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Joyce: a row on the head of it
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Marius Hancu
Jun 21, 2014, 8:19:46 AM6/21/14
to
Hello:
~~~
[Circa 1900. Dublin. Maria, a devout Catholic, is [probably] a scullery
maid at at a Protestant charity. She visits the family of Joe Donnely,
whom she had nursed once.]
[...] and they sat by the fire talking over old times and Maria thought
she would put in a good word for Alphy. But Joe cried that God might
strike him stone dead if ever he spoke a word to his brother again and
Maria said she was sorry she had mentioned the matter.
Mrs Donnelly [Joe�s wife] told her husband it was a great shame for him
to speak that way of his own flesh and blood, but Joe said that Alphy
was no brother of his and there was nearly being a row on the head?? of it.
Joyce, Dubliners - Clay
~~~
"a row on the head of it": does "head" mean "issue" here?
Thanks.
--
Marius Hancu
~~~
[Circa 1900. Dublin. Maria, a devout Catholic, is [probably] a scullery
maid at at a Protestant charity. She visits the family of Joe Donnely,
whom she had nursed once.]
[...] and they sat by the fire talking over old times and Maria thought
she would put in a good word for Alphy. But Joe cried that God might
strike him stone dead if ever he spoke a word to his brother again and
Maria said she was sorry she had mentioned the matter.
Mrs Donnelly [Joe�s wife] told her husband it was a great shame for him
to speak that way of his own flesh and blood, but Joe said that Alphy
was no brother of his and there was nearly being a row on the head?? of it.
Joyce, Dubliners - Clay
~~~
"a row on the head of it": does "head" mean "issue" here?
Thanks.
--
Marius Hancu
James Hogg
Jun 21, 2014, 9:45:33 AM6/21/14
to
head of" in other parts of Ireland) means "on account of, for the sake
of". It's a direct translation of the Irish phrase "thar ceann".
--
James
Marius Hancu
Jun 21, 2014, 12:33:02 PM6/21/14
to
"a row about it" or "a row caused by it"?
Also, how about the construct
"there was being"?
Why the need for "being" in there?
Dialect, or accentuating the present moment with a continuous form?
Thank you.
--
Marius Hancu
James Hogg
Jun 21, 2014, 12:56:40 PM6/21/14
to
Marius Hancu wrote:
> Also, how about the construct
>
> "there was being"?
>
> Why the need for "being" in there?
> Dialect, or accentuating the present moment with a continuous form?
A Hiberno-English construction.
> Also, how about the construct
>
> "there was being"?
>
> Why the need for "being" in there?
> Dialect, or accentuating the present moment with a continuous form?
--
James
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