Graiméar na GaeDilge

Ijmik

THIRD EDITION HE VISED

z

THIRD EDITION-REVISED.

CAHILL 4 CO., Printers, Dublin.

PREFACE,

THE Grammar of Spoken Irish presents many diffi-
culties owing to the forms peculiar to different places,
but as the literary usage embraces the dialects cur-
rent in different localities, save a few archaic sur-
vivals, the literary usage has been adopted as the standard
of this grammer.

Modern Irish may be said to date from the end of the
16th, or the beginning of the 17th century. At the com-
mencement of the modern period many forms are found
which belong to an earlier period, and many forms which
have since grown obsolete, side by side with those by which
they have since been replaced. We have deemed it advisable
not to introduce into this grammer any obsolete grammatical
forms, how prominent soever they may be in early modern
literature. However, as students preparing for public exa-
minations are frequently required to read the works of early
modern authors, we have added in the present edition an
appendix containing the verb-system of early modern Irish.
Such early modern grammatical forms as survive oaly within
a small area are not given in the large type ; on the other
hand, those grammatical forms generally found in literature,
and which are still in use in any one of the three Irish-
speaking Provinces, are given in the large print in preference
to those more generally used by Irish speakers, but which are
not found in literary works. It is hoped that this method
may help to popularise Irish literature, and to reconcile in
some degree the slight discrepancies which exist between the
spoken and the literary usages.

In the present Grammar the letters I, n, and p are
reckoned among the asphable consonants, and p is omitted

2038971

from the eclipaable ones. The declension of verbal nouns is
transferred from the third declension to the chapter on the
verbs. A collection of heteroclite nonns is inserted. The
usual declension of the personal pronouns is not employed,
and the terms Conjunctive and Disjunctive pronouns are
adopted. The naming of the four principal parts of an Irish
verb, the treatment of the Autonomous form of conjugation,
the rejection of compound prepositions, infinitive mood, and
present participle form a few of the features of this grammar.
Among the appendices will be found lists of words belonging
to the various declensions, of verbs of beth conjugation, and
of irregular verbal nouns.

Many of the rules have been taken from the " O'Growney
Series " and from the " Gaelic Journal." The grammars of
Neilson, O'Donovan, Bourke, Craig, and of many other
authors, have been consulted. The chapter on the classifi-
cation of the uses of the prepositions is based on Dr.
Atkinson's edition of Keating's Uj\i t)iojv§.AOtte An tXdip
Some of the sentences which illustrate the rules have been
culled, with the author's permission, from the tl1ion-Cc\inc
of the Rev. Peter O'Leary, P.P.

In the present edition the enunciation of the rnle C<.\ol
te c-AOl i leAfcan te leAtAti has been modified so as to
bring it more into harmony with the spoken language. The
sections on the Relative pronouns, Demonstrative pronouns,
Adverbs, and Conjunctions have been greatly enlarged and
improved. A large collection of Idiomatic expressions and an
exhaustive Index have been also added.

The Christian Brothers acknowledge with pleasure their
indebtedness to Mr. John McNeill, B A., and Rev. Peter
O'Leary, P.P., for their generous and invaluable aid in the
production of this grammar. To Mr. R. J. O'Mulrenin, M.A.,
Mr. J. H. Lloyd, to Mr. Shortall, and to many other friends
their best tbanks are due, and gratefully tendered.

CONTENTS.

Page

The Letters 1

Sounds of the Voxels ... ... ... ... 2

The Diphthongs ... ... ... ... ... 2

The Triphthongs ... ... ... ... ... 8

Consonants, Division of the ... ... ... 4

,, Combination of the ... ... ... 6

Accent ... ... ... ... ... ... 6

„ Words distinguished by ... ... ... 7

Obscure Sounds of the Vowels ... ... ... 7

Aspiration, Explanation of ... ... ... ... 9

„ How marked ... ... ... ... 10

Rules for 11

Eclipsis 13

„ Rules for 15

Insertion of n ... ... ... ... 16

17

h 18

Attenuation and Broadening ... ... ... 18

CAol te CAol i leAc^n le teACAn ... ... ... 19

Syncope, Explanation of ... ... ... ... 20

,, Examples of ... ... ... ... 21

The Article ... 25

„ Initial changes produced by ... ... 23

Gender, Rules for ... ... ... ... ... 26

Cases, Number of ... ... ... ... ... 28

Bole* for formation of the ... ... 28

P*6«.

First Declension ... ... ... ... ... 80

„ Examples of vowel-changes ... ... 83

,, Irregular Genitive Singular .. ... 8t

„ Irregular Nominative Plural ... 34

Second Declension ... ... ... ... ... 36

„ Examples of vowel-changes ... ... 37

,, Irregular Genitive Singular ... ... 39

,, Irregular Nominative Plural ... ... 89

Third Declension ... ... ... ... ... 41

„ Irregular Nominative Plural ... ... 44

Fourth Declension ... ... .,. ... ... 45

„ Irregular Nominative Plural ... ... 46

Fifth Declension 47

Heteroclite Nouns ... ... ..« ... ... 51

Irregular Nouns ... ... ... ... ••• 52

The Adjective ... 56

„ First Declension ... ... ... 66

,, Second Declension ... ... ... 59

„ Third Declension ... ... .. 60

„ Fourth Declension ... ... ... 60

Aspiration of ... ... ... 61

Eclipsisof 62

„ Comparison of ... ... ... 83

., Irregular Comparison ... ... ... 68

Numeral Adjectives ... ... ... ... 69

„ „ Notes on... ... ... 71

Personal Numerals ... ... 73

Possessive Adjectives ... ... ... 74

Demonstrative ,, ... . = . ... 78

Indefinite „ ... 79

Distributive „ ... ... ... 82

Interrogative ,, ... ... ... 82

Intensifying Particles ... ... ... 66

Emphatic „ ... .- -.. 75

vil

Translation of "Some" ... ... ... 80

"Any" ......... 81

The Pronoun

Personal ... ... ... ... 88

Reflexive ... ... ... 84

Conjunctive and Disjunctive ... ... 85

Neuter Pronoun eA-6 ... ... ... ... 86

Prepositional ... ... ... ... 87

Relative ... ... ... 91

Demonstrative ... ... ... ... 93

Indefinite ... ... ... ... 94

Distributive ... ... ... ... 96

Interrogative ... ... ... ... 98

Reciprocal ... ... ... ... 97

The Verb

Conjugations, Number of ... ... ... 98

„ Three forms of ... ... ... 9«

M Autonomous form of ... ... 100

Moods, Number of ... ... ... ... 102

Tenses, Number of ... ... ... ... 101

,, Various forms of the ... ... ... 104

Principal Parts of a Verb ... ... ... 106

,, Examples of ... ... ... 107

First Conjugation ... ... ... ... 108

Notes on Moods and Tenses of ... 113

Rule for Aspiration of c of the Past Participle ... 116

Participle of Necessity ......... 116

Derivative Participles ..... ... 117

Declension of Verbal Nouns ... ... ... 118

Second Conjugation ... ... ... ... 118

Verbs in 15 and « 15 ... ... ... ,.. 119

Syncopated Verbs ... ... ... ... 120

Rules for formation of Verbal Noun .. ... ... 125

Irregular Verbs «. ... ... ... 127

Page.

Irregular Verbs, Absolute and Dependent forma of ... 138

CAIID ............ 127

ir ............ 133

beiti ............ 186

C4t)4lft ... ... ... ,.. 137

Abatjt ... ... ... UC

5*6 ............ 142

F*5 ......... 1«

•Oeun ... ... 145

PMC ............ 147

Cloif or ctuin ... ... ... ... 150

Ceij (Ceix.) ........... 152

1c ............ 154

tlijim ... ... ... ... 155

Defective Verbs

dp, DAr. peAt>Ati ... ... ... 156

tif U, t)'r6bAHi, peuT)Aim ... ... ... 157

Adverbs ............ 167

Interrogative Words ............ 160

"Up and Down,"&<;. ... ... ... 160

11 This side, that side," &c. ... ... ... 162

"Over" ............ 163

North, South, East, West ......... 163

Compound or Phrase Adverbs .. ... •• 164

Days of the Week ............ 167

"Head-foremost" ... ... ... ... 167

"However" ............ 168

The Adverb " The " ............ 168

Prepositions ... ... ..168

Conjunctions ... ... 169

Use of HA and tU 50 ... ... ••• 170

Usesofnuji - 170

Interjections ............ 171

Pago.

Word-Building

Prefixes 173

Affixes 176

Diminutives ... .." ... 178

in in 179

in An 179

in 65 180

Derivative Nouns ... ••• 181

Compound Nouns ... ... ••• 182

Derivative Adjectives ... ... ••• 186

Verbs derived from Nouns ... ... ... 190

„ Adjectives ... ... 191

Syntax of the Article 192

Article used in Irish but not in English ... 193

Syntax of the Noun ... ... ... ... 196

Apposition ... ... ... 197

Collective Nouns ... ... ... ... 197

Personal Numerals ... ... ... ... 198

Personal Nouns ... ... ... ... 199

Syntax of the Adjective ... 201

Adjective used Attributively ... ... ... 202

„ Predicatively ... ... ... 204

Numeral Adjectives ... ... ... ... 205

Dual Number ... ... ... ... 209

Possessive Adjectives ... ... ... 211

Syntax of the Pronoun ... ... ... ... 213

Relative Pronoun ... 214

Translation of the Genitive case of the English

Relative ... ... ... ... 216

Syntax of the Verb ... ... 218

Uses of the Subjunctive Mood ... ... 219

Relative form of the Verb ... ... 22 1

Verbal Noun and its Functions ... ... ... 224

How to translate the English Infinitive ... 226

Definition of a Definite Noun ... ... ... 285

Page.

When to nse the Verb is ... ... ... 236

Position of Words with 1S ... ... ... 240

Translation of the English Secondary Tenses ... Z41

Prepositions after Verb8 ... ... ... 243

Translation of the word " Not " ... ... 246

How to answer a question. Yes— No ... ... 248

Syntax of the Preposition ... ... ... ... 249

Translation of the Preposition "For" ... ... 256

"Of" 260

Uses of the Preposition ... ... 262

Specimens of Parsing ... ... ... ... 284

Idioms . 289

Idiomatic Phrases ... ... ... ... 305

The Autonomous form of the Irish Verb ... ... 815

Appendices

i. List of Nouns belonging to First Declension 325
ii. List of Feminine Nouns ending in a broad
consonant belonging to Second Declen-

eion 327

iii. List of Nouns belonging to Third Declension 329

iv. List of Nouns belonging to Fifth Declension 333

v. List of Irregular Verbal Nouns ... ... 834

vi. List of Verbs of First Conjugation ... ... 336

vii. List of Syncopated Verbs ... ... ... 338

viii. Termination of the Regular Verbs in present-
day usage ... ... ... ... 33y

ix. Verb-System of Early Modern Irish ... 340

Index . 343

PART I.— ORTHOGRAPHY.

CHAPTER I.

The Letters.

\. The Irish alphabet contains eighteen letters, five
of which are vowels, the remaining thirteen are con-
sonants.

The vowels are -A, e, 1, o, ti ; and the consonants
are to, c, t>, r, 5, n, I, m, n, p, p, r, c.

2. The vowels are divided into two classes.

(1) The broad vowels : A, o, u.

(2) The slender vowels : e, i.

The vowels may be either long or short. The long
vowels are marked by means ol an acute accent (0
placed over the vowel, as m<ty (big) pronounced like
the English word more ; a short vowel has no accent,
as mol (praise), pronounced like mid in the English
word mulberry. Carefully distinguish between the
terms "broad vowel" and "long vowel." The broad
vowels (A, o, u) are not always long vowels, neither
are the slender vowels (e, 1) always short.

In writing Irish we must be careful to mark the
accents on long vowels. See words distinguished by
accent, par. 14.

3. Sounds of the Vowels.

The Irish vowel ia sounded like in the words

A long au naught

«<j in HATJ (baudh), boat

A short o not

„ gUf (gloss), green

6 long ae Gaelic

„ cpe (klr-ae), cla/

e short e let

„ ce (t'ye), hot

i ee feel

,, mAitfn (mawil-een), little bag
1 i hit

,, pi|i (fir), men

6 6 note

,, mojt (mor), big, large

o 6, u done or much

,, wofiAf (dhur-us), a door

" oo tool

,, glun (gloon), a knee
« u bull or put

,, njir-A (ursu), a door-jamb

A short vowel at the end of an Irish word is alwayi
pronounced.

The Digraphs.

4. The following list gives the sounds of the
digraphs in Modern Irish. The first five aie ahviivs
long and require no accent. The others are some-
times long and sometimes short, hence the accent
ought not to be omitted.*

* Since but few words, and these well-known, have eo short it is
not usual to write the accent on eo long.

i A is pronounced like ee-a as t)ix* (dyee-a), God.
UA ,, oo-a ,, ptMp (foo-ar), cold.

eu or e.<\ „ ae ,, j:euf\ (faer), grass.

Ae „ ae ,, lAete (lae-he), days.

AO „ ae ,, T)Aop (dhaer), dear.

e6 „ yo ,, ceol (k-yol), music.

lu „ ew „ pu (few), worthy.

Ai ,, au+i „ CAIN (kau-in), a tax.

61 ,, ae+i ,, I6im (lyae-im), a leap.

61 ,, o+i ,, m6m (mo-in), a bog.

ui ,, oo+i ,, full (soo-fl), an eye.

e^ ,, aa „ CAifte^n (kosh-laan*),

a castle.]
fo „ ee „ po|\ (feer), true.

(thaish), damp.

(far), a man.
ei „ e ,, eite (el-e), other.

01 ,, u+i ,, coil (thu-il), a will.

10 \ pop (fiss), knowledge.

uiJ " uifge (ish-ge), water.

eo „ u „ -oeoC (d'yukh), a drink.

Ai( = ^i"6e):, ee „ COCAI (ko-thee), coats.

The Trigraphs.

5. There are six trigraphs in Irish. They are
pronounced as follows : —
^01 = ee fAOi (see)=a wise man.

eoi = o+i -ofeoilin (d'ro-il-een)=a wren.

Also pronounced kosh-laun.

e4i = aa+i CAipie«Mn(kosh-laain)=castles.

1A1* = eea+i II<M$ (lee-ih):=a physician.

it Ait = oo+i puAip (foo-ir)= found.

iui = ew+i cium (kew-in)=calm.

The Consonants.

6. The consonants are usually divided into two
classes.

(1) The liquids — t, m, n, p.

(2) The mutes— b, c, r>, p, 5, p, r-, c.

The letter ti is not given, for h is not usually recog-
nised as an Irish letter. It can be used only as a
sign of aspiration, or at the beginning of a word, to
separate two vowel sounds.

Sonio grammarians divide the consonants into
labials, dentals, palatals, gutturals, sibilants, &c.,
according to the organs employed in producing the
sound.

7. Every Irish consonant has two natural J sounds,
according as it is broad or slender.

An Irish consonant is broad whenever it imme-
diately precedes or follows a broad vowel (A, o, u)
An Irish consonant is slender whenever it immediately
precedes or follows a slender vowel (e, i).

8. The Irish consonants, when broad, have a much

• Pronounced like ille in the French wonl fille.
tit cannot be proper^ represented by any English sound. It is
somewhat like one in the b'rench word ouest.

J Other sounds will be I rented of under the heading "Aspiration."

thicker sound than in English; e.g. T> broad has nearly
the sound of th in thy, i.e. d + h; c broad has nearly
the sound of th in threw, &c. When slender the
Irish consonants (except f) have somewhat the same
sound as in English; but when they are followed by a
slender vowel, they are pronounced somewhat like the
corresponding English consonant followed immediately
by a y, e. g. ceol (rrusic) is pronounced k' yol; Deo
(alive) =b'yo.

It must not, however, be understood that there is a
"y sound" in the Irish consonant/ The peculiar
sound of the Irish consonants when followed by a
slender vowel is fairly well represented by the corre-
sponding English consonant+an English "y sound."
In some parts of the country this "y sound" is not
neard. The y is orJy sajyexiitc, and is never heard
as a distinct sound.

Combination of the Consonants.

9. There are certain Irish consonants which, when
they come together in the same word, do not coalesce,
so that when they are uttered a very short obscure
vowel sound is heard between them.

This generally occurs in the case of two liquids or
a liquid and a mute. Thus bAlo (dumb) is pronounced
boll-uv ; le<\nt> (a child) is lyan-uv ; -OO^CA (dark) is>
dhur-uchu ; mAf\5<\-6 (a market) is mor-ugu..

The following combinations do not coalesce, : en, LO,
15, Im, pt>, j\ti, pg, pn, irh, nt>, nrh, ^rh, nc, ft<5.

10. In some combinations, one of the consonants is
silent.

•ol is pronounced like tt
•on ,, nn

rro ,, nn

In „ U

Thus, COT>UYO (sleep) is pronounced kullu.
(same) ,, kaenu.

(ugly) „ graun-u.

(beauty) ,, aul-ye.

Notice the difference between tig and gn.
long (a ship) is pronounced lung,
gno (work) ,, gun-o.

11. Only three of the Irish consonants, viz. the
liquids I, n, jv may be doubled. This doubling can take
place only at the end or the middle of words, but never
at the beginning. The double liquids have quite distinct
sounds from the single, except in Munster, where,
in some positions, double liquids influence vowels.
This doubling at the end of a word does not denote
shortness of the preceding vowel, as in English : in
fact, it is quite the opposite; e. g. eA in j?eAjif\ (better)
is longer than e.\ in pe^fx (a man).

In Irish there is no double consonant like the Eng-
lish x, which =ks.

Accent.

12. The only accent sign used in writing Irish is
the acute accent placed over the long vowels, and over

the long sounds of those diphthongs, which may ba
sometimes short. This sign is not intended to mark
the syllable on which the stress of the voice falls.

