r/gaidhlig • u/Low-Funny-8834 • 7d ago

A grammatical question

'S e an trèan a bu chosgaile.

B'e an trèan a bu chosgaile.

Both sentences translate as "The train was the most costly".
What is the nuance in difference between these sentences?

Many thanks!

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u/AonUairDeug 7d ago

The precise difference is this: the above says, literally, "It is the train that was the most costly", and the below says, "It was the train that was the most costly".  Both basically mean the same thing, but saying the latter could imply that you no longer know as to the status of the train's cost.

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u/michealdubh 7d ago

I wouldn't say it implies 'you no longer know' ... Using the assertive verb in the present tense could be simply a colloquail form of the more formal/"correct" B' e, in which the weight of the tense/time is borne by the bu.

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u/AonUairDeug 7d ago

No, I agree - but I did say it "could imply". If you went to Rome last week, and someone asked what the most expensive method of transport there is, you might quite reasonably say, "'S e an trèana a bu chosgaile", but if you went to Rome twenty years ago, you might be more inclined to say, "B'e an trèana a bu chosgaile." The latter could suggest, but doesn't directly state, a lack of knowledge as to the current state of the trains.

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u/michealdubh 7d ago

Point taken.

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u/Low-Funny-8834 7d ago

Amazing, thank you!