the abstract noun (an t-ainmfhocal teibí)

the abstract noun

    abstract noun (ainmfhocal teibí)
    - common abstract noun (ainmfhocal teibí gnách)
    - gradiated abstract noun (ainmfhocal teibí céime)
syntax of the gradiated abstract noun
    - wonderful, how big he is
    - how big is he ?
    - however big
    - the bigger, the better
    - getting bigger

abstract noun (ainmfhocal teibí)

Synonym:  substantivised adjective

Abstract nouns do not describe something concrete but something abstract. With this, there
are a wide array of abstract nouns.
In a more specific sense, we're only discussing those which are derived from adjectives.
One subdivides these abstract nouns in common and gradiated.
By many of these, both will have the same form, but often they do differ from one another.

common abstract noun (ainmfhocal teibí gnách)

formation:

forms
comparative form of the adjective
comparative form + -(e)acht, -(a)íocht
adjective + -(a)íl (some adjectives
ending in -ach)
adjective + -(e)as, -(e)adas
adjective + -achar (some adjectives
ending in -ach)
adjective
m/f 
examples
f minice = frequency, bacaí = lameness
f deirgeacht = redness, clistíocht = cleverness
f bacaíl = lameness
maitheas = goodness, beos = vitality,
m
dorchadas =  darkness
m lagachar = weakness
m/f maith = (the) Good

Many adjectives have more than one appropriate abstract noun (e.g.: maith - maith, maithe,
maitheas)

The comparative of the adjective ending in -mhar or in a -vowel may not be used as the
common abstract noun(beo, crua, grianmhar - grianmhaire) This refers also to the
comparative ending in -a (fearúil - fearúla) as well as the irregular dócha - dóichí.
These comparatives are only used as the gradiated abstract noun.
use:

 general expressions of a quality without respect to a bearer (like in German or

English, but mostly with the article)
e.g. Ní maith liom an dorchadas = I don't like (the) darkness

gradiated abstract noun (ainmfhocal teibí céime)

formation:

 adjectives ending in -ach, -mhar and ending in a vowel form this via the
comparative. e.g: dá chrua[cha] é (crua), dá aistí é (aisteach), dá dhóichí é (docha), dá
ghreannmhaire é (greannmhar)
as well as those adjectives, whose comparative ends in -a. e.g. dá dheacra é =
however difficult, dá fhearúla é = however masculine he may be
 many adjectives use either the comparative form or comparative + -(e)acht/-íocht:
e.g.: minic - minice, minicíocht, moch - moiche, moicheacht
 the following adjectives use in this case always the form in the following table e.g.
maith - feabhas instead of: maitheas, maithe. Some of these only serve as the grad.
abstr. noun.

adjective abstract grad. noun examples

maith  feabhas dá fheabhas é = however good it is
mór méad dá mhéad é = however big/much it is
olc olcas dá olcas é = however evil it is
dona donacht dá dhonacht é = however bad it is
fada fad dá fhad é = however long it is
beag laghad dá laghad é = however small/little it is
iomaí liacht dá liacht é = however much it is
furasta fusacht dá fhusacht é = however easy it is
gearr giorracht dá ghiorracht é = however short it is
luath luas dá luas é = however fast it is
tiubh tiús dá thiús é = however thick/dense it is
dócha dóichí dá dhóichí é = however possible it is

use:

 if an extent or a certain degree of a quality is given.

Especially:
 by the below mentioned special constructs.
 after the following words: méad ("size"), méid (masc., partitive: "amount, quantity,
extent ") and méid (fem., "measure, size ") e.g.: méid na donachta = the dimension of
poorness
syntax of the gradiated abstract noun (comhréir an
ainmfhocail theibí chéime)
In German, one uses the adjective itself instead of a substantivised adjective in these uses.
In many of these uses, in German a comparison is made, often with an imaginary extent of a
quality (this is why in German "how", is "wie auch immer"="however").
In Irish, the actual degree is viewed (hence the use of "a = his ", "cá = which of his " instead
of "how") or it is included as part of an imaginary degree (this is the reason for the use of "dá
= of his " instead of "however")

"wonderful, how big he is."

form examples
Is iontach a fheabhas atá sé = it is wonderful, how
a + grad. abstr. noun + direct relative good he is 
clause [ 2 ] Is cuma a mhéad atá sé = it doesn't matter, how big
he is