13. In simple words of two syllables the tonic accent
is usually upon the first syllable, as A§uf (6g-us), and ;
tinA (oon-a), Una: but in derived words of two or
more syllables the accented syllable varies in the
different provinces.

In Munster the accent falls on the termination
or second syllable; in Connaught it falls on the first
syllable, or root; in Ulster the accent falls on the first
syllable, as in Gonnaught, but the termination ia
unduly shortened. For instance, the word C4f\in, a
path, is pronounced kos-aun in Munster, kos-aun
in Connaught, and kos-an in Ulster.

The Obscure Yowel Sounds.

Whenever a vowel has neither a tonic nor a written
accent, it has so transient and indistinct a pronuncia-
tion that it is difficult to distinguish one broad or one
slender vowel from another ; hence in ancient
writings we find vowels substituted for each other
indiscriminately: <-:.g,, the word flAnuigce, saved, is
frequently spelled fUtiAigte, r'^'ioigte, rUmujct.

14. Words distinguished by their accent.

.Ate, a place. x\ic, funny, peculiar (what

one likes or wishes).
A\\, our ; slaughter. A\\ on ; says.

bAp, death.

bAp (or bop), palm of

hand.

c^p, a caso.

CAP, turn.

ce" AT> (cent)), a hundred.

CGA-O, leave, permissioii

coip, right.

coip, a crime.

c<5ipce, a coach.

coipce, a jury.

•06, two.

•oo, to.

f.An, a wandering.

f.An, wait, stay.

•peAf (peup), grass.

peAf , a man.

pop, yet.

pop, a prop.

f, she, her.

1, in.

teAfi, clear, perceptible.

le,\t\, the sea.

ton, food, provisions.

Ion, a blackbird.

triAlA, a bag.

niAlA, an eyebrow.

m6Ap. (meufv), a finger.

meAn, quick, active.

min, fine.

mm, meal.

nA, than; not (imperative).

nA, the plural article.

p\6p, a rose.

l\op, flax-seed.

f At, a heel.

fAt, filth, dirt.

feAn (peun), happy.

p(Mn, old.

fin, stretch.

fin, that.

p6lAp, comfort.

f olAp, light.

put, (gen. plural of pint)

f ul, before (with verbs).

eye.

c6, a person.

cc, hot.

CHAPTER II.
Aspiration.

15. Tho word "aspiration" comes from the Latit
verb "aspirare," to breathe; hence, when we sayinlrish
that a consonant is asj-r rated, we mean that the breath
is not completely stopped in the formation of the
consonant, but rather that the consonant sound ia
continuous.

Take, for example, the consonant b. To form this consonant sound
the lips are pressed closely together for on instant, and the breath U
forced out on separating the lips. Now, if we wish to get the sound
of b aspirated (or b), we must breathe the whole time whilst trying tu
form the sound of b ; i.e. we must not close the lips entirely, and the
resulting sound is like the English consonant v. Henco we say that
the sound of 6 (in some positions) is w.

The Irish letter c corresponds very much to the English k, and the
breathed sound of /; corresponds to the sound of 6 (when broad). To
sound the English k, we press the centre of the tongue against the
palate, and cut off the breath completely for an instant. In pro-
nouncing c (when broad), all we have to do 13 to try to pronounce the
letter k without preaing the tongue against the palate. The word
loc, a lake, is pronounced somewhat like luk; but the tongue is not
to touch the palate to form the k. The sound of c aspirated when
slender (especially when initial) is very well represented by the sound
of "h" in "humane."

The Irish ij (5) has always the hard sound of g in the English word
"go." In pronouncing this word we press the back of the tongue
aguinst the ba,ck of the palate. Now, to pronounce 5 (and also -6^
when broad, we must breathe in forming the sound of y, i.e. «?e must
keep the tongue almost flat in the mouth.

The various sounds of the aspirated consonants aro not given, aa
they are dealt with very fully in the second parl of the "O'Growney
Series." It may be well to remark, however, that the sound of p is
like the sound of the Irish p, not the English /. The Irish p ia
sounded without the aid of the teeth.

10

16. Aspiration is usually marked by placing a dot
over the consonant aspirated — thus, t>, C, •&. How-
ever, it is sometimes marked by an h t^ter the con-
sonant to be aspirated. This is the method usually
adopted when Irish is written or printed in English
characters.

17. In writing Irish only nine of the consonants,
viz., t>, c, t>, j:, 5, m, p, f , and c, are aspirated ; but in
the spoken language all the consonants are aspirated.

The Aspiration of l, n, p.

18. The aspiration of the three letters t, n, ji, is not marked by any
sign in writing, as is the aspiration of the other consonants (o or
oh) ; but yet they are aspirated in the spoken language. An example
will best illustrate this point. The student has already learned that
the word leADAft, a book, is pronounced lyou-ar. mo, my, aspirates
an ordinary consonant, as mo t>6, my cow; but it also aspirates
I, n, ft, for mo leADAft, my book, is pronounced mtt low-ar (i.e. the
sound of y after I disappears).

, his book, is pronounced & low-ar.
i, her book, „ fi lyou-ar.

, their book, „ & lyow-ar.

, his strength, „ ft narth.

, her strength, ,, & nyarth.

&c., &c.

19. When t broad begins a word it has a much thicker sound than
in English. In sounding the English I the point of the tongue touches
the palate just above the teeth; but to get the thick sound of the
Irish t we must press the tongue firmly against the upper teeth (01
we may protrude it between the teeth). Now, when such an t is
aspirated it loses this thick sound, and is pronounced just as the Eng-
lish 1.

20. It is not easy to show by an example the aspirated sound of n ;
however, it is aspirated in the spoken language, and a slightly softer
sound is produced.

11

Rules for Aspirations.

21. We give here only the principal rules. Others
will be given as occasion will require.

(a). The possessive adjectives mo, my; -oo, thy.
and A, his, aspirate the first consonant of the follow-
ing word, as mo t>6, my cow ; -oo rhACAip, thy mother ;
A ciApAll, his horse.

(b) The article aspirates a noun in the nominative
and accusative feminine singular, and also in the
genitive masculine singular unless the noun begins
with -o, c, or r- ; An tieAti, the woman; C-A Art jreotl
guipc, the meat is salt ; tru\c x\n pp., (the) son of the
man.

(c) In compound words the initial consonant of the
second word is aspirated, except when the second
word begins with -o or c, and the first ends in one of
the letters T>, n, c, t, f . These five letters will be
easily remembered, as they are the consonants of the
word "dentals" ; veAn-tru\c<Mp, a grandmother ; CAC-
ti<5pp, a helmet; leic-pmjcinn, a halfpenny; but ^GAII-
•otune, an old person ; p e<\n-ceAc, an old house.

(d) The interjection A, the sign of the vocative case,
causes aspiration in nouns of both genders and both
numbers: A pip, 0 man; A iinu\ 0 women; A
SeumAip, 0 James.

(e) An adjective is aspirated when it agrees with a
feminine noun in the nominative or accusative sin-

gular, or with a masculine noun in the genitive sin-
gular, and in the dative and vocative singular of both
genders ; also in the nominative plural when the noun
ends in a slender consonant: as t)6 ti^n, a white cow;
mAC AH p\\ m<5in, (the) son of the big man; <Vn mnAoi
riiAit, from the good woman; cf\i cApAilt, tiitfjvA, three
big horses.

(/) When a noun is immediately followed by an
indefinite* noun in the genitive case, singular or
plural, the initial of the noun in the genitive is usually
subject to precisely the same rules as if it were the
initial of an adjective: e. g. utt Cipce, a hen-egg (lit.
an egg of a hen); tnoe cipce, of a hen-egg; cloc
mine, a stone of meal; mm coit\ce, oaten meal. The
letters "o and c are not aspirated after T>, n, u, I, p;
and p is often excepted, as the change in sound is so
great.

(g) The initial of a verb is aspirated — (1) in the

imperfect, the simple past, and the conditional, activo
voice; (2) after the particles til, not; tru\, if; n\A]\, as;
and f ul, before ; (3) after the simple relative particle,
expressed or understood: t>i pe", he was; -oo fe^f p,
she stood; ni fruilmi, I am not; nl t>eit> f6, he will
not be; AH c6 ouAile-Af or AH ce A buAile-Ap, he (or
the person) who strikes; T>O DUAiLpnn, I would strike.

•i.e. One not preceded by the definite article, possessive adj., &c.
See par. 686.

18

(h) The initial of the word following DA or out) (the
past tense and conditional of the verb if) is usually
aspirated.*

DA rhAit tiotn, I liked or I would like.

t>' teApp te,rj }ie preferred or would prefer.

(t) The simple prepositions (except AS, Ar-, le, gAn
i, and 50) aspirate the initials of the nouns imme-
diately following them: JM 6toi6, under a stone; tug
f6 AH leADAfv "oo £>eutnAi», he gave the book to James.

CHAPTER III.
Eclipsis.

22. Eclipsis is the term used to denote the suppres-
sion of the sounds of certain Irish consonants by pre-
fixing others produced by the same organ of speech.

There is usually a great similarity between the eclips-
ing letter and the letter eclipsed: thus, p is eclipsed by
b ; c is eclipsed by t>, &c. If the student pronounce the
letters p and t>, c and t>, he will immediately notice
the similarity above referred to. Thus b and t> are
like p and c, except that they are pronounced with
greater stress of the breath, or, more correctly, with
greater vibration of the vocal chords.

* Except in N. Connaught and Ulster, where this rule applies only
to b, p, ei. and sometimes p.

1.4

23. Seven* of the consonants can be eclipsed, viz.
b, c, -o, jr, 5, p, c ; the others cannot. Each consonant
has its own eclipsing letter, and it can be eclipsed by
no other. The eclipsing letter is written immediately
before the eclipsed letter, and is sometimes, though
not usually in recent times, separated from it by a
hyphen, as m-bAfvo or rntMjvo (pronounced maurdh).

Formerly eclipsis was sometimes shown by doub-
ling the eclipsed letter: thus, A CCA^D, their bull.
Whenever a letter is eclipsed both should be retained
in writing, although only one of them (the eclipsing
one) is sounded.

24. It is much better not to consider the letter f as
an eclipsable letter at all. c replaces it in certain
positions, but in none of those positions (dative
singular excepted) in which the other letters are
eclipsed. In fact, f is often replaced by c when the
previous word ends in n, as AT\ cpuil, the eye ; *.\on
cpAl, one heel; fe^n c-Site, old Sheelah; t>uiioe,.\n
Cftu<\$, a crowd, &c. Some, however, maintain that
p is really eclipsed in these cases, because its sound is
suppressed, and that of another consonant substituted;
but as the substitution of c follows the rules for
aspiration rather than those for eclipsis, we prefer to
class t' with the non- eclipsable letters, I, tn, n, |\, p.

•Bight is the number given in other grammnra. They include the
letter p.

73

25. b is eclipsed by m.

c „ H-

•o „ n.

A mtxAfvo (their poet) is pronounced a maurd,

A gcApAlt (their horse) „ a gopal.

Ap mo-Ati (our poem) „ aur naun.

1 bptnt (in blood) „ a vwil.

A tigioltA (their servant) „ ang illu.

1 bpein (in pain) „ a baen.

A -ocAlArh (their land) „ a dhol-uv.

Although n is used as the eclipsing letter of 5, the
sound of n is not heard, but the simple consonant
sound 115; therefore it would be more correct to say
that 5 is eclipsed by 115.

Rules for Eclipsis.

26. (a) The possessive adjectives plural — &$, our ;
I3u|\, your ; and A, their — eclipse the initial consonant
of the next word, as A$ T>cigeAf\ru\, our Lord ; t>up
gcApAU, your horse ; A mbA-o, their boat.

(b) The article eclipses the initial consonant of the
noun in the genitive plural (both genders) : l<\riiA tu\
li-feAp, (the) hands of the men.

(c) A simple preposition followed by the article

10

and a noun in the singular causes eclipsis* : n^ f & A?
An sc.jip.iU, he is on the horse; CAiiug fe Leip Ar
bpe-Ap, he came with the man.

(d) The numeral adjectives peACc, °cc> nAOt, and
•oeic (7, 8, 9, and 10), and their compounds, as 27,
28, 29, &c., cause eclipsis: feAcc mt>A, seven cows;
occ scAoipts, eight sheep; feAcc t>-p>P piceA-o, twenty-
seven men.

(e) The initial consonant of a verb is eclipsed after
the particles CA, not; AH, whether ; c A, where ; n,\c,
whether . . . not or that . . . not; 50, that; nin HA,
unless ; -o^, if ; and after the relative particle A when
it is preceded by a preposition, or when it means
" all that " or " what." The relative preceded by a
preposition does not eclipse if the verb be past tense,

"except in the case of a very few verbs, which will bo
given later on : An •ocuigeAim cu, do you understand '?
tu\6 t>pml pe cimi, isn't he sick? CA tipuil f6, where
is it? -oubAipc fe 50 -ociocpAt) pe, he said that he
would come; An peAj\ ^5 A bpuil xMi leADv\n,t the man
"\ho has the book.

The Insertion of n.

27. (a) When a word begins with a vowel, the letter
n is usually prefixed in all those cases in which a con-

* In many places they prefer to aspirate in thL> case,
t In colloquial Irish this sentence would be, An ve-M' «* &-K«iL AH
-ii,sc« or An pe»\p 50 b-fuil ^n Leoi&A|i ^150.

17

sonant would be eclipsed : e.g., A\\ n-A\\An

our daily bread; ctK\ix> Oipin 50 cip tu\ 11-65, Oisin

went to " tbe land of the young."

The n is sometimes omitted when the previous word
ends in n : as A\\ An AOHAC, or ^p An n-AoiiAC, at the
fair.

(b) Prepositions (except t>o and -oe) ending in a
vowel prefix n to the possessive adjectives A, his, her,
or their; and <Sp, our; le n-A rh.dt.Mp, with his mother;
6 n-4p t)cip, from our country.

The Insertion of c.

28. (a) The article prefixes c to a masculine rioun
beginning with a vowel in the nominative and accusa-
tive singular : as An c-At^ip, the father.

(ij) If a noun begins with f followed by a vowel, or
by I, n, or \\, the p is replaced by c after the article iu
the nom. and ace. feminine sing, and the genitive
masculine, and sometimes in the dative singular of
both genders, as An cpuil, the eye; ce^c An cp^5»xtpc,
(thej house of the priest, i.e.; the priest's house ; CA
ruvo 45 ce.vcc 6'n cpeiLg, they are coming from the
hunt.

(c) This replacing of p by c occurs after the words
Aon, one; pe^ti, old; and other words ending in n, as
Aon cpe*.\l5 <xm<iin, one hunt.

IS

The Insertion of ti.

29. The following is a pretty general rule for the
insertion of ti before vowels : —

" Particles which neither aspirate nor eclipse, and
which end in a vowel, prefix n to words beginning
with a vowel. Such is the case with the following :—
te, with ; A, her ; 50, to ; -OA^A, second ; f 6, six ;
cpi, three ; r\A, the (in the nom., ace., and dative
plural, also in the gen. singular feminine) ; 50 before
adverbs; the ordinal adjectives ending in rh AT), &c."
— Gaelic Journal.

CHAPTER IV.
Attenuation and Broadening.

30. Attenuation is the process of making a broad
consonant slender. This is usually done by placing an i
immediately before the broad consonant, or an e after
it. Thus if we want to make the ^ of rn<3}\ (big),
Blender, we place an i before the p; thus m6\]\. If we
wish to make the p of p^-o (the termination of the 1st
person singular future) slender, we write ve^*o> &c.

31. Broadening is the process of making a slender
consonant broad. .This is often done by placing a u
immediately before the slender consonant, or an A
after it ; thus the verbal noun of derived verbs ending
in 1$ is formed by adding At) : before adding the AT>
the $ must be made broad ; this is done by inserting

19

a u; minis, explain; minHi5<v6, explanation. If w<3
want to make the p of pit) (the termination of 3rd
singular future) broad, we must write J\M-O. tDiuAilp-o
f e, he will strike ; rne.AltpM-6 f e, he will deceive.

Whenever a slender consonant is preceded by an i
which forms part of a diphthong or a triphthong, tho
consonant is usually made broad by dropping the i.
Thus to broaden the I in SUAII, or the n in join, wo
drop the 1 and the we get tniAl and son. The verbal
nouns of btu\it and 50111 are tniAUvo and 50114-6.

CHAPTER V.
te CAOI ^U leAtx\n te

or,

Slender with slender and broad with broad.
32. When a single consonant, or two consonants
which easily blend together, come between two vowels,
both the vowels must be slender or both must be
broad.

This is a general rule of Irish phonetics. It has already been stated
that a consonant is broad when beside a broad vowel, and slender
when beside a slender vowel ; and also that the sounds of the con-
sonants vary according as they are broad or slender : hence if we try
to pronounce a word like jre,.v|tin, the fi, l)eing beside the slender
vowel i, should get its slender sound ; but being also beside the broad
vowel A, the p should be broad. But a consonant cannot be slender
and broad at the same time ; hence, such spelling as fCAjtin, mAUn,
and cAnin, does not represent the correct sounds of the words, and,

20

therefore, the device adopted In writing Irish la to have both the
vowela slander or both broad ; e.g., £ ijttn, mAitin, eitiin.

This law of phonetics is not a mere spelling ruin. If it were, such
spelling as peApAotn, mAlAOin, eAtiAOin, would be correct. But no
such spelling is used, because it does not represent the sounds of the
words. The ear and not the eye must be the guide in the observance
of the rule " CAol te CAol -\ leACAn te teAtAn."

