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Arsa mise …

Says I …

We often hear the gnìomhair neo‑iomlan (defective verb): arsa (said) used by people who are reciting stories or reporting what they, or someone else said.

This is like the old fashioned: ‘says/said I’, ‘says/said he’ or ‘says/said she’ used when recounting what was said. Think of ‘he said, she said’!

There is only the one past tense form; this verb can’t be used as a question or negative statement; and it does not have a future or conditional tense.

‘Thalla dhachaigh,’ ars’ am bodach.

‘Away home,’ says the old man.

‘Dèan thusa na thogras tu,’ arsa mise ris.

‘You do as you please,’ says I to him.