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For

Airson

The compound preposition airson (for, for the sake of, on behalf of) can be used in different ways and can change meaning in context. Here are some common usages:

1. With time expressions meaning 'for':

Chaidh e a–null thairis airson bliadhna

He went abroad for a year.

2. With the genitive (possessive) case of nouns meaning 'for, on account of':

Cheannaich mi seòclaid airson na cèic.

I bought chocolate for the cake.

3. Often used in the construction 'too something to be/do something':

Tha mi ro òg airson a bhith a' dràibheadh.

I'm too young to be driving.

4. With the verb bi : tha , bha , bidh . Tha mi airson … (I am for …) doing something:

Tha mi airson a' chèic sin a cheannach.

I want to buy that cake.

Bha iad airson an obair sin a dhèanamh.

They wanted to do that work.

We saw in Cuspair 7 that to use airson with a pronoun we add the possessive adjectives: mo, do, a, a (h–), ar, ur, an/am between the two parts of the compound preposition: air mo shon (for me, for my sake), air a son (for her/its sake) and so on.

Tha obair ann an seo. An cuir thu a–steach air a son?

There is work here. Will you apply for it?

Rinn Dòmhnall sin air mo shon.

Donald made that for me.

airson + mo	air mo shon
airson + do	air do shon
airson + a	air a shon
airson + a	air a son
airson + ar	air ar son
airson + ur	air ur son
airson + an	air an son

As with other compound prepositions, when a noun follows airson directly it should be in the genitive (possessive) case:

Tha mi a' dol a chur a–steach airson na h–obrach.

I am going to put in for the job.

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