Two consonants may come together, one naturally broad and tho
other naturally slender. When this happens, Irish speakers, as a
general rule, give the consonants their natural sounds, i.e., they keep
the broad consonant broad, and the slender one slender. For in-
stance, the ITI of com is naturally broad, and the I of lion is
naturally slender. In the word comtton (fulfil), the first syllable is
always pronounced broad, although the word is uaually written coim-
tion. This is an instance of the abuse of the rule CAOI le CAol.
There are many words in which a single consonant may have a
slender vowel at one side, and a broad vowel at the other ; e.q.t
Ajtein (latt night), Aniop («/»), AJUAITI (ever), apif (again), etc.

Although the rule cAot te CAot had been much abused in modern
spelling, in deference to modern usage we have retained the ordinary
spelling of the words.

R VI.

Syncope,

33. Whenever, in a word of two or more syllables
an unaccented vowel or digraph occurs in the last
syllable between a liquid (l, in, n. ]\) and any other
consonant, ov between two liquids, the unaccented
vowel or digraph is elided whenever the word is
lengthened by a grammatical inflection beginning with
a vowel. This elision of one or more unaccented

21

vowels from the body of an Irish word is called
syncope ; and when the vowels have been elided the
word is said to be syncopated.

35. The only difficulty in syncope is that it often
involves slight changes in the other vowels of the
syncopated word, in accordance with the rule c^ot te

CAOt,

35. The following examples will fully exemplify the
method of syncopating words.

(a) Nmmt.

The genitive singular of —

(morning) is
(work)
(a rock)

) , \ » P1n5ne

(a penny)
piginn ) „ pi$ne

(help)

(a city)

(a flame)
olAtin (wool)
bui-oe-Ati (a company) „ buit)ne
bfui$e^n (a palace) „ bt\ui$n<

olnA

not

„ pingmne
„ pijmne

„ CAD-AjVA

bui-ome

22

(b) Adjectives.

The genitive singular feminine of —
p Af6t>if\ (rich) is pAnoBpe not p A

pAAiteAfhAil (princely) ,, p.U\iteArhlA
Alumn (beautiful) „ Aitne „ Atuinne

Aoittinn (pleasant) ,, Aoitme
(notle) „ tiAiple

(c) Verbs.

Boot. Pres. Indicative.

co-OAil coT)lAim, I sleep, not

f iut)Ait piut>tAirn, I walk, ,,

mnif innfitn, I tell, ,, mnipirn.

A^t)Aij\ At)|VAitr?, I say, ,,

tAbpAim, I speak, ,,

The same contraction takes place in these and like verbs in all the
finite tenses except the future and conditional (old forms). See par.
298.

A thorough knowledge of when and how Syncope takes place will
obviate many difficulties

23

PART II.— ETYMOLOGY.

36. There are nine parts of speech in Irish corresponding exactly to
those in English.

CHAPTER I.
The Article.

37. In Irish there is only one article, -An, which
corresponds to the English definite article, " the."

There is no indefinite article, so that cApAU mean?
either "horse" or "a horse.''

38. In all cases of the singular number the article
lias the form An, except in the genitive feminine, when
it becomes nA.

In all the cases of the plural it is nA.

39. The article An had formerly an initial p . This
p reappears after the following prepositions, i, m, or
Ann, in ; 50, to ; te, with ; cp6, through. Although
this f really belongs to the article, still it is usually
written as part of the preposition ; as inf An teAttAp,
in the book ; leip An r>peA|\, with the man.

INITIAL CHANGES PRODUCED BY

THE ARTICLE.

Singular.

40. (a) If a noun begins with an aspirable con-
sonant (except T>, c, and f),* it is aspirated by the article

* The letters -o, r, and r> are aspirable in the singular, but not
usually by the article

21

in the nominative and accusative feminine and in the
genitive masculine, as An ti6, the oow ; An DeAn, the
woman ; mAC An pip, (the) son of the man ; ceAnn
An CApAill, tho horse's head (or the head of the
horse).

(I) If a noun begins with f followed by a vowel, or
by t, n, f , the f is replaced by c, in the nominative
and accusative feminine and genitive masculine, and
sometimes in the dative of both genders : An cpAt, the
heel ; An cf uit, the eye ; ceAC An cpAgAipc, the
house of the priest ; mAC An cf Aoip, the son of the
artizan ; -oo'n cfAgApc, to the priest ; AJ\ An tpleio,
on the mountain.

Strictly speaking, it is only in the dat. fern, that Ihd
f is replaced by c, bufc custom permits it in the mas-
culine.

(c) If a noun begins with a vowel, the article pre-
fixes c to the nominative and accusative masculine,
and n to the genitive feminine, as An c-AtAip, thu
father ; An c-uipge, the water ; An c-eun, the bird ;
An c-uAn, the lamb ; bApjt nA li-uioe, the top of the
egg ; puACc nA ti -Aim pipe, the coldness of the weather

(d) When the noun begins with an eclipsable conson-
ant (except T> and c), the article generally eclipsed
when it is preceded by a preposition, as AJI An ^cnoc,
on the hill ; 6'n tipeAjx, from the man. After .the
prepositions* t>o and -oe aspiration takes place, not

•For the effects of s*n and the article, see Syntax, par. GOG (b).

25

eclipsis, as tug fe An c-AifiseAt) T>o'n feAp, he gave
the money to the man ; cui-o -oe'n freuji, some of tho
grass.

(e) No change is produced hy the article in the
singular if the noun begins with T>, n, c, t, p (followed
by a mute), or p . In Munstcr T> and c are often
eclipsed in the dative.

Plural.

(/) If a noun begins with an eclipsable consonant
the article eclipses it in the genitive plural, as A tteAn
HA T>cf\i mt>6, 0 woman of (the) three cows ; StiAO n-4
mbAti, " the mountain of the women."

(<7) If the noun begins with a vowel the article pre-
fixes n to the genitive plural and h to the nom., the,
»,cc., and dative plural, as IUA£ tiA n-uri, the price oi
fcho eggs ; m\ li-AfAil, the asses ; 6 IIA Ii-Aicib fee,
from these places.

(h) The letter f is never replaced by c in the plural
number under the influence of the article.

CHAPTER II.

The Noun.
I. GENDER.

51. There are only two genders in Irish, the mas.
culino and the feminine.

The gender of most Irish nouns may be learned by the application
of a fow general rules.

MASCULINE NOUNS.

42. (a) Names of males are masculine: aa
a man; puit, a prince; At^iis a father; college, a
cock.

(Z>) The names of occupations, offices, &c., peculiai
to men, are masculine: as oll^rh, a doctor; pie, a
poet; tMjvo, a bard; bpeite-Arii, a judge; fAi$it)iuit\, a
soldier.

(c) Personal agents ending in flip, Aipe, uit>e (or
Ait>e, oi-oe), or AC are masculine: as rgeulunoe, a
story-teller; t><vo6ip, a boatman.

(d) Diminutives ending in -An, and all abstract
nouns ending in Af or e^f, are masculine — e.g.:

Ajvo-dn, a hillock. m^ite^r, goodness.

(e) The diminutives ending in in are usually said
co be of the same gender as the noun from which they
are derived. Notwithstanding this rule they seem to
be all masculine. CaiUn, a girl, is masculine,* i. e. it
suffers the same initial changes as a masculine noun,
but the pronoun referring to it is feminine. She is a

fine girl, 1f t)pe^$ An CAilin i (not 6).

(/) Many nouns which end in a consonant or two
consonants preceded by a broad vowel are masculine :
as bAll, a limb; UMC, a price; cjwmn, a tree, &c.

Exceptions: — (1) All words of two or more syllable?
ending in ACC or 65.

* Do not confound sex with gender. Gender is decided by gram-
matical usage only.

(2) A large number of nouns ending in a broad
consonant are feminine. A very full list of commonly
used feminine nouns ending in a broad consonant will
be found in Appendix II.

FEMININE NOUNS.

43. (a) Names of females and designations of
females are feminine: be^n, a woman; ce-Apc, a hen;
rriAtAip, a mother; inge^n, a daughter.

(fc) The names of countries and rivers are feminine :
as 6iFe> Ireland; An l.ipe, the Liffey; ^n t)e.apb.A, the
Barrow.

(c) Words of two or more syllables ending in .ACC
or in 65 are feminine: as puiredg, a lark; -o^ir-eos, a
briar; mitfe^tc, sweetness; teAriin.ACc, new-milk.

(d) All abstract nouns formed from the genitive
singular feminine of adjectives are feminine: as
height — from Apo, high; 4itne, beauty — from
beautiful ; TMilte, blindness — from r>All, blind.

(e) Nouns ending in a consonant or two consonants
preceded by a slender vowel, are feminine: as cip.
country; onoip, honour; uAip, an hour; fuit, an eye.

Exceptions: — (1) Personal nouns ending in 6ip.
(2) Diminutives in in. (3) Names of males, as .AtAip,
a father; buACAilt, a boy. (4) Also the following
Aouns: — bu.ai-6, a victory; •otunvn, the back; Amm,* a
mine; speiTTI» a piece; geic, a fright, a start; and
, dictionary, vocabulary.

feminine in S. Munster.

n. CASE.

M. In Irish there are five cases — the Nominative,
Accusative, Genitive, Dative, and Vocative.

The Nominative case in Irish corresponds to the
English nominative when the subject of a verb.

The Accusative corresponds to the English objective
case when governed by a transitive verb. The accu-
sative case of every noun in modern Irish has the
same form as the nominative, and suffers the same
initial changes as regards aspiration and eclipsis.

The Genitive case corresponds to the English
possessive case. English nouns in the possessive case
or in the objective case, preceded by the preposition
*' of," .are usunll}' translated into Irish by the genitive
case.

The Dative case is the case governed by preposi-
tions.

The Vocative corresponds to the English nominative
of address. It is always used in addressing a person
or persons. It is preceded by the sign A, although
"0" may not appear before the English word; but
this A is not usually pronounced before a vowel or $ .

RULES FOR THE FORMATION OF THE CASES,
N.B. — These rules apply to all the declensions.

i8. The Nominative case singular is always the
simple form of the noun.

46. The Dative case singular is the same as tbe
nominative singular, except (1) in the 2nd declension,
when the noun ends in a bread consonant; (2) in most
of the nouns of the 5th declension.

47. Tie Vocative case singular is always the same as
the nominative singular, except in the 1st declension,
in which it is Jike the genitive singular.

48. Whenever the nominative plural is formed by
the addition of ce, CA, Antra, A£A, i or it>e, &c., it is
called a strong nominative plural. Strong plurals
are usually found with nouns whose nominative sin-
gular ends in a liquid.

Those ending in t or n generally take CA or ce.
,, m or f „

The Genitive Plural.

49. (1) The genitive plural in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
declensions is like the nominative singular, except
strong plurals, and a few nouns which drop the i of
the nominative singular, as fuit, an eye, gen. pi. put.

(2) In the 4th declension, and in the case of nearly
all strong plurals, the genitive plural is like the nomi-
native plural.

(3) In the 5th declension the genitive plural is like
the genitive singular.

50. The Dative Plural.

(1) When the nominative plural ends in A or a con-
sonant, the dative plural ends in AID.

(2) When the nominative, plural ends in e, the
dative plural is formed by changing the e into 10.

(3) When the nominative plural ends in i, the dative
plural is formed by adding o.

The termination of the dative plural is not always used v\ the
spoken language.

YocatiYe Plural.

51. (1) When the dative plural ends in AID, the
rocative plural is formed by dropping the ir> of the
dative.

(2) In all other cases it is like the nominative
plural.

III. The Declensions.

52. The number of declensions is not quite settled : it
is very much a matter of convenience. Five is the
number usually reckoned.

The declensions are known by the inflection of the
genitive singular.

THE FIRST DECLENSION.

53. All the nouns of the first declension are mascu-
line, and end in a broad consonant.

All masculine nouns ending in a bioad consonant are not of the first
declension.

54. The genitive singular is formed by attenuating
the nominative. In most nouns of the 1st declension
this is done by simply placing an i after the lapt broad
vowel of the nominative.

01

Example.

S3. m AOH, a steward.

SINGULAB. PLUBAL.

Nom. & Ace. mAop

Gen. mAOip

Dat. tnAOf\

Voc. A rhAoip

36. In words of more than one syllable, if the

nominative ends in AC or e^c, the genitive singular is

formed by changing AC or OAC into AI£ or i£ respec-

tively. With a few exceptions, the nominative plural

of these nouns is like the genitive singular. The other

cases are quite regular.

In monosyllables c is not changed into $; as bpuAC,
a brink, gen. OI\UAIC.

N.B. — In all the declensions in words of more than
one syllable -A6 and CAC, when attenuated, become AI§
and ig ; and AI$ and 1$ when made broad become AC
and e^C. See dat. pi. of tnAfCAC and

Examples.

57. nu\pcAc, a horseman.

SINGULAB. PLUBAL.

Nom. & Ace.
Gen.
Dat.

VOC. A rhAf\CxV$

N.B. —-The majority of nouns in AC belonging to
this declension are declined like

82

58.

uAlAC. ft load, burden.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. & Ace.

UAlAC UAtAlge

Gen.

«AUl$ UAlAC

Dat.

UAUC ll4\Ul$ltt

Voc.

A UAtAlg A UAlA1$(

way; 6]\U\C, an inch; and AOTIAC, a fair, are declined
like UvOAC. AotiAC has nom. pi. AonAige

59. college, a cock.
SINGULAR PLURAL.

Nom. & Ace. coiteAC
Gen. coiti$
Dat. college coileA<iAiti

VOC. -A C01U$ A C01I6ACA

60. Besides the above simple method of forming the
genitive singular of most nouns of this declension,
there are also the following modifications of the vowels
of the nominative singular: —

Change eu or e"A in nom. sing, into 61 in gen. sing.
„ i^ M ,» ei „

,, o (short) „ ,, ui ,,

10 or eA „ usually ,, 1 ,,

All the other cases of these nouns are formed in
accordance with the rules given above.

33

Examples of Yowel-changes in Genitive Singular.
61. CUM, a bird.

SINGULAR. PLUKAL.

Nom. & Acc. eun em

Gen. em eun

Dat. eun euiiAit)

Voc. A em A eutux

62.

Noin. & Acc.
(ien.
Dat.

Voc. A ^ij\ x\ ITCA^^

N.B.— The gen. of oilcan in island is oile<Mn; of
grass, peip; and of fe^f, a man, pip.

63. Cnoc, a hill.

SINGULAE. PLUEAL.

Nom. & Acc. cnoc cnuic

Gen. cntnc cnoc

Dat. cnoc cnocAift

Voc. A cnuic A Cnoc*\

64. The following nouns change ex.\ into ei in geni-
tive singular:- — -"Le^nD, a child; tie-A^c, strength; cnex\p,
skin; and ceA|\c, right, justice. (Cnip and ci|\c are
sometimes found as the genitives of cne*.\p and
ce^pc).

34

Irregular Genitive Singular.

tn^c, a son, has genitive imc
bi4t>, food, „ „ bit)

pi/m, a track, „ „ f win

fpi^n, a bridle, „ ,, ft\u\m

ttyULti, Bernard, Brian „ t)pi4in
t1ev\c. a person; and 6mne, .Aonne (or Aonne<\c)}
anybody, are indeclinable.

65. Some nouns of this declension form their norni
native plural by adding e.
NOUN. GENITIVE SING. NOM. PLURAL.

, a f air

, a door
, a learned man

an angel
, a road b6tAij\ b6icj\e

f t«xt»|VAt), a chain 7

m^ps-At), a market r

66 The following nouns take A in nominative
plural : — pectin, a pen; ^eo-o, a jewel; fUSti, a surety
cne^f , skin ; me.AC.An, a carrot or parsnip ; T>eop, a
tear ; Cxxop, a berry ; f meup , a blackberry ; u&All, an
apple (pi U&LA); poc.Al (pi. foc^il or pocl-A); P.AC,* a
debt (p<\C, pi. peiC or peij, a raven) ; fgeul, news ;
and btuiAC, a brink.

67. The following take CA, in nom. pi. : — peol, a sail ;
ceol, music ; neul, a cloud ; f geut, a story ; coj^vo,

* This word is usually used in tlie plural ; as
ojmi, I am not ill debt.

86

war (pi. CO^CA*) ; CHAM, a harbour ; Turn, a fort (pi.
•OUIICA and -DUMA); ceut>, a hundred!; lion, a net; ceAp
a trunk of a tree (pi. ceAptA) ; mup (pi. muptA), a wall.

68. Other nominative plurals — clAp, a board, a
table, makes clAip or CLOACA ; cob,.\p, a well, makes
tobAip or cobpACA, cobAipeACA or coibpeAdA : fluAg,
a crowd, makes r-UiAigce.

69. Many nouns of this declension have two or
more forms in the nominative plural. The regular
plural is the better one, though the others are also
used. The following are a few examples of such
nouns : — peAp, a man (pi. pip, peApA); TDAC, a son (pi.
wic, ITIACA) ; leAbAp, a book (leAbAip, leAbpA) ; Apm,
an army (pi. Aipm, AptnA); CAp-Alt, a horse (pi. CApAilt,
CAiple).

70. The termination -pA-6 has a collective, not a
plural force; just like ry in the English words cavalry,
infantry, etc. This termination was formerly neuter,
but now it is masculine or feminine; the genitive
masculine udhig -pAit>, the genitive feminine -pAi-oe.
Hence UvocpA'O, a band of warriors, mACpAt), a company
of youths, eACpAt), a number of steeds (cavalry}, are not
really plurals of t^o6, TTIAC, and eAC, but collective
nouns formed from them. Likewise e"AtilAit, (spoken
form, eAnlAice) is a collective noun meaning a flock
of birds, or birds in general, and it is not really the
plural of CATI. However, lAocj\At> and eAnlAit are
now used as plurals.

Appendix I. gives a list of nouns belonging to this
declension.

* cojjAive is also used. f When used as a noun.

36

THE SECOND DECLENSION.

71. All nouns of the 2nd declension are feminine.*
They all end in consonants, but the consonants may
be either broad or slender.