 The particle a ("like") is actually the masculine possessive pronoun of the 3rd person
singular ("his"), therefore one could literally translate the above example as "it is
wonderful his goodness, that he is". The masculine pronoun is always used.
 a  requires lenition.
 Because a is the possessive pronoun, combinations with prepositions are also
possible:
e.g.: Fuair sé ardmholadh trina fheabhas a rinne sé an obair = He received high
praise through how well he did the work
 after agus, this construct takes on the meaning of a state of being :
e.g.: Tá sé go han-mhaith agus a óige atá sé = He is very good considering how
young he is.
 instead of this construct one can also use chomh + adjective (see equative).

"how big is he?"

Similar to the previous example, one can also form a question:

 

form examples
Cá fheabhas atá sé? = How good is he?
cá + grad. abstr. noun + direct relative
Cá mhinice a bhí sé anseo? = How often was
clause [ 2 ]
he hier?

 This cá (= how?) is a combination of the interrogative cé/cá and the possessive

pronoun a (lit.: cá = "which his ")
 cá requires lenition

however big

form examples
dá + grad. abstr. noun + subject  dá dheacracht é = however difficult it is
dá + grad. abstr. noun + subject + direct dá mhéad dúil a bhí aige ann = however much
relative clause  love he had for it
dá + grad. abstr. noun + direct relative dá fheabhas a rinne sé é = however well he did
clause [ 2 ]  it
dá + grad. abstr. noun + dá + indirect dá fheabhas dá ndéarna sé é = however well he
relative clause  did it
dá + grad. abstr. noun + indirect relative dá fheabhas a ndéarna sé é = however well he
clause  did it

 dá is a compound of preposition de + particle a (= how). Hence the approximate

literal translation of the sentence "Dá dheacreacht é": "of which difficulty it may be ".
Because a is the possessive pronoun of the 3rd person singular: "of his difficulty it
may be"
On the other hand, it does resemble the conjunction dá = if ("if it may be difficult"),
which would cause eclipsis.
The second dá in the second-to-last construct is a combination of de and one of the
relative pronoun, lit. translation of this sentence: "of his goodness of which he did it "
 (The first) dá requires lenition.
 dá + abstr. noun can also follow a nound as an attribute, this is then often introduced
throuhg gach
e.g.: Chuir sé gach cóir dá fheabhas orm = He let me have every treatment, no matter
how good it was (lit.: "he laid every justice of-his goodness on-me") or: Mhill sé gach
aon ní dá bhreatha = He destroyed everything, no matter how beautiful

It also often appears in negations:

e.g.: Níl amhras dá laghad faoi = There is not even the smallest doubt about it/ no
doubt about it, however small

 regional (Connemara) also: dhá instead of dá

"the bigger, the better"

form examples
dá + grad. abstr. noun + subject + is ea is + dá mhéad é is ea is fearr = the bigger he is,
comparative the better
dá + grad. abstr. noun + subject + is amhlaidh dá mhéad é is amhlaidh is fearr é = the
is + comparative     bigger he is, the better

 This is the same dá as in the previous construct.

We then have the same variants in place of the named subject at our disposal:
e.g.: Dá mhéad a rinne sé is ea is fearr = the more he did, the better.
or: Dá laghad a gcím díot is amhlaidh is fearr dom = the less I see of you, the better
it is for me
 amhlaidh is an adverb ( = so, exactly)[ 1 ]. is amhlaidh is also appears outside of this
construct, meaning "the" as in "the bigger, the better".
Note the small difference between these constructs:
 Dá laghad é is ea is fearr é = The smaller he is, the better
 Dá laghad é is fearr é = However small he is, he is the better one

In Donegal, there is another way of forming it, without an abstr. noun:

form examples
mas + comparative + ... + mas + mas mó atá ann mas fearr é = the more that are
comparative + ... here, the better

 instead of mas also mars, más.

These stem from mar (= as, like) + is (= copula)

"it is getting bigger"

form examples
Tá sé ag dul i bhfeabhas = It will get better.
form of téigh + subject + i + grad.
Rachaidh sé i bhfeabhas amárach = Tomorrow it'll
abstr. noun
get better.

 téigh = go, i = in.

(Tá sé ag dul i bhfeabhas = It is getting better. lit.: "It is at going in improvement")