes a mickle {lit., a bunch (of rushes) gathers a bundle, that is, when several of them are put together). 1f mAi]i5 "00 "eineo^nn -oeiiinn "o' Woe to him who makes perfectly sure of hope.