72. The genitive singular is formed by adding e,
(if the last vowel of the nominative be broad it must be
attenuated) ; and if the last consonant be c it is
changed into $ in the genitive (except in words of one
syllable).

73. The dative singular is got by dropping th&
final e of the genitive.

74. The nominative plural is formed by adding A or

e (A, if final consonant be broad) to the nom. sing.

Examples

75.

lil, a lily.

SINGULAR.

PLURAL.

Nom. & Ace.

HI

lite

Gen.

tile

in

Dat.

lit

n Ub

Voc.

A 111

,Mile

76.

cof, a foot! or

a leg.

Nom. & Ace.

COf

COf4

Gen.

coipe

COf

Dat.

COIf

COfAlO

Voc.

A COf

A COf A

* CBAC and ftiAt), two masculine nouns, are sometimes given with
the second declension. We give them as irregular nouns (par. 132).
t A foot in measurement is ttiois;, pi. ctjotjce.

37

77. c.Aille.AC' , a hag.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. & Ace. cAilteAC
Gen.
Dat.
Voc. A cxMtte^C A c.Aill,e.AC.A

78. Like nouns of 1st declension, the vowels of the
nom. sing, are sometimes changed when the final
consonant is attenuated in the genitive singular.

The following are the chief changes : —
Change 10 in the nom. sing, into i in the gen. sing
„ eu „ „ ei „

»» '^ » » ei tt

„ o (short) sometimes „ ui „

In words of one syllable change GA into ei (but
ce^pc, a hen, becomes ci|\ce) ; in words of more than
one syllable change e,A into t.

79. be.AC, a bee.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. & Ace. be.AC
Gen. ueiCe

Dat.
Voc.

80. 5eug, a branch.

Nom. & Ace. geug
Gen. 5,.:5e

Dat.
Voc.

81. SP1^* a Blin'

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Norn. & Ace.
Gen.
Dat.

Voc.

A STMAT>

A 5IMAnx

82.

tons,

a ship.

Nom. fa Ace.

tons

tonsA

Gen.

tuinse

ton?;

Dat.

turns

tonsAit>

Voo.

A tons

A tonsA

83. Pfeurh,* a root.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Noin. & Ace. f peurii pf\eurfu\ (or

Gen.
Dat.
Voc. A ppeurh A ppeurhA (A

84. AJC, a place.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. & Ace. Aic .Aice, -AiceAnnA

Gen. Aice ^ic, 4icex\nnA
Dat. AIC Aicib, -^ic

Voc. A AIC A Aice, AiceAnnA,

The above are two examples -of nouns with strong
nominative plural (see par. 48).

85. In forming the genitive, nouns are sometimes

•Mso spelled p^eum in Munster.

syncopated, as bui-oe^n, a company, gen. tun-one (see
pars. 33, 35) ; bpuit>ex\n, a palace, gen. sing. b|\uione.*

86. Irregular Genitives Singular.

, .... . fctomne,

cUxnn, a clan, children, makes pi.

(ctAinne,
•oeoC, a drink, „ -oige

i, a knife,

a (solemn) word, „
i, buttermilk, „ bUiccet

i, mud, mire,

a vat,
i, a face, „ Aigte „ Ajgte

87. Many nouns of this declension form their nomi-
native plural in AWIA or A£A. The final A of these
terminations may be dropped in the gsnitive plural.

NOM. SING. NOM. PL.

cuif, a cause cui^e-Ann.*

iuit), an herb Luit>eAnnA

a lathe t)eileAnnA

C, a contrivance
beim, a stroke
•ouAif , a prize, reward
teim, a leap

f eim, a course, a voyage f eimeAnnA
Aic, a place Aice,

tuc, a mouse UJCA,

a school

* Note the dative singular of these noons, btii-oin and bjiui-om.
fAlao bUtAije. JAIso UCAIJC.

40

uAipe-Atin/.,

p«iipce,

in nominative plural —

NOM. SING. NOM. PL.

, a step
, a sound

iu\ip, an hour, time
), a street
, a field
peip, a festival

88. Nouns that take

, a work
>, an oration
, a rod

letter
nb, an egg

a prayer

i-o, a disease Aicix>eACA, AICI-OJ

, an edgo ciunu\ire*.\<iA

, a fortnight coictniipe^d^, coictf6ip!

cpuAill, a sheathe, a scabbard cpu AI lle^CA
Le,.\c, a flag, a flat stone ICAC^, IBACA&A, Le^cp.vCj

89. The following take ce, Ce, or tA in the nomina-
tive plural; A-O may be added in the genitive plural:—
coiLl*, ft wood; cuip, a pillar, a prop; cip, a country
(pi. cioptA) ; A$<Mt>, face (pi. Ai$Ce); ppeup, a skv-

licpe,
tube,

90. Sometimes when the last vowel of the nomina-
tive singular is i preceded by a broad vowel, the

• Coill is also 5th declension. See Ileteroclite nouns, par. 131.

41

genitive pi a ral is formed by dropping the 1, as fi'itl, nn
eye, gen. pi. put, ; f uAini, a sound, gen. pi. yuani, &c.

For a list of nouns ending in a broad consonant
belonging to this declension, see Appendix II.

THIKD DECLENSION.

91. The 3rd declension includes (1) personal nouns
ending in 6\\\ (all masculine), (2) derived nouns in ACC
or AC-O (feminine), (8) other nouns ending in con-
sonants which are, as a rule, masculine or feminine
according as they end in broad or slender consonants,

92. The genitive singular is formed by adding A.
If the last vowel of the nominative be i preceded by a
broad vowel, the 1 is usually dropped in the gen., as
coil, a will, gen. colA.

93. The nominative plural is usually the same as
the genitive singular ; but personal nouns ending in
6if add 1 or it>e to the nominative singular.

94. Most of the derived nouns in ACc, being abstract
in meaning, do not admit of a plural. ttlAllACc, a
curse, and a few others have plurals. jruACc, cold,
although an abstract noun in ACC, is masculine.

95. The vowels of the nominative often undergo a
change in the formation of the genitive singular.
These changes are just the reverse of the vowel
changes of the 1st and 2nd declensions (see pars. GO
and 78.

42
Change ei, i or 10 (short) in nom. into eA in the genitive

u .. ui
ei

o
6A

Examples.

1.

cti^rh,* a bone.

SINGULAB.

PLURAL.

Nom. & Ace.

CtUAfh

cnArhA

Gen.

CtlATTlA

cnArii

Dat.

cnArii

cn^rhAi

Voc.

A en Am

A cn.arh

97.

P'oti, wne.

Nom. & Ace.

pion

1?1onA, r

Gen.

pon-d

pion

Dat.

pion

•pionAiti

Voc.

A f ion

A £ionA

8. C|\1<

of, a belt, a girdle.

Xom. & Ace.

CflOf

Cf6AfA

Gen.

CfXeAfA

Cf\1Of

Dat.

Ct\10f

C|\6AfA1

Voc.

A Cnior

A cneAr

L peoa, flesh, meat.

Nom. & Ace. peoit

Gen. jreolA

Dat. peoit

Voc. A f eoil A

•Also spelled cnAim in nom. sing.

peoil

100. bAt>6ip, a boatman.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. & Ace. txAT>6ip tMT>6ifii (t>4t)6it\it>e)

Gen. bAt)6|VA bAt>6i

Dat. tXA-odip t>.<yo6inio

Voc. A rjA-odiji ^ rjA-otiiju CA t>A-o6i|Mt>e)

101. -ofuim, masc., the back.

Nom. & Ace. "opuim

Gen. •opomA

Dat. t)fuim
Voo.

102. 5Feirn» masc., a morsel, grip.
Nom. & Ace.

Gen.
Dat.
Voc, A $peim

103. Some nouns of this declension, ending in t or
n, form their nominative pi. by adding CA or ce to
the nom. sing. These may add At) to form gen. pi.,
as —

•ndin,* a bog, nom. pi. m6mce
cam, a drove, ,, evince

tolM'OAin, a year, ,, bli-A-OAncAt

• m6tn is also 5th declension. See Heteroclite Noons, par. 131.
tbli<v6n<i after numerals, as occ mbLtA-onA, eight years.

44

103. Some nouns of this declension form their nom.
plural by adding nnA to the gen. singular. These
may drop the final A in the gen. plural : —

NOM. PLURAL.

Am, time Am Anne A or Am Ann A

n\ut, a stream rpotA » mot Ann A
opium, m., a back
guc, a voice
5peim,m., a morsel
cit, or ciot, a ceAtA

shower

cte^f, a trick cleA|\\ ,, cleAr'AtinA

AiiAm, a soul AtmiA ,, AnniAntiA

•OAt, a colour -OAtA „ -OAtAnnA

Ainm, a name Ainmne, AinmneACA, Annu\nn.A

mAitmi, a defeat mA-oniA, mAt>m<\nnA

105. Other Nominatives Plural.

Sniom, a deed, an act makes snioriiAptA*
connpA-o, a compact,

covenant ,, connApcA

CAint, a tax ,, CATIACA

a boy
», a son-in-law

f, a bed
CHIT), a share, a portion

For a list of nouns belonging to this declension, sco
Appendix III.

* Eeallv pi. of jnfomttA-o. f Cain is also 5th declension,
t Abo spelled leAbAfO.

THE FOURTH DECLENSION.

106. The 4th declension includes (1) personal nouna
in Aipe, xMt»e, uroe, .<M$e (sometimes spelled AI-O, ui*,
AI£), which are all masculine; (2) diminutives in in
(said to be all masculine) ; (8) abstract derivatives
formed from the gen. sing, feminine of adjectives (all
feminine), as site, brightness, from se*.\l ; p6ile,
generosity, from piAt; Ailne, beauty, from 4luinn,&c.;
(4) all nouns ending in vowels, and which do not
belong to the 5th declension. To assist the student a
list of the most important nouns of the 5th declensiow
is given in the Appendix IV.

107. This declension differs from all others in
having all the cases of the singular exactly alike.

108. The nominative plural is usually formed by
adding !, nbe or x\t>A.

109. The genitive plural is like the nom. pi., but
e^t) is frequently added in other grammars. There
is no necessity whatever for this, because both cases
are pronounced alike.

-

110. Nouns of more than one syllable ending in A
form their nom. plural in Anfte, or AI, as nu\lA, a bag,
pi. niAUi-oe, or in^Ui ; coc^, a coat, pi. c6Cc\i-6e,

111. CAitin, masc., a girl.
SINGULAR PLURAL.

Nom. & Ace. CAiUn CAiUni or (c.AiUnit>e)

Gen. CAilin c^ilini (cAiLin) ,,
Dat. cdiUn CAiUniB ,

Voc. A 6^iUn A c^iUni „

112. ciSeApn,* a lord.
SINGULAR. PLUBAL.

Nom. & Ace.
Gen.
Dat.
Voc.

113. The following nouns take ce immediately after
(he last consonant to form the nominative plural : —
tMile, a town plural bailee or

r-loinne, a surname „ flomnce

tiiuiLLe, a mule „ rnuillce

mile, a thousand, a mile ,, mitce*
Leine, a shirt „ lemce,

ceme,t a fire „ cemce,

cuinne, a corner ,, cuinnce cuinnf

114. The following nouns add te in nominativo
plural, viz., all nouns ending in -6e or ge — e.g. cnoit>e,
a heart, pi. c^oi-ote ; also CAOI, a way, a method ; -OAOI,
a fool ; f-Aoi, a wise man ; -ojv\oi, a druid ; -OLAOI, a curl.

* mite, a thousand, or a mile, is invariable after a numeral.
freina ia <Uso 5th. See HeUrocUte nouns, par. 131.

47

5n<5, a work (pi. ^n6t^\),* nit>, or ni, a thing (pi.
neite) ; -ouine, a person, makes DAoine in nom. pi.
uinge, an ounce, „
x, a rib, „

115. A few proper nouns, although not ending in a
vowel or in, belong to this declension, and do not
change their form in any of their cases, viz.: —
;, Patrick; 5^x^61-0, Gerald; TTluifiir, Maurice;
Cahir.

The word luce, a people, does not change in gen.

THE FIFTH DECLENSION.
H6. Most of the nouns belonging to this declension
end in a vowel, and are, with a few exceptions,
feminine.

117. The genitive singular is formed by adding a
broad consonant.

This consonant varies in different nouns, but is
usually n, nn, sometimes t>, T"), or C. When the nomi-
native singular ends in a consonant, A or e^ comes
^between that consonant and the consonant added.

118. The dative singular is formed by attenuating
the genitive. In the case of those nouns which form
the genitive by adding C, the dative singular is usually
like the nominative.

•gnocAi'oe is spoken in Kerry.

48

119. The nominative plural, as a general rule, is
formed by adding A to the genitive singular. A few
form their nominative plural by adding e to the
gen. sing. This is accompanied with syncope, as in
CAiivoe, friends ; nAiriroe, enemies ; gAione, smiths ;
and Aitine, rivers, which are the plurals of CAJAA, HAITIA,
, and At>, or ADA.

Some others form the nominative plural by attenu-
ating the genitive singular, as in IACAHI, ducks; com,
hounds; pcro, twenty; cAoipig, sheep; corhupr-Ain,
neighbours.

The genitive plural is exactly like the genitive sin-
gular.

Examples.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

120. peApfA, fern., a person.

Nom. & Ace.

Gen.

Dat.

Voc.

121. CAJ\A, fern., a friend.

Nom. & Ace. CA|\A c-iifvoe

Gen. cA^t)

Dat. CAjVAIT)

VOC. A CAjVd

SINGULAR. PLUHAL.

Ik2. S^DA, masc., a smith.

Nom. & Ace. 5-AbA

Gen.

Dat.

VOO. A $At>A -A

123. lAdA, fern., a duck.

Nom. & Ace. IACA

Gen. lACAti

Dat. tACAin

VOC. A tACA

124. cuifle, fem., a vein.
Nom. & Ace. ctnpte

Gen. cuifleAtin

Dat. cuiflinn

Voc. A Cuifte A

125. CAOpA, fem., a sheep:
Nom. & Ace. CAO|VA

Gen. CAO|\A6

Dat. CAOJ\A1$

VOC. A CAOJtA A CAO|1CA Or A

126. CACAOIJI, fem., a chair.

. & ACC. CAtAOIp

Gen. CAtAotp

Dat. CAtAOtp

VOC. A

SINGULAR ;no Plural).

127. Nom. & Ace. 6ijie (Ireland)
Gen.
Dat.

Voc. A 61 pe

128. Nom. & Ace. UeAtfiAip (Tara)

Gen. UeArhf\AC

Dat. UeArhpAig or UeAriiAif

Voc. A CeAthAip

129. Nom. & Ace. xMbA (Scotland)

Gen. AlbAti

Dat.

Voc.

130. The following nouns are used only in the
plural, referring originally rather to the inhabitants
of the place than to the place itself : —

, England.
Nom. & Ace. SACfxinA or SACf Ain
Gen.
Dat.

Leinster. Connaught. Ulster

Nom. <fe Ace. tAi£m ConnACCA

Gen. lAijgeAn ConriACc

Dat. tAigmt) ConnA^CAifj

A large list of the commonly used nouns, which
belong to this declension, are given in Appendix IV.

51

Heteroclite Noons.

131. Heteroclite nouns are those which belong to
more than one declension. The following are the
chief nouns of this class, We give only the genitive
case in the singular, as the other cases present no
difficulty. The irregular nominative plurals only are
given : —

NOUN. DECLENSIONS. GEN. SING. NOM. PL.

ft a word l&2j^IACA1^

51 .At, a shield 1 &

ceme, a fire 4 & 5Jceine ceince

(cement)

, life

fli$e, a way

com, a wood 2&5^colUe

mom, a bog 3 & 5-

h, in., land 1 &

fLigte
cot lice
m6mce

^Uitfi, ru.

Coptic, barley

i, a judge

52

NOUN. DECLENSIONS. GEN. SING. NOM. PL.
h, a debtor 1 & 5

, f., a nose 2 & 3

i p n [cttdlCj m. CUA1C

ctu\c, a cuckoo 1 & 2 1

IciuMce, f. CU-ACA

, a coffer, 4& . c6ffltwnA

coffin (cOrhpx\n

, a tax 3 &

copoin, a crown 2&5j<

' cpotuxc

All abstract nouns ending in eAf or «\f may belong
either to the 1st or 3rd declension ; as, ^oibneAf1, plea-
sure, gen. .Aoibnip or -AoibneA|v\. Being abstract
nouns they are seldom used in the plural.

Irregular Nouns.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

132. ce^c", masc., a house.

Norn. & Ace. ceaC, cig cigte

Gen. ci<;e* ci£te(xv

Dat. CCAC, as ci$cib
Voc. A Ce.\c, tig A tigte

• It has also the forms coi^e iu gen. and EOI£ in dative.

SINGULAR PLURAL.

pli-Aft, masc., a mountain.
Nom. & Ace.
Gen.

Dat.

Voc. A ftiAti A flfiifcce

masc., a father.
Nom. & Ace, Atxxip Aitpe

Gen.
Dat.
Voc. A

, f., a sister (by blood).
Norn. & Ace. >oei|\t)fiuj\
Gen. •oeipt)f%e.\cA|\
Dat. T)eipt)fuMfi

In these words the bp is pronounced like p

The words nu\tx\ip, a mother; bp^t^ip, a brother
(in religion) ; and T)e*Np£pA6»Mji, a brother (by blood),
are declined like A£A\\\. The genitive of fiiip, a sister
(in religion), is fe^tAjv (or pi up A).

SINGULAE. PLURAL.

pi, masc., a king.
Nom. & Ace. ^i f'S^e, 1*1054, f f

Gen. pio$
Dat. pig
Voc. A i\i

54

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

beAti, fern., a woman.
Norn. & Ace. be^n mnS

Gen. tnnA bAti

Dat. mtiAoi imu\it>
Voc. A beAn A rhtiA

b6, fern., a cow.
Norn. & Ace. b6 DA

Gen. b6 bo

Dat. Duin buxMt>

Voc. A 06 A DA

•QIA, maec., God.

