The Two ‘Haves’ of Irish: Possession as a State

How would you say “I have a book”? It’s one of the first phrases any language learner masters. In English, it’s a simple, three-word sentence built around the verb “to have.” This verb is a cornerstone of our language, expressing ownership, relationships, and even states of being. But what if a language didn’t have a verb for “to have” at all? Welcome to the fascinating world of Irish and its Celtic cousins, where possession is not an action you perform, but a state you find yourself in.

Cracking the Code: The ‘Is at Me’ Construction

In the Irish language (Gaeilge), you can’t simply swap “have” for an Irish equivalent. Instead, you use a prepositional phrase. Let’s take our example:

Tá leabhar agam.

Broken down, this sentence literally translates to: “A book is at me.”

Let’s unpack that:

• Tá: This is the verb “to be.” Specifically, it’s the form used to describe a state, condition, or location. It’s telling you how things are right now.
• leabhar: This is the noun, “a book.” It’s the object of the sentence.
• agam: This is the most crucial part. It’s not a single word but a “prepositional pronoun.” It’s a fusion of the preposition ag (meaning “at”) and the pronoun mé (meaning “I” or “me”).

This structure applies to everyone, not just “me.” The preposition ag combines with each personal pronoun to create a full set of possessors:

• agam (ag + mé) – at me
• agat (ag + tú) – at you
• aige (ag + sé) – at him
• aici (ag + sí) – at her
• againn (ag + sinn) – at us
• agaibh (ag + sibh) – at you (plural)
• acu (ag + siad) – at them

So, a few more examples make the pattern clear:

Tá carr nua aige.
A new car is at him. (He has a new car.)

An bhfuil peann agat?
Is a pen at you? (Do you have a pen?)

A State of Being, Not an Act of Owning

This might seem like a simple grammatical quirk, but it reveals a profound difference in worldview. The English verb “to have” positions the subject as an active agent. “I have a car” implies control, ownership, and a direct, possessive relationship between me and the vehicle. The car is mine; I am its owner.

The Irish construction, Tá carr agam, frames it differently. It describes a state of affairs. The car is simply located “at me” for the time being. It’s a statement about proximity and association, not inherent ownership. Philosophically, it suggests that possession is temporary. The book is “at me” now, but it could be “at you” tomorrow. This is a more fluid, less absolute way of conceptualizing our relationship with the objects around us.

You aren’t actively ‘having’ the object; you are in a state where the object is with you. Ownership is less about a permanent claim and more about a current reality.

It’s a Family Affair: The Celtic ‘Have’ Languages

This unique approach to possession isn’t just an Irish oddity. It’s a hallmark of the Insular Celtic languages, a feature they all share. This points to a common ancestral way of thinking about the world.

• Scottish Gaelic: The construction is nearly identical to Irish. “He has a dog” is Tha cù aige (A dog is at him).
• Welsh: The structure is similar, though it uses a different preposition. “I have a book” is Mae llyfr gen i (“A book is with me”), from the preposition gyda (with).
• Breton: Similarly, “She has a house” can be expressed as Un ti he deus (A house is to/at her).

This shared feature, known among linguists as an areal feature of a Sprachbund (a “language union”), shows just how deeply embedded this concept is across the Celtic language family.

Beyond Possession: Feelings are ‘On’ You

This way of describing external states extends beyond physical objects. In Irish, you don’t “have” feelings or sensations, either. Instead, they are described as being ar (on) you. This further removes the person as the active agent and reframes them as the experiencer of a condition.

Consider these common phrases:

Tá ocras orm.
Hunger is on me. (I am hungry.)

Tá áthas orm.
Joy is on me. (I am happy.)

Tá brón orm.
Sorrow is on me. (I am sorry/sad.)

Just like you don’t actively “own” a book that is temporarily located “at” you, you don’t “have” hunger. Hunger is a state that has descended “on” you. This is a beautifully poetic and passive construction. You are not your hunger; you are a person experiencing hunger. When you’re sad, sorrow is a weight that is currently “on” you, but it is not an intrinsic part of your being.

What This Means for Language Learners

For anyone learning Irish, this is one of the first major conceptual hurdles. It requires you to stop translating word-for-word from English and start thinking in a completely new grammatical framework.

But this isn’t just a rule to be memorized. It’s an invitation to see the world differently. It’s a linguistic window into a philosophy where the line between us and the world of objects and feelings is more fluid. Possession is a temporary arrangement, and feelings are transient states that visit us.

So, the next time you say Tá leabhar agam, take a moment to appreciate the depth behind those three simple words. You’re not just speaking another language; you’re adopting another perspective on reality itself.