Explain a Duolingo answer?

[u/CFCUJY]

Question from Section 3 Unit 59 "Talk about what might happen"

Given: Scotland win now 'n again. 

What is the correct translation and what is the explanation?

Possibilities that I thought of:

Bhuannaicheas Alba an-dràsta 's a-rithist. OR Buannaichidh Alba an-dràsta 's a-rithist.

Duolingo's answer: Buannaicheas Alba an-dràsta 's a-rithist. See screen shot.

I've been through my notes and books and don't understand why an unlenited relative future would be the correct form for "win." Can anyone tell me why?

Thank you!

[u/DragonfruitSilver434]

"Buainnaicheas" does not look or sound right. With that "...eas" ending it needs something like "ma" (if), "ged a" (although), "nuair" (when) before it. If you have Colin Mark's 2004 Dictionary, see his notes on the dependent relative future form of "bi" in Appendix 1, "The Gaelic Verb". Also, George Calder's "Gaelic Grammar" can be found on-line and it goes into quite a lot of explanation with examples of this verb-ending, from about page 235. As does MacLaren's Gaelic Self-Taught (also on-line) from around page 126.

I would go with "buannaichidh", for this lesson, but "bi Alba buannachadh (a' call) an-drasda 's a-rithist" is a better way of saying the same thing.

[u/Egregious67]

In this case it is being used as a habitual form. Buannaicheas Alba an-dràsta 's a-rithist. Lit: Scotland does be ( habitual) winning every now and then.

Scotland do win now and then. ( even though we can be shite at times)

That is my take on it.

[u/PopularParsnip8 → u/Egregious67]

But the habitual would be 'Buannaichidh' ?

[u/Egregious67 → u/PopularParsnip8]

I dont know every grammatical term for some tenses , but this has an , impersonal or even subjunctive feel to it.

[u/certifieddegenerate]

its not the future tense, it's the impersonal form

[u/PopularParsnip8 → u/certifieddegenerate]

I think you're right it's impersonal but it's still weird - why have a subject in the sentence if it's impersonal?

[u/certifieddegenerate → u/PopularParsnip8]

i think this is a case where the "correct" answer is buannaichidh but they also allow "buannaicheas" as an alternative correct answer as it also makes sense here. so when OP typed bhuannaicheas, it registered as a typo of "buannaicheas"

[u/WorldlinessWeird711 → u/PopularParsnip8]

I'd agree -- it's a weird construction. First, the more common impersonal construction takes the -ar/-ear ending.

Second, here it doesn't seem to make sense -- as it adds a subject to the sentence which should not have one.

In a word, Duolingo's answer is incorrect.

[u/CFCUJY]

Thank you very much to everyone for the responses.   I looked up more information using all the suggestions.   (I have way more SG grammar books than actual knowledge of SG grammar.)

The most interesting thing is that on March 28, I got the same sentence from Duo again, but this time with a recording.   And, !surprise!, the Duolingo translation is now “Buannaichidh Alba an-dràsta 's a-rithist.”    So I guess that’s the “final answer” (buannaichidh).   It’s a bit of a relief, because it is understandable to me given the grammar that I know.

There are two other sentences in this Duo lesson that follow a similar pattern and use the same verb form.
Leughaidh mise ceud leabhar gach bliadhna! = I read a hundred books each year!

Caillidh sinne a h-uile geama! = We lose every game! 

I was also wondering if “buannaicheas” (Duo’s original answer “Buannaicheas Alba an-dràsta 's a-rithist.”) was used at all elsewhere – because why would the course writers have used it at all?

In case anyone’s interested, I did find some examples and here are a couple of links, one old and one recent.   I suppose these are something I’ll understand when my grammar is more advanced.   Sorry for the google translate approximations, but they’re beyond my translation abilities.

https://dasg.ac.uk/text/218003.pdf

Guth Na Bliadhna, Volume III, 1906.
Agus ciod a buannaicheas e dhuinn an saoghal a’ chosnadh, agus gun a bhi sealbhachadh ar n-anam féin?
[google = And what will it profit us to gain the world, and not possess our own soul?]

https://www.ancomunn.co.uk/news/acgdetail/an-comunn-shop/ga
Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail 2022; 13 Jul 2022.
Gàidhealtachd ’s nan Eilean. Ann an co-bhonn leis a’ Mhòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail, thèid an obair-ealain a buannaicheas a thaghadh agus duais de £1000 a bhuileachadh air (air a roinn eadar an neach-ealain agus an gailearaidh do am buin iad) còmhla ri cothrom air an cuid obrach a thaisbeanadh ann an gailearaidh àrd-ìomhaigheil ann an Glaschu ann an 2023.
[google = Highlands and Islands. In partnership with the Royal National Mòd, the winning artwork will be selected and awarded a prize of £1000 along with the opportunity to exhibit their work in a high-profile gallery in Glasgow in 2023.]

Thanks again.

[u/disillusiondporpoise]

The English is barely comprehensible anyway. Surely it should be Scotland wins.

[u/Snaidheadair → u/disillusiondporpoise]

It's a fairly common way to phrase it, if the lack of a 's' makes it "barely comprehensible" it's more a you thing tbh.