Nom. & Ace. "OiA *O6e, T)eite

Gen. T)6
Dat. T)I
Voc. A"0

U\, masc., a day.

SINGULAE. PLUKAL.

Nom. & Ace. l& LAete,

Gen. Lae t^eCeA-6,
Dat. 16, t<S

Voc. A LA A lAete, A

cpe, fern., soil, earth.
Nom. & Ace. c|\6 cpeit)eAnA

Gen. cf\iAt>, cf 6it>eAt)
Dat. Cf6it), cpe c

Voc. A C\6 A

\A is trcucrally used after numerals.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

mi, fern., a month.
Nom. & Ace. mf

Gen. tnior-A miof

Dat. mif, mi

ce<3, masc., a fog.

Nom. <fe Ace. ced ceo-OAtiA,

Gen. CIAC ceoi£ ce6

Dat. co6 cedcAifc

$A, masc., a spear, javelin, sunbeam
Nom. & Ace. £A S-Aete, 5^01,

Geu. F^»
Dat. J;A

0 or UA, masc., a grandson.
Nom. & Ace. 6, VM «i

Gen. !, ui MA

Dat. 6, UA i5. uitJ

Voc. A tti A ui

54, masc., a goose
Nom. & Ace. 56 or $e<v6
Gen. 56 „ 561-0,
Dat. 56 ,, s^A-d

VOC. A $6 ,, A g£At> A $6At1T1A. A

f|M$, fem., a fleshworm.
Nom. <fe Aoc.
Gen.
Dat.

t mi after numerals as occ mi, 8 months: mionnA is apofcan
Kerry as plural of mi.

56

CHAPTER III.

The Adjective.

I. DECLENSION OF ADJECTIVES.
133. In Irish the adjective agrees with the noun
which it qualifies in gender, number, and case.

There are four declensions of adjectives. Adjec-
tives are declined very much like nouns; the great
difference is that they never* take the termination
it) in the dative plural (though formerly they did).
The dative plural is invariably like the nominative
plural.

Adjectives, in forming their genitive singular, under-
go the same VOWEL-CHANGES as nouns, as — •
, blue, gen. masc. suiptn
bright, „ 511, &c.

FIKST DECLENSION.

134. All adjectives ending in a broad consonant,
as mop, IKMI, ponn, &c>j belong to the 1st declension.

135. When an adjective of the 1st declension
ngriM-K with a masculine noun, it is declined like a
lioun of the 1st declension (see mAojv, &c., pars. 55,
57), except that the nom., ace., dat., and voc. plural
are always alike, and are formed by adding A to ili3
nominative singiilfir.

'Who u u>X'd as nouns they Uike the termination.

57

136. When an adjective of the 1st declension agrees
with a feminine noun, it is declined like a noun of the
2nd declension (see coj% par. 67, &c.), but it never
takes ib in the dative plural.

Adjectives ending in Ad form their plural by adding
A, both for masculine and feminine.

Examples.

137. m6p, big.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Maso. Fern. Maso. & Fern.

Nom. & Ace. m6p tri6p

Gen. m<5tp moipe

Dat. tn<3p tn6ip ir.OpA

Voc.

138. seal, bright.
Nom, & Ace.

Gen. 511 site

Dat. 56<a 511

Voc. 511 564l

139. •oipe^C, straight, direct.
Nom. & Ace. •oipe.A

Gen. "oipig

Dat.

Voc.

140. The following list of adjectives gives examples
of the vowel-changes mentioned above. The genitive

masculine is given; the genitive feminine is formed
by adding e: —

NOM.
lorn

bofib

cpom

•oonn

bog

boCc

cj\om

•oe^f

GEN.

tuiro bare

blue
rough
bent
brown
soft
pooi-
heavy
mif\ active

cij\c (ceif\c)

right

•oeif pretty
red

| NOM. GBH.

Cfuitn

•oumn

buig

boiCc

cpuim

ponn pinn

cpin
cemn

cpion
ce^nn

bitter

slender

sharp

straight

lonely

Scotch

fair

generous

wet

small

withered

stern

141. There are five or six adjectives of the first de-
clension which are syncopated in the genitive singular
feminine and in the plural : —

NOMINATIVE.

GEN. SING.
Masc. Fern.

, noble UAp-AiL triple

, beloved, dear •oilif •oilfe

, fat ^•A^^'r feiri1Pe

low ipt ffle

snort

PLUEAL.
Both Genders.

u^iple
t)ilpe

ifte

used in the spoken language.

SECOND DECLENSION.

142. AH adjectives ending in a slender consonant,
except those in AtfiAii, belong to the second declen-
sion.

In the singular all the cases, both masculine ana
feminine, are alike, except the genitive feminine which
is formed by adding e.

In the plural both genders are alike. All the cases,
with the exception of the genitive, are alike, and are
formed by adding e to the nominative singular.

The genitive plural is the same as the nominative
singular.

Example.

143. m<\it, good.

SINGULAE. PLUBAL.

Masculine. Feminine. Both Genders.

Nom. & Ace. triAic
Gen. mAit

Dat. triAic

Voc. rriAit mx\it incite

144. Notice the following examples of syncope in
the genitive feminine and in the plural: —

<\oit>inn, gen. sing. fern, and pi. .AOitme, pleasant
AUnrm, „ ,, ^ilne (.Aille), beautiful

in ili p, ,, ,, milfe, sweet

145. The following adjectives are irregular: —
coif, gen. sing. fern, and plural COJVA, right, just

v, difficult
easy

60

THE THIRD DECLENSION.
/4>6. The third declension includes all those adjec-
tives which end in «.\rJuMl. This termination has Hie
same signification as the English affix like in warlike.
( >r bj in manly, princely, &c.

In both numbers the two genders are alike. All
the cases in the singular are the same, except the
genitive, which is formed by adding A. This is always
accompanied by syncope. All the cases of the plural
(except the genitive) are the same as the gen. sing.
There are no exceptions or irregularities in this
declension.

Example.

1W. pe4fiArfu\il, manly.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Both Genders. Both Genders.

Nom. & Ace.

Dat.
Voc.

FOURTH DECLENSION.

1*8. All adjectives ending in a vowel belong to the
fourth declension, as JTATM, long; 6pt>.A, golden. They
have no inflexions whatever, all the cases, singular
and plural, being exactly alike.

61

There are two exceptions — viz., ce, hot, warm; and
beo, alive. Ue (often spelled ceit), becomes ceo in
the genitive singular feminine, and also in the plural
of both genders.

t)eo, alive, becomes beo-OA in the plural. In the
singular it is quite regular, except after the word T)IA;
its genitive is then t>i, as ITl^c t)6 W, the Son of the
living God.

Rules for the Aspiration of the Adjectives.

These rules really belong to Syntax, but for the convenience of tha
Itudent we give them here.

149. (a) An adjective beginning with an aspirable
consonant is aspirated in the nominative and accusative
feminine singular, in the genitive masculine singular,
and in the dative and vocative singular of both
genders.

(b) The adjective is also aspirated in the nominative
and accusative plural when the noun ends in a slender
consonant.

Exceptions to the Rules for Aspiration.

150. (a) An adjective beginning with -o or c is usually not
-aspirated when the noun ends in -o, ti, c, t, or p (dentals).

(5) c and 5 are usually not aspirated when the preceding word
ends in c, 5, or n_;,

(c) p and b are usually not aspirated when the preceding word
ends in p, b, or m.

These exceptions apply to most rules for the aspiration of nouns
as well as adjectives

(d) The genitive of nouns of the 3rd and 5th declensions ought
not to have the initial of the adjective following them aspirated.
Usage, however, differs somewhat on this point.

(«) In the spoken language of Connaught the adjective is not
aspirated in the dative singular masculine.

Rales for Eclipsing the Adjective.

151. (a) The adjective is usually eclipse-i in the
genitive plural, even though the article is not used
before the noun; and if the adjective begins with a
vowel n ifi prefixed.

(6) The initial of an adjective following & noun in
the dative sing, should, as a rule, be aspirated; but
whenever the noun is eclipsed after the article the
adjective is often eclipsed also; aspiration in this
case is just as correct as eclipsis, and is more usual.

Examples

152. Noun, Adjective and Article declined in com-
bination.

SINGULAJl. PLURAL.

AT\ peAp tndp, the big man.
Nom. & Ace. An peAp tnrtp. nA pp in<5jxA

Gen. An pj\ rho'iji TIA t>pe«.\p m<"»j\

Dat. ceif An trpeAp rh6p teif nA
Voc. A pp iii6ii\ A freA^

An CfeAmpds gtAp tteAg, the green little shamrock.
Nora. & Ace. An cpeAmptis glAr- nA f eAtni\65A slAf A

Gen. nA f eAmpCise gLAif e nA peAtnfvo's

tnge
Dat. 6'n CfeAtn|voi5 s^Aif 6 nA

Voc. A

be Ag

An cfeAn-beAn boCc, the poor old woman.
Nom. & Ace. An cpeAn-beAn nA f eAn-rhnA

Gen. nA peAn-rhnA nA f 6An-t)An mboCc

Dat. -oo'n cpeAn- -oo

rhnAOi boiCc
Voc. A f eAn - beAn A f eAn-rhnA

N.B. — When an adjective precedes its noun it is
invariable.

Comparison of Adjectives.

153. In Irish there are two comparisons — (1) the
comparison of equality, (2) the comparison of
superiority.

154. The comparison of equality is formed by
placing Com (or co), "as" or "so," before the adjec-
tive, and te, "as," after it. (This le becomes teip
before the article, and then causes eclipsis if the noun
be singular.)

64

If a verb occurs in the second portion of the sen-
tence, *.\sur (not le) must be used for the second "as"

in English. UA Se^g^n coin mop te Seurru\f, John is
as big as James, tli pint f e com U\iT>tp teif AN t>j:eAt\,
he is not as strong as the man. Hi f uit fe com m,\if
AP) tii f e, he is not as good as he was.

155. The comparison of superiority has three de-
grees — the positive, the comparative, and the super-
lative. The positive is the simple form of the adjec-
tive, as bx\n, se-Al. The comparative and superlative
have exactly the same form as the genitive singular
feminine of the adjective, as t>Aine, gile.

156. The comparative degree is always preceded by
some part of the verb if% expressed or understood, and
in almost every case is followed by the word DA (or

"than."

The sun is brighter than the moon.

An pe^pp cup** n.d T>O •oe^ixopAtAin ?
Are you better than your brother ?

157. In a comparative sentence the verb CA (or any
other verb) may be used, but even then the verb ir
must be used.

"Whenever CA (or any other verb) is used in a com-

65

parative sentence, the comparative must be preceded
by the word niof (i.e., ni or nit), a thing, and the verb
if) as—

C4 An £|MAti niof jilc nA An £e<M^C,

The sun is brighter than the moon.

An opinl cu niof peApp n4 t)o t>eApoj\At.Aip ?
Are you better than your brother ?

158. As stated in previous paragraph nior>=ni + ir-
If the time of the comparison be past ni DA is used
instead of niof. In conditional comparisons ni bAt)
is employed.

t)A -661 c lioin 50 HAitt tin A ni D'AOifoe nA lllAipe.
I thought that titiA was taller than IDAi^e.

1 59. Every superlative sentence in Irish is a relative
sentence. Thus instead of saying " the best man "
we say "the man (who) is best"; for "the tallest
man," we say " the man (who) is tallest." The word
" who " in this case is never translated, for the
obvious reason that there is really no simple relative
pronoun in Irish.

160- If the sentence happens to be in the past or
future " the best man " will have to be translated as
"the man (who) was best" or "the man (who) will
be best." In such cases if or Af can never be used.
t)A or but> must be used in the past tense.

66

If the first portion of the sentence contains a verb
in the conditional mood, the conditional of ip (viz., t>o
DA-O : t)o is often omitted) must be used.

The highest hill in Ireland, An cnoc ip Aijvoe t

n-£i|Mtin.
The biggest man was sitting in the smallest

chair,
toi AH peAp t)A rho nA fui"6e mp An gCACAOip bA

The best man would have the horse,
"Do t>eA"t> An CApAlL AJ An t>peA|\ -oo
(Lit. The horse would be at the man (who) would be

best).

The English comparatiYe of Inferiority is trans-
lated by niop IU$A followed by an abstract noun corre-
sponding to the English adjective: e.g., niop tu$A
peAfArhAileACc, less manly.

Intensifying Particles.
161. The meaning of an adjective can be intensified

by placing any of the following particles before the
positive of the adjective. All these particles cause
aspiration.

An, very ; piop (or pip), very or truly (as truly

good) ; fi°§' very 5 f i°5 riiAit, very good.
5le, pure (as pure white) ; \\6, too, excessively.
f4f, exceedingly; up, very (in a depreciating

sense).
mAic, good ; An-rhAit, very good ; piop-riiAie, truly

good ; t\<3-puAp , too cold.

PA|\ te, excessively hot (warm) ; uip-ipiol, very
low: up-gpATOA, very ugly.

67

162. In the spoken language the adjective is some-
times intensified by repeating the positive twice, as —

oi fe" cinn cmn, he was very sick.
c4 fe Ej\otn cpom, it is very heavy.
IS ptiuC pliuc, a very wet day.

163. Sometimes -oe is annexed to the comparative;
it is really the prepositional pronoun -oe, of it.

11i m<5i-oe (mo + t>e) 50 p^gAD. It is not likely

that I shall go.
11i mi^-oe (meAf^ + "oe) oeit 45 bp^t ope ! It is

no harm to be depending on yon !

164. Although the comparative and the superlative
are absolutely alike in form, yet they may be easily
distinguished : —

(1) By the context ; the comparative can be used
only when we are speaking of two persons or things,
the superlative is always used for more than two.

(2) By the word nA (than) which always follows the
comparative, except when -oe is used ; the superlative
is never followed by either.

163. When comparing adjectives (i.e., giving the
three degrees of comparison), it is usual to use niof
before the comparative, and if before the superlative,
as —

POSITIVE. COMPARATIVE. SUPERLATIVE.
txdn niof txdine if b^ine

gUf niof sUipe if 5Uif e

Remember that niof and if change their forms
according to the tense of the verb in the sentence

166. Irregular Comparison.

POSITIVE. COMPAEATIVE.

, little or small tu&A

long pui-oe, pMt>e,

mfl|\, big mo

olc, bad
, good
short
» fine

mime, often mimci, mioncA

ce (ceit), warm ce6

, dry

UJAUf

tonrtium, dear, beloved ionriiuine or
near (of place) 501^6

near

(
cpeun, brave, strong j

, ugly
, high

iomt).A, many m6 or UA (more numerous)

tle^fA and cuifje, nearer, sooner, are comparatives

which have no positive.

N.B. — The superlatives of the above adjectives have

exactly the same forms as the comparatives.

• This word was formerly spelled bpeAjx^ or bfieAJcA, and these
forms may be os<»cl in the plural.

CARDINALS.

167.

2, -os

3, up!,

4, ceicjie
5,

6,
7,

8, otc

9, TI.AOI
10,

11,

12, T)A -66.45

13,

Numeral Adjectives.

14, ceiti\e

-oeug

"oeuj;

15,

16, fe
17,

18, otc

19, n^o

20, pCe

21, v\on if (or

f6rh»vt>

ORDINALS.

1st, ceut),*

2nd,

3rd,

4th,

5th,

Gth,

7th,

8th,

9th, ti.Aorh.At)
10th, -oeACrfiA-
llth, .Aonrh.A'6
12th,
13th, cpeAfoeug, ct\ioriiAt)

•oeug
14th,
15th,
16th,

17th, f eACcrh-At) "oeug
18th, oCcrhA-C "Oeug
19th, nAorhAt) T)euj;
20th,

21st,

* The c oi ceux> is ufiuall; aspirated after the article.

70

CARDINALS. ORDINALS.

22, -06 or VA ip pice; -06 22nd, -OA^A Af. picit) ;
or T>A AJ\ pici-o x>At\A...piceA-o

28, Cff ip pice; cpi AH 23rd, cpiotfiA-6 &\\ picit> or

pICI-O CfteAf Ap

30, DCIC if pice [C^IOCA] 80th, T>eAcniAt) A|\

31, AOII -06115 if pice 31st, AonrhAt) "oeug

f.iCi-0

32, "OC or T)A tjeug if pee 32nd, DAHA -06115 AJ\

37, fGACc t>eu£ if pice 37th. feACcttiAt) -oewg Af

pici-o

40, IDA picit> [ceAtfACA] 40th, -OA pttmeA-o

41, Aon if "Oxi picit) 41st, AonrhAt) A|\ "64 piciT>
44, ceAtAif or ceit]\e »f 44th, ceAtf AttiA-6 AJ\ t>A

•OA plClD pICIT)

50, t>eiC if t)4 pici-o; Leit- 50th, -oeAcriiAt) Af -OA picm

ceut), CAO5A

51, Aon T>eu5 if -OA picit) 51st, AonitiAt)

pICIT)

60, c^T pi6it) [fe^fgA] GOth, cff

61, Aon if cfi pitit) 61st, AonrhAt) AJ\ tf.i
70, T>eic if c^i picit) 70th, -oeACttiAt) At\ti\i

71, AOII •oewg if cpi pitit) 71st, AonrhA-6 -oeug Af\ c^i

piciT)

80, centre piCit) [occ- 80th, ceitf.e pici-oeAt)

ttlO$AJ

81, Aon if coitpe picit) 81st, AonrhA-6 A<A ceit^e

pici-o
90, -ceic if ceitpe pici-o 90th, -ueACitid-o A|\ ceitpe

71

CAEDINALS. ORDINALS.

