ar tí

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish for tí (“in pursuit of, attempting to”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛɾʲˈtʲiː/

Preposition

ar tí (followed by verbal noun)

1. about to, on the point of
   • 1894 March, Peadar Mac Fionnlaoigh, “An rí nach robh le fagháil bháis”, in Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge, volume 1:5, Dublin: Gaelic Union, pages 185–88:

     Nuair do chuir an bhuachaill a chos ar an phlainc, le dul tar an pholl, lúb sí síos san uisge, ar mhodh go robh an t‑ógánach ar tí bheith báithte, gur rinne sé é féin do choisreagadh, ⁊ ar an móimid d’éirigh an phlainc cómh daingean le Gaigeán, ⁊ léim an mada dubh síos ’san pholl as a bhealach.

     When the boy put his foot on the plank to cross the pool, it bent down into the water, so that the youth was on the point of being drowned, till he crossed himself; and in a moment it became as firm as Gaigean, and the black dog jumped down into the pool out of his way.

Synonyms

• ar hob

Further reading

• “ar tí”, in Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926, Royal Irish Academy
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “tí”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 732
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “tí”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN