An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Elementary course of Gaelic

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16. TO DENOTE POSSESSION.
(a). The Verb BI in conjunction with the preposition
aig, or with the prepositional pronouns formed therefrom,
denotes possession, and is equivalent to the verb ‘have'
in English.
E.G. Tha peann aig lain, which means literally—a
pen is at John ; John has a pen.
Tha b6 aig Mdiri, Mary has a cow.
Such sentences, then, as :—He has a pen, and, She has
a hat, one might expect to translate thus :—
Tha peann aig e, a pen is at him.
Tha ad aig i, a hat is at her.
Instead, however, of writing the pronoun and the preposition
separately in this way we use what is called a “ Prepositional
Pronoun”—compounded of the preposition and the pro¬
noun. Hence we write :—
Tha peann aige, he has a pen.
Tha ad aice, she has a hat.
The following examples show the Prepositional Pronouns
formed from the personal pronouns and the preposition
“ aig.”
Emphatic.
Tha peann agam (agam-sa), I have a pen.
„ „ agad (agad-sa), Thou hast a pen.
„ „ aige (aige-san), He has a pen.
„ „ aice (aice-se), She has a pen.
„ ,, againn (againne), We have a pen.
„ „ agaibh (agaibh-se), You have a pen.
„ „ aca (aca-san), They have a pen.
These prepositional pronouns are used sometimes with
the force of possessive pronouns.
E.G. His cow, a bho-san ; or, a’ bh6 aige-san.
My book, mo leabhar-sa ; or, an leabhar agam-sa.
Their horse, an each-san ; or, an t-each aca-san.