91, Aon -oeus if ceitpe 91st, AonmAt) -oeug AF
pcit) Ceicpe pern

100, ceA-o (ceu-o) 100th, ceu-OA-6

101, Aon if ceu-o 101st, AonrhAt) Ap ceut)
200, DA Ceu-o 200th, t>A ceu-OA-6
300, cpi Ceu-o 300th, cpi Ceu-OA-6
400, ceitpe <ieut> 400th, ceic^e Ceu-o<y6
800, o6c gceu-o 800th, oCc gceu-oA-O

1000, mite 1000th, mile.A-6

2000, -o^ mite 2000th, VA miteA-6

3000, cfi mite 8000th, qvi miteA-6

4000, ceit|\e mite 4000th, ceit^e miteA-6

1,000,000, mittiun 1,000,000th, mittiunAt)

Notes on the Numerals.

168. There is another very idiomatic way of express-
ing the numbers above twenty-one, viz., by placing the
wordpiceAt) aloneafterthe firstnumeral: — •oeiCviceA'°'
30 : piCe^t) is really the genitive of pice, so that the
literal meaning of x>eic pcexyo is ten of twenty ; t>ei<i
gCApAitt pCeA-o, 30 horses ; re^cc mbA pCe^-o, 27
cows.

169. Whenever any numeral less than twenty is
used by itself (i.e., not followed immediately by a
noun), the particle A* must be used before it. This A
prefixes tv to vowels : — A ti-Aon, one ; A T>O, two ;
A n-oct, eight.

CA pe A ceAtAi|\ A 6U>5, it is four o'clock.

CA pe teAfc-uAif\ T>'eif A -oo, it is half past two.

* In Ulster and Munster the article AH is used instead of this &.

72

170. Very frequently in modern times the particle
Af (=-A5Uf) is used instead of if in numbers. Af in
numbers is pronounced iss.

171 . A -06 and A ce^tAip can be used only in the
absence of nouns. If the nouns be expressed imme-
diately after "two" and "four," -ad and ceitjve must
be used.

172. Aon, one, when used with a noun almost
always takes the word Am-din after the noun ; as, Aon
pe-Ap ArhAin, one man. Aon by itself usually means
"any;" as, aon pe^p, any man; Aon 14, any day.
Sometimes Aon is omitted and Aiii-dm only is used, as
14 Arh4in, one day.

173. Under the heading "Ordinals'* two forms will
be found for nearly all the smaller numbers. The
forms given first are the ones generally used. As the
secondary forms are often met with in books, they are
given for the sake of reference. C6<vo, first, is used
by itself, but AonrhAd is used in compound numbers,
such as 21st, 31st, &c.

First, as an adverb, is AJX -o-cuf or AJ\ -o-cuip, never,
ceut).

174. The -o of -o4, two is always aspirated except
after a word ending in one of the letters, t>, n, c, I, r-,
or after the possessive adjective ^, her.

The words for 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, given in
brackets, are the old words for these numbers; they
are not used now, and are given simply for reference.

73

175. piCe, ceu-o, and mile, together with the old
words for 30, 40, 50, &c., are really nouns* and can
be declined.

Nom. pice gen. ptcexvo dat. picit) pi. pici-o
,, ceuT) ,, ceit) ,, ceut) ,, ceut>CA

,, mile ,, mile ,, mile ,, milce

The other words are 5th declension, and form their
genitive by adding -o.

176. mile, a thousand, or a mile, and ceu-o, a
hundred never change their forms after a numeral ;

n,\oi mile, 9,000, or 9 miles.

The Personal Numerals.

177. The following numeral nouns are used especially
of persons. All, with the exception of T>tp and beipc,
are compounds of the word pe^p, a man (the p of
which has disappeared owing to aspiration), and the
numeral adjectives.

AotiApf (-Aon-pe^p) one person

[•Dip (•oUp)] a pair, a couple

two persons, a couple I

(or cpiAp) (qtf-peAt\) three persons

(ceAtAtp,-p.ex\n) four persons

cuige^p, five persons

peipe<\p six persons

* See Syntax, par. 511 and 512.

f Used in the idiomatic expression for "alone." See par. 654.
I tJ,nAtTiA, a married couple.

74

seven persons

eight persons
nAono.A|\ or ntintMfi nine persons

ten persons

(•o<S-Fe.AH->6eu5) twelve persons
N.B.— The singular form of the article is used be-
fore these numerals; as An cuige^ treats the five
men.

The Possessive Adjectives.

178. The term "possessive pronouns" has been
incorrectly applied by many grammarians to the
" possessive adjectives." A pronoun is a word that
can stand for a noun and be separated from the noun,
as the words "mine" and "his" in the sentences,
" This book is mine," " This cap is his." If I wish
to say in Irish, "Did you see his father and mine?"
I say, "An bpAc^tp A A£A\P ^guf m' AtAip" (not
Aguf mo). The possessive adjectives in Irish can
never stand alone; hence they are not pronouns.

179. The possessive adjectives are as follows : —

SINGULAE. PLURAL.

mo, my A?, our

•oo, thy t>up (or VM^), your

A, his or her A, their

180. A, his ; A, her ; and A, their, are very easily
distinguished by their initial effects on the following
word.

75

181. The o of mo and -oo is elided whenever they
are followed by a word beginning with a vowel or £,
as m' pumnebg, my window; r>' ACAI^, thy father.

182. Before a vowel -oo, thy, is very often written c
or c, as -o' ACAI|\, c' At&w, t' AtAip, thy father ; even
h-ACAij\ is sometimes wrongly written.

183. The possessive adjectives may take an emphatic
increase, but this emphatic particle always follows the
noun, and is usually joined to it by a hyphen ; and
should the noun be followed by one or more adjectives
which qualify it, the emphatic particle is attached to
the last qualifying adjective.

The Emphatic Particles,

18$. The emphatic particles can be used with (1)
the possessive adjectives, (2) the personal pronouns,
(3) the prepositional pronouns, and (4) the synthetic
forms of the verbs. Excepting the first person plural
all the particles have two forms. When the word to
which they are attached ends in a broad vowel or
consonant use the broad particles, otherwise employ
the slender.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

1. -jM, -r-e -ne

2 -r-A, -re -r^, -re

(Masc., -p*Mi, -
o. <_

(Fern., -re, -

76

Examples.

mo teAC-p A, my house ; A teAC-pAn, his house ; Ap
•oceAC-ne, our house: mipe, myself; peipeAn, himself;
i, at themselves ; buAiiim-pe, I strike.

185. The word pern may also be used (generally as
a distinct word) to mark emphasis, either by itself or
in conjunction with the emphatic particles : as
mo teAC pein, my own house
mo CeAC-pA p6m, even my house
mo teAC br\eA§ m6rx-pA, my fine large house

mo teAC p6m and mo teAC-pA may both mean "my
house," but the latter is used when we wish to dis-
tinguish our own property from that of another per-
son; as, your house and mine, T>O CCAC-PA Agup mo

186. The possessive adjectives are frequently com-
pounded with the following prepositions : —

i, in (^nn), in; te, with; t>o, to; 6, from; and p.A.
under.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

i, tn or Ann, in.

tm, Am 'mo, in my n<\t\, mAp, i n-Ap., in our

ID, At), 'T>O, in thy, in your noup, 1 noup, in your
'nA, i n-A, inA, in his, in her nA, 1 n-A, HIA, in their

In the third person singular and plural IOHA, tonn^, Anna are also
found written.

77

187. te, with.

tern, te mo,* with my Le n-Af\, with our

let), te TDO,* with thy or your te noup, with your
te TI-A, with his or her te n-A, with their

188. -oo, to.

•oom', -oo mo,* to my T>AP, to our

t)OT>', -oo -oo,* to thy or your t>o oup, t>Abut\, to your

•DA, to his or her T>A, to their

189. o, from.

6m, o mo,* from my 0 n-A|\, from our

OT>, o -oo,* from thy or your 0 nt>t»n, from your
6 n-A, from his or her 0 n-A, from their

190. PA or £6, under.

p^m, pom, under my PA n-Af , pO n-Af , under

our
PA-O, pot), under thy, your PA nt>ut\, p6 Tittup,

under your
pA n-A, p6 n-A, under his, her p4 n-A, p6 n-A, ondep

their

191. The following compounds are frequently used
with verbal nouns : —

AS, at.

AS mo,' at my 'gAp, £AP, AS /p, at our

AS DO,* at thy, your AS t>uj\, at your
*» '5^, $A, at his, her ASA, 'SA, or gvi, at their

• The forma marked with an asterisk are used in the North.

78

192. When "you" and "your" refer to one person,
the singular words cu and -DO are used in Irish,

•o' At dip, your father (when speaking to one person),
t>ujv n-.At.din, your father (when speaking to more than
one.)

193. Those of the above combinations which are
alike in form are distinguished by the initial effect
they cause in the following word ; as, 6 n-A tig, from
his house ; 6 n-A ci$, from her house ; <5 n-A -005, from
their house.

194. The above combinations may take the same
emphatic increase as the uncompound possessive
adjectives; om ti$ p6m, from my own house; 6m ti$

rh6f.-p.A, from my fine large house.

Demonstrative Adjectives.

195. The demonstrative adjectives are r°»* ^B>
pn,t that; and tro, that or yonder.

fo is frequently written feo when the vowel or
consonant preceding it is slender.

These words come after the nouns they qualify.
and should the noun be followed by any qualifying
adjectives, fo, fin or u-o comes after the last quali-
fying adjective.

It is not enough to say peA|\ fo or bean fin for
"this man" or "that woman." The noun must

• Also fA, feo, or pe. f Also r°1T1» TAin or r*n>

79

always be preceded by the article. "This man" is
An jreAfA fo; "these men," nA pf% feo; An bean fo, this
woman; AH beAn pn, that woman.

196. The word ti-o is used when a person or thing
is connected in some way with the person to whom
you speak or write ; An peAf tVo, that man (whom you
have seen or heard of) ; An oit>ce fit), that particular
night which you remember ; or in pointing out an
object at some distance, as —

An bjreiceAnn cu An bAt) ut> ? Do you see that

boat?
Also with the vocative case,

A Cloigmn UT> tAll ACA gAn ceAti 541*6.
Thou skull over there that art without tongue.

Indefinite Adjectives.

197. The chief indefinite adjectives are — Aon, any ;
ei5in,some, certain; eite, other; uile (after the noun) ,
all, whole; and the phrase A|\ bit, any at all; pe,
whatever.

e.g., Aon IA, any day ; Aon CApo^U, any horse ; An
cip uile, the whole country ; -otnne eigin, a certain per-
son ; An peAp eile, the other man. An O^ACA cu An
LeAbAf i n-<\ic Ap bit ? Did you see the book anywhere ?
"Hi puii AipseAt) A|\ bit AgAin, I have no money at all.
t)iteAtfiAC t)ob' CAT!) ATI SiogAi-oe, pe UAipLeACc T>O b!
Aige n6 nA ^Aib. The Siogaidhe was a rascal, what-
ever nobility he had or hadn't.

198. The following words aro nouns, and are fol-

80

lowed by a genitive or -oe with the dative. As they
are employed to translate English indefinite adjec-
tives, we give them here: —

mrt|vAn, much bpuil m6p<in ptonA -A^AC,

Have you much wine?
(An) tomAT), a great deal, An IOTHAT) Aipsm, a great

a great many deal of money

beAgAn, little beASAn A^AITI, a little bread

(ATI) lomAjxcA, too much -AM lomApCAuipse, too much

water

), rather much ATI-CUIT> fAlAinn, rather
much salt

mo

enough, sufficient
) I have sufficient bread

(Agup), as muchJAn oipexxx) fin 6ip, so much
(as), so much (as) ) gold

, more cuilleAt) AfVAin, more bread

neAt\c, plenty, abundance neApc Anigit), plenty of

money
cuit), pomn or poinnc, cuir>, f\oinn or pomnc 6ip,

a share, some some gold

A IATV, many, numerous c^L A Uln peAf rnbpe^g i
n-6ipmn. There are many
fine men in Ireland

199. Translation of the word "Some."

(a) As has been said, cuit>, pomn or poinnc is used
to translate the word "some," but there are other
words used, as bjvAon, a drop, used for liquids;

81

or t>oifAtvn, a fistfull, used for hay, straw, corn, pota-
toes, &c. ; sfAinin, a grain, used for meal, flour,
tea, &c.; pingirm, a penny, used for money. All
these words take a genitive.

(fr) "Some of" followed by a noun is translated
by euro T)e followed by a dative case.

(c) " Some of" followed by a singular pronoun is
translated by cum t)e; when followed by a plural
pronoun, by euro 45.

n tXAinne A^AM, I have some milk

ucpA ^156, He has some sugar
Curo -oe rtA peApArt, Some of the men

O euro -oe pn olc, Some of that is bad

O euro ACA ro olc, Some of these are bad

Translation of " Any."

200. (a) When "any" is used in connection with
objects that are usually counted it is translated by
Aon with a singular noun ; as Aon £e^, any man ;
fcpuil Aon C-APAU AS AC? or ftpuit c^pAtU A$ bit A$AC?
Have you any horses?

The following phrases followed by a genitive case
are used for "any" with objects that are not counted:
Aon gpeim, for bread, butter, meat, &c. : ^on
for liquids; Aon gt^min, for tea, sugar, &c. ;
peotA Aige? Has he any meat?

(6) " Any of" followed by a noun is translated by
aon tDume T>e, for persons ; Aon ce^nn -oe, for any
kind of countable objects ; Aon jpeim ^e, &c., as

above. An &JMCA cu Aon t>uire T>e nA feApAit* ? Did
you see any of the men? &c.

(c) " Any of " followed by a plural pronoun is
translated by the phrases given in (fo), but the pre-
position AS is used instead of -oe ; as —

Hi fruit Aon ceAnn ACA Annpn. There is not any

of them there.

tli fiAit> AON T>utne A^Ainn Annpo ceAnA. Not one
of us was here before.

Distributive Adjectives.

201. SAC, each, every, as 546 U, every day: tute
(before the noun), every ; the definite article, or 546,
must be used with uile; as An tnle freAp, every man.
t)i SAC uile ceAnn ACA cinn. Every one of them was
sick.

S^C fe, every other, every second; 546 ]\e ttpocMl,
every second word.

202. The Interrogative Adjectives.

CA or ce, what, as c£ meAt). what amount?

i.e., how much or how many?

CA h-Aic, what place? CA ti-Ainm ACA ope? What

is your name? CA ii-tiAip, what hour? when?

In English we say " what a man," "what a start,"

&c., but in Irish we say "what the man," " what the

start,'' as CAi-oe" An geic -oo rjAinpeAtb f6 AI^CI ! What

a fright he would give her ! (lit. he would take out of her).

CHAPTER IV.
The Pronoun.

203. In Irish there are nine classes of Pronouns : —
Persona], Reflexive, Prepositional, Relative, Demon-
strative, Indefinite, Distributive, Interrogative, and
Reciprocal pronouns. There are no Possessive pro-
nouns in Irish.

204. Personal Pronouns.

SINGULAE. PLURAL.

1st pers, me", I rinn, we

2nd pers. cii, thou fiti, you
he

ri ^t>, they
p, she

Each of the above may take an emphatic increase,
equivalent to the English suffix self.

205.

Emphatic Forms of the Personal Pronouns.

1st pers. mii'e, myself r-mne, ourselves
2nd pers. cur- A, thyself f^fe, yourselves

(reireAti. himself]

3rd pers. i > riA-o-rAti, themselves

(rife, herself j

206. The word p6m is added to the personal pro-
nouns to form the reflexive pronouns ; as -oo ttuAitexxr
me pein, I struck myself.

84

The reflexive pronouns are as follows . —

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

me" p6m, myself p'1" Vein, ourselves

cu pein, thyself p° T^1n» yourselves

6 r6in, himself

.. ,
, themselves
i j:e"in, herself

207. The above are also used as emphatic pronouns ;
as, CuA-CAtnAp A t>Aile, tn6 p6m Astir- 6 p6m. Both he
and I went home.

208. The Personal Pronouns have no declension.

It has already been shown that mo, -oo, A, etc.,
which are usually given as the genitive cases of the
personal pronouns, are not pronouns, but adjectives ;
because they can never be used without a noun.

The compounds of the pronouns with the preposi-
tion -oo (to) are usually given as the dative cases of
the personal pronouns ; but A^AITI, AS AC, etc., or the
compounds with any of the other prepositions in
par. 216, are just as much the datives of the personal
pronouns as T>om, T>UIC, &c. Hence the Irish personal
pronouns have no declension.

209. The Personal Pronouns have however two
forms : — The conjunctive and the disjunctive. The
conjunctive forms are used only immediately after a
verb as its subject; in all other positions the dis-
junctive forms must be used. The disjunctive forms
are also used after the verb if

85

Tho reason why these forms follow if is that the word
immediately after if is predicate,* not subject', and it
has just been stated that the conjunctive forms can
be used only in immediate connection with a verb as
its subject.

Conjunctive Pronouns.

210. m6, cu, fe, fi, finn, f'&, PAT>.

Disjunctive Pronouns.

211. A [cu, (firm, [po,

(inn,

A
me e, 1,

(cii, (i

In me, cu, cu, the vowel is often shortened in Munster, when there
is no stress or emphasis. It is shortened in me, re, e, r'^o and IA-O
in Ulster, when there is no stress.

212. The disjunctive pronouns can be nominatives to
verbs, but then they will be separated from the verbs :
or they may be used in immediate connection with a
verb as its object.

He is a man, if -pe^f. & (nominative).

He was the king, -oob'e ATI fi 6 (both nominatives).

This is smaller than that, if tu$A 6 feo HA e

(both nominatives).
I did not strike him, niorv t>«Aite^f 6 (accusative).

• This statement will be explained later on. See par 589.

