The English verb “must,” expressing duty or necessity, has no past tense of its own. The English past tense of it would be “had to;” as, “I had to go away then.” The Irish translation is as follows:—
Níor ḃ’ḟuláir ḋom, Ċaiṫ mé, or
do b’éigean dom. |
I had to. |
Níor ḃ’ḟuláir ḋuit, Ċaiṫ tú or
do b’éigean duit. |
You had to. |
| &c., &c. | |
The English verb “must” may also express a supposition; as in the phrase “You must be tired.” The simplest translation of this is “Ní fuláir go ḃfuil tuirse ort,” or, “Ní fuláir nó tá tuirse ort.” The phrase “is cosaṁail go,” meaning “It is probable that” may also be used : as, Is cosaṁail go ḃfuil tuirse ort.
The English phrase “must have” always expresses supposition, and is best translated by the above phrase followed by a verb in the past tense, as, “You must have been hungry,” Ní fuláir go raiḃ ocras ort. He must have gone out, Ní fuláir go ndeaċaiḋ sé amaċ.
Ní fuláir gur ċuaiḋ (or go ndeaġaiḋ) sé amaċ, is used in Munster.
I ESTEEM.
645. I esteem is translated by the phrase Tá meas agam ar. Literally, “I have esteem on.
