pron demonstrative relative, nasalising, that which, what . On the spelling á see Celtica ii 339 - 40 . Orig. neut. art., GOI § 473 (cf. 5 a). Combines with ro to form arro (in later lang. ar): arrolegais, Wb. 28d7 , but an- (the usual form before vowels) is also found: anrogadammar, Wb. 15c22 . anró gad, Trip.² 1370 . an ro-ráidis, PH 726 . an raibhe, Keat. ii 265 . In later language also spelt i n-: i n-atconnarc, LU 3322 . ind digní, Mon. Tall. 134.20 (§ 21) . Also ina n-: ina mboí, LU 8416 (H). ina fuaratar, Ann. Conn. 1235.13 . na n-: na tongat, Sc.M² 16 . na n-dingentar, TBC-LL¹ 6179 . na ndenaid, Auraic. 58 . In O.Ir. folld. by absolute and deuterotonic form of vb. a n-asbiur, Wb. 17d12 ; but later the conjunct and prototonic forms become common (see Bergin, Ériu xi 139 n.1 ): a taibred, Sc.M² 1 . a sir, Dán Dé xxiii 37 . a ndenat, PH 2858 . When the demonst. rel. is plural in meaning personal pronouns referring to it are plural: a n-as sīrem diib, Ériu ii 130 § 102 . The vb. may also be pl. a mbid . . . de neithibh, Desid. 5724 . a rabhadar do liagaibh cloch, Keat. ii 3504 . a bhfuilti corrtha those of you who are tired, Donlevy 216.6 .

Frequently cecha n- whatever, however much, etc., see cech.

(a) As nom.: an as suthin, Wb. 13d9 . anasberthar ho giun what is spoken, 5d14 . for nem a (an v.l.) conrúalae . . . as mó mílib míle, Fél. Ep. 25 . arrobúi isind tsaltir nuli the whole contents of the Psalter, Mon. Tall. 133.11 (§ 16) . a nas aithgin do airechaib feda iseadh is dire do athechaib feadha, Laws iv 152.5 Comm. seachnuim a mbí a n-éintigh, Desid. 6426 . a dtarla dá chóir, TSh. 762 .

(b) As accus.: á fil etarru what is between them, Wb. 27d19 . tuicci an gaibes in salm, 12d42 . a pridchimmeni what we preach, 15b14 . a forchongair do chomalnad, 5c23 . a ndogensa what I shall do, LU 8082 ( FB 6 ). tongu-sa a toinges mo thúath, MU² 928 . mā rosaigh a broth a n-rosaig a blas `if its broth attains what its taste attains', RC xii 86 § 91 . ar ordaigh an t-aingeal-sain, Dán Dé xiv. 14 .

(c) With follg. partitive DI: a ndudesta . . . di foirbthetu, Wb. 1a9 . a césme di cach imniud, 13c7 . anrofiugrad di Críst `what has been figured of Christ', 15a34 . a mbaī di mnāib . . . hi Cūailṅge, TBC-I¹ 868 . a nrobíth leis día slōgaib, 1657 . an fogebed in gilla di scothaib, Trip.² 365 . ni hairemthar ar' marbad do macaib rí, RC xviii 173.13 . With different order of words: a n-du imnedaib . . . fo-daimi, Ml. 55d11 . a ndo ligdath doadbat, Ériu ii 114 § 39 .

With copula and superl.: a n-as sirem diib `the longest of them', Ériu ii 130 § 102 . a n-romba dech do thimthagaib flatha fer nGaoidel the best of the garments . . ., Corm. Y 1059 . an-as dech foruaradar do echraidh in righ, Marco P. 35 . i mba fearr do cach berla ┐ a nba leithiu ┐ a mba caemu `what was best . . .', Auraic. 1053 . in rop messa día muintir, RC x. 184.24 . Note also: is a mbeo beres a n-as beodu ┐ i na[s] segondo, TBC-I¹ 693 (compar. for superl.?). Less frequently with partitive gen.: doberat a n-as dech sét in dúine, TBFr. 419 . con-aitcetar ferann fair .i. an ba dech Mide, Dinds. 78 ( RC xv. 478 ).

(d) With prec. prep. (frequent in later lang.): do-farget (sic leg.) a rro-fera ar-a ferthar fris `he offers what he has given for what is given to him', Laws v 502.22 (see however GOI 680 ). ni tabair dír[e] asa n-gatass, Ir. Recht 22 § 24 (see GOI 298, 680 ). farnan bechtae on what is not certain, Bürgschaft 20 § 60 ( GOI 298, 680 ). bui dliged . . . fora raibhi do Thartraidhibh, Marco P. 82 . nach smuainid air a nabruid, Donlevy 468.13 . Gort an Óir ghairthear don Mhaigh . . . ó n-ar bronnadh d'ór lais-sean . . . ann `from the quantity of gold', Keat. ii 4470 . tré n-ar imreadar d'ulc air `on account of the injury they had done him', 4634 . tréas a ndearnsad do bhagar air, Desid. 3429 . Most frequently with DI, giving mod. dia, dá approximating to a new rel. particle: duine d'a marand indíu any man of those now living, PH 7318 . gach ní dā ndubrais, Feis Tighe Chonáin 105 . na h-uili obuir trocuire diar mol in eglus, ZCP vi 25.4 . ni ternō nech dona tainic anoir `of those that came . . .', Dinds. 23 ( RC xv. 323 ). an aenridiri is lugha dob olc da roibhi ina aimsir, ZCP vi 100.12 . gach aon dár fhás ┐ dá bhfásfaidh every one who has sprung and will spring, TSh. 13 . Temporal use: feacht n-æn da roibhe Cond Cetcathach, Ériu iii 150 . fecht n-aen dá táncatar, Acall. 361 . laithe n-aen … da raibe Find, 5737 . feacht n-aen da tainic Find, 5917 . la da raibhi Crist, Smaointe B. Chr. 1754 . gach úair da dtéighinn ’na theach, L. Cl. A. B. 187 § 9 . fechtus dia m-bui E. hi Frémainn, IT i 128 § 15 . fecht eli da raibe C. .c. a nDruim Cet, BCC 146.5 . lá airithi da ndechaid C. .c. do Temraig, 126.20 . feacht n-aon da ttainic Columcille, Anecd. iii 6 . feacht dia m-báttar, Hy Fiach. 336.1 . Also with acht: co tuctha a longa leó acht a ndechaidh ar éicin, RC xvii 361.17 (Tig.).

(e) When the antecedent is a noun the rel. clause is syntactically gen.: ar comalnad andotairrngert `to fulfil what he had promised', Mon. Tall. 146.20 (§ 51) . i farrad na n-dingentar innossa, TBC-LL¹ 6178 . cuirter fesa uathaib co hAth Cliath ar cend ar ḟacsat and do Gallaib, RC xviii 289.30 (Tig.). ag soin críoch ar chanamor `that is the sum of what I have sung', TD 15.54 . ag clos a ndoirtid, Desid. 4282 . ar son a ndéineann, 731 .