The Neuter Pronoun
213. The pronoun e^vo is most frequently used in
replying to a question asked with any part of the verb
ip followed by an indefinite predicate.* 11 AC bjie^g An
U 6 ? 1f CA-6 50 -oeiiiiin. Isn't it a fine day? It is
indeed. An SACp,.\nA6 £? 1li II-CAT^. Is he an
Englishman ? He is not.

This pronoun corresponds very much with the " unchangeable le'
in French: as, Etes-vous sage? Oui, je le suis.

Whenever if in the question is followed by a pronoun,
e<y6 cannot be used in the reply. An 6 CopmAC
AM pi ? 11i n-e". Is Cormac the king? He is not.

ip eA-6 is usually contracted to Ye^t) (shah).

214. The phrase if eAt> ('peAt>) is often used to refer
to a clause going before; as, t gCAtAip HA UlApc, ip
e^t), CoD^il in6 Ajveip. InWestport, it was, that I slept
last night. 11iuM|\ if mo An AnpoCAin (AnACAin), if
eAt>, if goipe AH CAttAip. When the distress is greatest,
then it is that help is nearest.

215. In Munster when the predicate is an indefinite
noun it is usual to turn the whole sentence into an
eA-6-phrase; as — It is a fine day. IA opeA$, 'peAt> 6.
He is a priest. SAJAPC, 'peAt> 6. He was a slave.
•OAOJI, -oob 'eAt) 6. Elsewhere these sentences would
be, if Ui bpeA5 e ; T rA5Arc 6 ; *>A -OAop 6.

* For " indttinite predicate " refer to par. 585.

Prepositional Pronouns

or
Pronominal Prepositions.

216. Fifteen of the simple prepositions combine
with the disjunctive forms of the personal pronouns;
and to these combinations is given the name of Pre-
positional Pronouns or Pronominal Prepositions.

All these compounds are very important. As five
or six of them occur most frequently these will be
given first, and the remainder, if BO desired, may be
left until the second reading of the book. The im-
portant combinations are those of the prepositions,
45, at; Afvon ; -oo, to; le, with; 6, from; and cun,
towards.

All the combinations may take an emphatic suffix.
One example will be given.

SINGULAR. PLUBAL.

217. 45, at or with.

1st pers. A$Am, at ma AgAinn, at us

2nd pers. " 'at thee AgAiG, at you

. at him

3rd pers.] , , ACA, at them

(AICI, at her

218. The combinations of 45 with the emphatic
suffixes.

1st pers. AgAmfA, at myself AgAmne, at ourselves

2nd pers. x\5ACfA, at thyself 4541 &re, at yourselves

(AisereAn. at himself

3rd pers. I ACAIMTI, at themselves

F Uicip, at herself

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

219. Ap, OD.

1st pers. oj\m, on me opAinn, on us

2nd pers. ope, on thee opAio, on you

(AIP, on him

3rd pers. I on£A or opru\, on them

(uipptoruinti.onher

220. DO, to.

("oom *
1st pers. -I, to me -ouirm, to us

2nd pers. -ouic, to thee -OAOID, -010, to you

(•06 to him

3rd pers. \ T)6ifj, to them

(-01, to her

The initial -o of these combinations and also those of x>e are usually
aspirated except after a word ending in one of the letters -o, n, r. L, f-

221. te, with.

liotn, with me linn, with us

. with thee

.,, , . lib, with you

leip, with him

'

with her leo. with them

222. 6, or uA,t from.

uAim, from me uAinn, from us

UAIC, ,, thee UAID, „ you

uAit),t „ him

, UACA, „ them

uAiti ,, her

* x>Aiii (= -com) is the literary and also the Ulster usage. The
emphatic form is "ooriip &, never x>omp A, except in Connaught.
+ UA is never used as a simple preposition.
I UAX> and uAi-oe (= UAI-O) are also both literary find spoken forms.

89

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

223. cun, towards.

CugAni,* towards me CugAinn, towards us

'U5AC)[ „ thee
Cu5<yoJ
Cuige, „ him

, CUCA. „ them

„ her

you

224. foim, before.

p6mAtn, before me ptiriiAinn, before us

p<5tflAC,

t\oimpi,
225,

him
her

4

out of me
thee

them

out.

out of us
AfAit», „ you

them

him

,

her

226. i, in (or Ann) in.

in me lonnAinn, in us

„ thee lonnAitt „ you

Ann. ,. him

,
mnci, „ her

227. -oe, off, from.

•oiom, off or from me -oinn, off or from us
•oioc, „ thee t)it>, „ you

•oe, „ him

-PI, ., her

„ them

•oiot),

'

them

The 5 in these combinations is aspirated in Munster. except iu

90

SINGULAB. PLURAL.

228. p£, pi, PAOI, under.

pum, under ine puinn, under us

puc, „ thee Fti'ty ,, you

PAOI. him

putA, „ them
ptiiti, „ her

229. it>ip., between.

, between me eAt>pAinn, between us

„ thee e,vopAiD, „ you

6, ,, him

i / N » them

i, „ her (or

230. e-Ap, over or beyond.

or topm, over me tApAinn or top^inn, over us
or tope, j, thee CApAib „ copAift, „ you
p, „ him)

eopr.orfe.nrc..,, herj*^ .fenrc*. ,,them

231. cpe", through.

cpfom, through me cpinn, through us

cpioc, „ thee cpitt, „ you
cpi-o, „ him

epic,, „ her " tbem

The c of these combinations is often aspirated.
232. urn, about.

i, about me umAinn, about us

„ thee uniAiG, „ you
uime, „ him

. , them
uimpi, „ her

91

The Relative Pronoun,

In Old Irish there was a relative particle used after preposi-
tions, and also a compound relative, but no simple relative in the
nominative and accusative cases. The modern relative, in these
cases, has arisen from a mistaken idea about certain particles. Befora
the imperfect, the past, and conditional the particle t>o should,
strictly speaking, bo used. Certain irregular but often used verbs
had also an unaccented first syllable, as ACA, -co-tie i pirn, -oo-ttm, Ac.
These particles and syllables being unaccented were generally dropped
at the beginning, but retained in the body, of a sentence, where the
relative naturally occurs. Hence they were erroneously regarded as
relative pronouns, from analogy with other languages.

In Modern Irish the relative particle may or may not be used in
the nominative and accusative cases.

Although this is the origin of the modern relative nevertheless it is
used as a real relative in modern Irish. Whether we call this A a
relative particle or a relative pronoun is a mere matter of choice.
We prefer the first name.

There is a relative frequently met with in authors, viz. — noc,
meaning who, which or that. This relative is not used in modern
spoken Irish, in fact it seems never to have been used in the spoken
language.

233. In modern Irish there are three simple relatives,
the relative particles A aud 50, which signify who,
which, or that ; and the negative particle DAC,
signifying wlio...not, which. ..not, that. ..not.

The rel-itive 50 is not found in literature, but it is so generally used
in the spoken dialect of Munster that it must be regarded as a true
relative. 50 is not used as the subject or object of a, verb, its use is
confined to the prepositional (datire) case.

There are also the compound relatives pe\ gibe,
cibe, whoever, ivhosoever, whatever, aud A (causing
eclipsis) what, that whicJt, all that.

234. The relative particle A expressed or under-
stood, causes aspiration ; but when preceded by a
preposition or when it means " all that," it causes
eclipsis, as do 50 and 11 AC.

92

btiAilim. The man whom I strike.

An p-eAp A tiuAile-Ann me. The man who strikes me.

An bUACAill nAc mbei'o ^5 The boy who will not be

obAip. at work. -,..

An beAn 50 bp.uil AH bo The woman who has the

-A1C1. COW.

A scAicim PAH LA. All that I spend per day.

Sin A fVAib -Ann. That's all that was there.

X)o pgAipc A PA1° l<Aicpe.\c. All who were present

burst out laughing.
An Aic MIA bpint pe. The place in which he is.

235. The relative A when governed by a preposi-
tion, or when it means " all that," unites with po,
the particle formerly used before the past tense of
regular verbs, and becomes A\\. This Ap unites with
the prepositions -co (to) and le (with) and becomes
T>Ap and lep.

Ap CAice^p pAii LA. All that I spent per day.

An f-CAp T)Ap geAllAp mo \

leAbAp. or ( The man to whom I pro-

An pe^p Ap geAlUp mo C mised my book.

l6AbAp T)6.

An cpLAc lep buAiLeAt) e. The rod with which he

was beaten.

236. The pronouns ce and pe unite with -po, but only with the

Ce 'f fc'i pern ? Who was she ?
pe 'f t»'e pern ? Whoever he was

237. Whenever the relative follows a superlative,
or any phrase of the nature of a superlative, use

•OA ( = -oe + A). Before the past tense of regular
verbs TD-A becomes t)Ap ( = T>A + po)

t!)eApp.AT> "ouic 5 AC uile nit) T>A bp.u

I will give you everything that I have.

1p e pin AM ve<Mv 1P AOip'oe T)Ap buAit tiom

That is the tallest man that 1 have ever met.

Hi niAit leip Aon nit) "DA T)cii5Ap T>6.

He does not like a single thing I gave him.

Demonstrative Pronouns,

238. The demonstrative pronouns are po or p eo, f/u's ;
I'm, pAin, pom, pAn, £/ta£; put) or piut), f/*a£ (yonder).
The secondary forms o or eo, m, and iut) are very com-
mon in colloquial usage in Connaught and Minister.

These secondary forms have sometimes been written f o, fin, etc.

1p poj\ pin.

'SeAt) pAn.
CA pe 50 h-Ain-oeip AJAC,

CA pAn

t)'in i An AIC.
"Oeiftitn-pe gupb iut) 6 An

That is true.
The matter is so.
You have it in a mess, so

you have.

That was the place.
I say that that is the man
P.CAH t)ib. for you.

t)' in e cpioc An pseil. That was the end of the

-An in 6 An bopgA ? Is that the box? [affair.

tli h-oi An AIC. This is not the place,

t)' m 6 AH btiACAiU Cinge. That was the boy for it.

239. When \ve are referring to a definite object these
pronouns take the form 6 peo, i peo, IA-O po, e pin,
i pm, KA-O PAIII, etc. This is especially the case when
this," " that," etc., are equiva-
1 that one," etc.

Lift (or take) that.
This is the man.
That was John.
That's Brigid.

the English words
lent to '• tins one,"
Cog e pin.
'So peo An pe^f.
T)ob' 6 pin SeAjAti.
'Si pin t)fi$i-o.
Ce h-i,vo po?
An e pmt) ConiAp.

i h-e, 'pe
piu-o e e.

pi ut) c, or

Who are these ?

Is that (person yonder)

Thomas?

No ; that's he.

94

"Se peo = tp 6 peo ; 'S6 pin = if 6 pin, etc.
In the spoken language the phrases if 6 fin e,
if 6 piut) e, etc, are very frequently contracted to
f«n 6, fin i, f iuT) e\ etc.

Siu-o e. That is he.

SiuT) 6 CsVOg. Yonder is Thade.

Sm e An CApup. That's the hammer.

The forms pm£, pint, piT)6, f rol, are also frequently used.

Six>6 ACA opm. That is what ails me.

Sini AH AIC. That's the place.

SitDi Annpo i. Here she is here.

Smi i. That is she (or it).

Sit>e e. This is he (or it.

240. Sii-o, yonder, qualifies a pronoun; whilst ut>
qualifies a noun : as, An f.e*\p UT>, }ronder man ; A p.eAp
put), yonder woman's husband.

Indefinite Pronouns.

241. The principal indefinite pronouns are —

CA<i (gen. CAIC), all, everybody, everyone else,
uile, all.

6mne, 6mneA(i (AOin'ne), anybody.
The following are nouns, but they are used to trans-
late English indefinite pronouns, hence we give them
here : —

•oume Ap. bit, anyone at all.
cum... cu it) eite, some. ..others
a few.

95

An -ocAims einne Annpo ? Did anyone come

here?
"Cu\ h-£ T)0 OAI* An triACpAi*?" A? cAt. "Who is

he who drowned the youths?" said all.
Ce rhetro uftAll 45 AC? (or An 'm6 uftAtt AJAC ?)

UA beA^An AS Am. How many apples have yon ?

I have a few.
Uite -66it>. To them all.

"Oo-seitrnii-o uite An bAf. We all die.
t)o CUAT>AH ro i"te feA6A AitiAil r5^Le. All these
went past like a shadow.

Distributive Pronouns.

242. The distributive pronouns are: — JAC, each;
5A6 uile, everyone ; gA<i Aon, each one, everyone ;
ceACcAp, either. 'Cuite is a contraction for g^.c uite.
Ili puii ceACcAp ACA AgAiri, I have not either of

them.

t)iot> A piof Ag SAC Aon. Let each one know.

Oin bionn (bi) pioc X)6 Leif (pip) 5^<i h-Aon CAiUeAf A

feACc. For the anger of God is on each one who

violates His law.

N.B.— The tendency in present-day usage is to em-
ploy distributive adjectives followed by appropriate
nouns rather than distributive pronouns : e.g. Every-
one went home. TJo CUAI* SAC uae -oume A t>Aiie.

Interrogative Pronouns.

243. The chief interrogative pronouns are : — CIA or
ce\ who, which; CA-O, cpeuT), or CA1T>6, what; c£ or
ceujvo (CIA put)), what; CIA leif, whose; CIA *.CA
(CIOCA), which of them, ce (or CIA) AS AID, which of you.

Ce nmne 6 fin? Who did that?

CAT> ACA A$AC ? What have you ?

CA-O 6 fin A$AC ? What is that you have ?

CA1T)6 ACA One ? )_., ... .

SWhat ails you?

CAT) CA one?

CG ACA it* cc*?

[ Which of them is the better?
CIOCA if peAnp?

Which or what man?

CIA HA pp ? Which men ?

CIA AH IUAC ? What price?

CAi-oe" An t\u-o e fin ? What is that?

Ce leif An leAt>A^ ? Whose is the book?

244. Notice in the last sentence the peculiar position
of the words. The interrogative pronoun always
comes first in an Irish sentence, even when it is
governed by a preposition in English. In Irish we
do not say "With whom (ib) the book?" but "Who
with him (is) the book?"

97

Further examples of the same construction: —

Ce leip e po ? Whose is this?

Ce .Aige xin leADAp ? Who has the book '?

ASe.A$<*in, -ociocpxMt) cii 50 John, will you come
5«MUtrii? CA-O £11158? to Galway? What

for?

CIA leip fcpuil cu coprhAil? Whom are you like?
We may also say, OA bpuil cu coprhAil leip ?

Notice that the adjective copiiAil, like, takes Le, with ; not -oo, to.

255. N.B. — The interrogative pronouns are always
nominative case in an Irish sentence. In such a
sentence as, CM t>u<Mle<yo.Ap? Whom did they strike?
CIA is nominative case to ip understood, whilst the
suppressed relative is the object of GuAileAtixxp. In
CM leip , CAT) cuige, &c., leip and cuige are preposi-
tional pronouns, not simple prepositions.

Reciprocal Pronoun.

246. The reciprocal pronoun in Irish is A c6ile,*
meaning each other, one another. Cuij\ ponn A
UirhA i lArfixMfc A ceile, Finn put their hands in the
hands of one another. X)o ps^t\ OpgAji ^gup T)tAp-
mui-o te II-A ceile. Oscar and Diarmuid separated
from each other (lit. "separated with each other").
c6ile. They struck each other.

•Literally, his fellow.

98

Phrases containing the Reciprocal Pronoun.

6 Ceile,* from each other, separated or asunder.

Le Ceile, t together.

niAt\ A Ceile, like each other, alike.

confused, without any order.
c\\G n-A Ceile,

oipeAt) le C6ile, each as much as the other.
i m>iAi-6 A ceile, one after the other, in succession.
AJ' SAC jTArAC i n-A Ceile, out of one desert into another

CHAPTEP V.
THE VERB.

Conjugations.

247. In Irish there are two conjugations of regular
yerbs. They are distinguished by the formation of
the future stem. All verbs of the first conjugation
form the first person singular of the future simple in
-FA-O or -peAt), whilst verbs of the second conjugation
form the same part in -6C<vo or -e6CAt>.

• 6 ceile, = 6 n-A ceile.

+ le ceile, = le n-A ceile. This last form is often used and
explains the aspiration in le ceile

99

Forms of Conjugation.

218. Every Irish verb, with the single exception of
ip, has three forms of conjugation : — The Synthetic,
the Analytic, and the Autonomous.

249. The synthetic, or pronominal form, is that in

which the persons are expressed by means of termina-
tions or inflections. All the persons, singular and
plural, with the single exception of the third person
singular, have synthetic forms in practically every
tense. The third person singular can never have its
nominative contained in the verb-ending or termina-
tion.

The following example is the present tense synthetic
form of the verb mol, praise : —

SINGULAR. PLUBAL.

motAim, I praise. moldimi-o, we praise.

moUMf\, thou praisest. motcAoi, you praise.

moUnn p e, he praises. moUro, they praise.

250. In the analytic form of conjugation the per-
sons are not expressed by inflection ; the form of the
verb remains the same throughout the tense and the
persons are expressed by the pronouns placed after
the verb. The form of the verb in the third person
singular of the above example is the form the verb
has in the analytic form of the present tense.

The analytic form in every tense has identically the
same form as the third person singular of that tense.

N.B. — The analytic form is generally employed in
asking questions.

100

The following is the analytic form of the present
tense of mot : —

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

molAim, I praise. moUxnn finn, we praise.

mol^nn cu, thou praisest. molAnn fib, you praise.

fe, he praises. moU\nn PAT>, they praise

The analytic form is used in all the tenses, but in
some of the tenses it is rarely, if ever, found in some
of the persons : for instance, it is not found in the
first person singular above. As the analytic form
presents no difficulty, it will not be given in the
regular table of conjugations.

251. We are indebted to the Rev. Peter O'Leary,
P.P., for the following explanation of the Autonomous
Form of conjugation : —

"This third form — ihe Autonomovs — has every one of
the moods and tenses, but in each tense it has only
one person, and that person is only implied. It is
really a personality, but it is not a specific personality.
It is only a general, undefined personality.

" This third form of an Irish verb has some very
unique powers. ... I shall illustrate one. An Eng-
lish verb cannot of itself make complete sense alone ;
this form of an Irish verb can. For instance,
1 bu^itce.Ap ' is a complete sentence. It means,
'A beating is being administered,' or, 'Somebody is
striking.' Irish grammarians have imagined that this

101

form of the verb is passive voice. No, it is not passive
voice, for it has a passive of its own; and, again, all
intransitive verbs (even the verb CA) possesses this
form of conjugation. The nearest equivalents in sense
and use to this Irish form are the German 'mann'
and the French 'on' with the third person singular
of the verb." — Gaelic Journal.

The usual translation of the French phrase "on
dit" is, "It is said." "Is said" is certainly passive
voice in English, but it does not follow that " dit" is
passive voice in French. The same remark holds
with regard to the Irish phrase "tWAitceAp An s^voAp,"
which is usually translated, "The dog is struck."
bu.\ilce«.\i\ is not passive voice; it is active voice, auto-
nomous form, and 5<y6Aji is its object in the accusative
case. The literal translation of the phrase is, "Some-
body strikes the dog." The passive voice of buAiLceA|\,
someone strikes, is CAtAfi buAiLce, someone is struck.

252 As this is the firsi grammar that has adopted the term
" Autonomous form of the Verb," we think it advisable to state th.it
the form of the verb which we give as the Autonomous foi-m is
given in other Irish grammars as the passive voice. A fuller
treatment of the Autonomous Verb will be found at the end of the
book, where we endeavour to show that in modern Irish, at least, this
form of the verb is active voice. The name by which this form of the
verb ought to be called is not merely a matter of terms, for on it de-

102

pends the case of the following noun or pronoun : i.e., whether Fncb
noun or pronoun is the subject or object of the verb.

As all Irish scholars have not accepted the Autonomous form of the
verb, since it appears that formerly, at least, the verb was not Auto-
nomous, being inflected for the plural number, it has been suggested
that both names be retained for the present. In the first edition of
this grammar the term " Indefinite " was given to this form, but as
the name "Autonomous," which means possessing the power of self
government, is far more expressive, it has been adopted instead of
" Indefinite."

As the Autonomous form has only one inflection
for each tense, this inflection is given immediately
after each tense in the tables of conjugation.

MOODS AND TENSES.

253. Verbs have three moods, the Imperative, the
Indicative, and the Subjunctive.

Some grammars add a fourth mood, the Conditional ;
and some omit the Subjunctive. The Conditional
form, however, is always either Indicative or Subjunc-
tive in meaning, and is here classed as a tense under
the Indicative Mood.

The Imperative has only one tense, the Present.
Its use corresponds to that of the Imperative in
English.

The Indicative Mood has five tenses, the Present,
the Imperfect, the Past, the Future, and the Condi-
tion ah

103

The Present Tense corresponds to the English
Present, and like it usually denotes habitual action.

The so-called Consuetudinal or Habitual Present — i.e., the third
person singular ending in -Arm — in 110 way differs from the other parts
of the Present in regnr.l to time. The verb bi, however, has a. dis-
tinct Present, bim, denoting habitual action. In English the Present
— e.g., I write — generally denotes habitual action. Present action is
usually signified by a compound tense, / am writing. So in Irish the
Present, pgjiiobAim, denotes habitual action, and present action is
denoted by the compound tense, CAHH ^5 p5jmjtu\T>. However, as in
English, the Present Tense of certain verbs, especially those relating
to the senses or the mind, denote present as well as habitual action —
e.g., clinrmn, / hear; ciien>im, / believe.

The Imperfect Tense is ~lso called the Habitual or
Consuetudinal Past. It denotes habitual action in
past time; as, "oo fg^ioOxMnn, / used to write.

The Past Tense is also called the Perfect and the
Preterite. It corresponds to the Past Tense in Eng-
lish ; as, -oo f5f lott^r, I wroie.

Continuous action in past time is denoted by a compound tense, as
in English— e.'j., -oo bior- AS rj^iobA-o, I was writing.

The Future Tense corresponds to the Future in
English: as r5t\iot>r-xyo, I shall write.

The Conditional corresponds to the Compound
Tense with "should" or "would" in English: as
•oo f5|\ioop4, thou wouldst write.

The Conditional is also called the Secondary
Future, because it denotes a future act regarded in
the past: as, XVOUO,MI\C re 50 r5i\iofcjMtJ re. He said
that he would write.

104

In the Subjunctive Mood there are only two Tenses,
the Present and the Past. This mood is used princi-
pally to express a wish, and also after certain con
junctions. See par. 550, &c.

Active Yoice, Ordinary Form.
284. Each Tense has the following forms : —

1. The action is merely stated, as — •

t)uAileAnn SeA$An An clA|\,
John strikes the table.

2. The action is represented as in progress, as —

U<\ SeA$An Ag buAlAt) An CtAif\,
John is striking the table.
8. The action as represented as about to happen —

( Cum )

U<S SeAgAn ] > An ClAip -co DUAUVO,

(AP ct)

John is about (is going) to strike the table.
4. The action is represented as completed, as —
UA SeAgAn T)'6ip An CLAip -oo DUAtAt),
John has just struck the table.

Active Yoice, Autonomous Form.
255. Each Tense has the following forms, corre-
sponding exactly to those given in the preceding
paragraph.

1. t)u Aitce Af\ AH clAp,

Someone strikes the table.

105

2. CAtAft A£ bUAlA-6 An

Someone is striking the table.

3.

Someone is about to strike the table.

4. C<itA|\ T>'£ip An ClAip -DO

Someone has just struck the table.

256. Passive Voice, Ordinary Form.

1. (This form is supplied by the Autonomous Active.)

2. UA An clAp T)A (or £A)
The table is being struck.

( Cum )

8. CA An clAn < Y A

(A|\ ci)

The table is about to be struck.

4. UA An ctAfi

The table has (just) been struck.

257. Passive Yoice, Autonomous Form.

bu <\ilce,
Someone is struck.

2. UACAJ\

Someone is being struck.

f turn }

3. CACAn ^ [ Geit bu Alice,

W cij

Someone is about to be struck

4. CACA^ bUAilce,

Someone has (just) been struck

106

288. The Principal Parts of an Irish Verb are —

(1) The 2nd sing, of the Imperative Mood.

(2) The 1st sing, of the Future Simple.

(3) The Past Participle (also called the Verbal
Adjective).

(4) The Verbal Noun.

(a) The Imperative 2nd. pers. sing, gives the stem
of the verb from which most of the other tenses and
persons are formed.

(6) The Future tells to what conjugation (first or
second) the verb belongs, and gives the stem for the
Conditional.

(c) The Past Participle shows whether c is aspi-
rated or unaspirated in the following persons, which
are formed from the past participle — i.e.:

Present, 2nd plural.
Imperfect, 2nd singular.

Autonomous.

Imperative, Present, and Imperfect.

Verbal noun.
Gen. sing, and nom. plural.

(d) With the Verbal Noun are formed the com-
pound tenses.

107

The four following types include all verbs belonging
to the first conjugation : —

259. Principal Parts.

Type. Impel. Future. P. Participle. Verbal Noun Meaning

1. mol molpvo molCA tnotdf) praise

2. peub peubpvo peubcd peubAt) burst or tear

3. bu-Ail buAiljre.AT> bu^Uce buAUv6 strike

4. j:6ij\ p6ippe.<yo jroipte poipicin help, succour

N.B.— No notice need be taken of the variation in
form of verbal nouns, as the}7 cannot be reduced to
any rule, but must be learned for each verb. The
ending At) or eAt> is that most frequently found, but
there are numerous other endings. (See pars. 315
and 316).

260. (1) and (2) are the types for ail verbs oi' the
first conjugation whose stem ends in a broad consonant;
whilst (3) and (4) are the types for ihe verbs of the
same conjugation whose stem ends iii a slender con-
sonant.

As the conjugations of types (2) and (4) are identical with those of
types (1) and (3) respectively, except the aspiration of the c in the end-
ings mentioned in par. 258 (c), we do not think it necessary to con-
jugate in full the four types. We shall give the forms in modern use
of the verbs mol and bu.\il, and then give a rule which regulates the
aspiration of c in the Pp.st Participle. (See par. 282).

108

FIEST CONJUGATION.

In tho following table the forms marked with an asterisk are not
generally used in the analytic form. The forms in square brackets
were used in early modern Irish, and are frequently met with in books.
Alternative terminations are given in round brackets.

261. IMPERATIVE MOOD.

SINGULAR.

1st. -

2nd. mot, praise thou DuAil, strike thou

3rd. moLdt) f 6, let him praise bu.Aile*y6 p 6

PLURAL.

ip (-Aimnp) llet us fbuxMlimip (

' (moUvm ) prase

2. molArt, praise (you)

(tnotAiT>ir.

3. 1 let them praise

Autonomous.

The negative particle for this mood is MA.

262. INDICATIVE MOOD.

Present Tense.
8ING. l.*motAim, I praise *b«Ailim, I strike

2. TttolAtp, &c.

3. motAnna p6

PLUli. 1. moL<MtniT) (AtnuiT)) biuMlimiT) (-unit))

2. mol-Ann
3.

109

Autonomous,
Relative form, ttloi^p
Negative. rii rfioUim,

,, til bt1.Alll|A,

Interrogative. An mol-ann re ?

„ An mbuAiUm?

Neg. Interrog. me mou\u>?

fcu.Aile.Ap

I do not praise.

You do not strike.

Does he praise ?

Do I strike ?

Do they not praise?

mbuAiLeAnn pe ? Does he not strike?

263.

Imperfect Tense.

SING. l.*riiotAinn, I used to praise :::fciu\

<\, &c.
3. riiou-o r-e"

PLUB. 1. iriolAimip (-Am nip)
2. molAO pit>

Autonomous.

Negative. Hi tiiolAinn,

„ tli

Interrogative. An

„ An mbuAiLit)ip?

Neg. Interrog. HAC tnol*Mnn?

r)tuMlimip(or imip)

fct1AlUT)ip
t)UAlLoJ.

I used not praise.
He used not strike.
Used you praise ?
Used they strike ?
Used I not praise ?
Used I not strike ?

264. Past Tense.

SING. 1. tfiolAp, I praised
2. rhotAip
8. mot pfe

t>UAil p6

110

PLUR. 1.

2. rholAbAjt

8. tflOUVOAtt

Autonomous.

Negative. tliop riiolAp,

„ 11 ion buAil p

Interrogative. AprholAip?

„ <A|\ bUAttCAp

Neg. Interrog. mj\ rhoi pe?

I did not praise,
He did not strike.
Did you praise?
Did I strike ?
Did he not praise ?

11 AH OuAileAnu\p? Did \ve not strike ?

265.

Future Tense.

SING. 1. molpA'o, I shall praise
2. molpAtp, thou wilt praise

PLUR. 1. molp^imit) (-Am nit))
2. tnolp.An!> pio"

Relative form. rholp<\p
Autonomous. motpAj\c
Negative. tit itioipAT),

„ Hi t»iiAiipiii pe,

Interrogative. An motpAi-o pe ?

„ An mbuAilp.e<vo?

Neg. Interrog.

pit)6

I shall not praise.
He will not strike.
Will he praise ?
Shall I strike?
Will you not praise ?
Will they not strike?

Ill

266. Conditional or Secondary Future.

SING. 1. rholpMtin, I would praise
2.
8.

PLUR. 1. ttiotjMimir

2. moLp^t) po buAitpeAt) ptt

8.

Autonomous.

Negative. tli rholpo^mn, I would not praise.

„ ni DuAiLpexi, You would not strike

Interrogative. An molpA, Would you praise ?

„ An mbuAilpeA-O p6, Would he strike?

Neg. Interrog. rue motpAt) p6? Would he not praise?

Would we not strike?

SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.
267. Present Tense.

SING. 1. mOtAt)

2. moLAip

3. moUxit)

PLUR. 1. tnolAimi-o C-^muTo) bwAiUmlx) (-imro)

2. rnoUAi* pba

8.
Autonomous.

The negative particle is n-Ap, which always aspirates
when possible.

112

268. Past Tense.

SING. 1. mot iinn ou AI linn

3. molA-6 fe

PLUR. 1. molAitnff (Atruitf) buAilinvf (-imif)

o. molAT!) fib buAileA'O/ fib

(molAit)if

' (moUVOAOIf

Autonomous, molc,\oi
Verbal Noun. molA*
Verbal Adj. mole A

NOTES ON THE MOODS AND TENSES.
The Present Tenses.

269. The Present Tense is always formed by adding
Aim, Aip, &c., to the stem when the last vowel is
broad ; if the last vowel is slender add im, ip, eAnn,
«fcc. The last syllable of the first person plural is
often pronounced rapidly — e.g., molAirun-o (mul'-a-
mwid), cperoimi-o (k'red 'inaid) ; but in the South of
Ireland this syllable is lengthened, tnotAimit) (mul'-
a-meed), cperoimro (k'red'-imeed). Verbs of more
than one syllable ending in 15 add mit), not imi-o, in
the .first person plural of this tense.

270. In Ulster the ending mun> of the first person plural is verj
often separated from the verb, and used instead of the pronoun pnn
as Connate mvnx> e. We saw him ; Connate j-e muix>. He saw us.
On no account ahould this corruption be imitated by the student.

118

27i. The old form of the third person singular
ended in Art or 1-6, and the analytic forms found in
books, and sometimes in the northern dialect, are got
from this form : as motAi* rinn, we praise.

272. The analytic form is not usually found in the
first person singular of this tense, nor is the synthetic
form often used in the second person plural.

The Imperfect Tense.

273. The initial consonant of this tense is usually
aspirated in the active voice, when possible.

The termination ATI or e<v6 in the 3rd sing, of this tense, as also in
the Imperative and Conditional, is pronounced AC, or AHI.

274. When none of the particles ni, ATI, tiAC, &c.,
precede the Imperfect Tense, -oo may be used before it.
This T)O may be omitted except when the verb begins
with a vowel or p. The compound particles, niop, Ay,
n^P> 5UF> CAV> &c-> can never be used with the Imper-
fect Tense.

275. Whenever the word "ivould" is used in English
to describe what used to take place, the Imperfect
Tense, not the Conditional, is used in Irish, as —

He would often say to me. 1p mmtc A-oeipe-dt) p6 Horn.

The Past Tense.

276. In the Past Tense active voice the initial con-
sonant of the verb is aspirated. The remark which

114

has just been made with regard to the use of T>O
before the Imperfect Tense applies also to the Past
Tense.

In the Autonomous form -oo does not aspirate, but
prefixes ti to vowels.

277. With the exception of the aspiration of the
initial consonant, the third person singular of this
tense is exactly the same as the second person singular
of the Imperative (i.e., the stem of the verb).

278. The particle formerly used before the Past
Tense was po. It is now no longer used by itself, but
it occurs in combination with other particles.

The most important of these compounds are : —

(1) Ap, whether (An +po). AptunMlre? Did he strike?

(2) gup, that (50+1*0). "Oeip r^ 5ur tttiAileAf e.

He says that 1 struck
him.

(3) C4|\, where (c^-r-po). CAJ\ ce.<vrmui$ir ^n C^PAU?

Where did you buy the
horse?

(4) fflun<xp, unless (rnunA ttlun^p t>UAil f6, unless

+ po). he struck.

(5) tliop, not (ni+po). Tliop Cpeit> p6. He did not

believe.

(6) tlxxp or n<J6Af\, whether VUjv cpeiT) fe? Did he not

...not. believe?

115

(7) TXSp, to whom (T>O, to-*- An pe^p -o.Ap £e<Ml.*r mo

a+po). le-AO^f. The man to

whom 1 promised my
book.

(8) tep, by or with which An rriAi-oe lep bu^ile^t) 6,

(te+4-hpo). The stick with which

they beat him (or he
was beaten).

279. The compounds of po aspirate. These com-
pounds are used with the Past Tense of all verbs
except the following : — pxMb, was ; cug, gave or
brought; pug, bore; F.JC.A, saw; cxSinig, came; pu.Aip,
found, got; t>eAC.Ait>, went; r>e^r\A, made or did.

The compounds of jio are used in some places before cug and

N.B, "OeACxMt) and -oe^pnA are used instead of
Cux\tt> and pmne after negative and interrogative
particles. Instead of -oe<\e<M-6 and -oe^pnA, Ciuit) and
t>em (•bin) are used in Munster.

The Future Tense and Conditional.
280. All the inflections of the Future and Condi-
tional in the nrst conjugation begin with the letter j:,
which in the spoken language is generally pro-
nounced like "h." This "h" sound combines with
the letters b, t> and 5 (whenever the stern ends in
these) changing them in sound into p, c, c, respec-
tively.

116

is usually pronounced k'ret'-udh
p,\5j.vvo „ „ fau'-kudh

I'SluobpA-o ,, ,, shgree-pudh

N.B. — p is sounded in the second sing. Conditional
active and in the Autonomous form.

281. The particle -oo, causing aspiration, may be
used before the .Conditional when no other particle
precedes it.

Note that the terminations of the Imperative Mood,
the Imperfect Tense, and the Conditional are almost
the same, excepting the letter p of the latter.

Rule for the Aspiration of U of Past Participles.

282. The U of the past participle is generally
aspirated except after the letters "O, tl, U, I, S, t,

"0, C, and (in verbs of one syllable) 5.

There is a great tendency in the spoken language
not to aspirate the c in all verb inflexions after con-
sonants : e.g., CUSCA, cugCAn, •oei^ceAf, etc.

283. This participle cannot be used like the English
participle to express action. He was praised is gene-
rally mo l At> e ; very seldom oi r-e molCA. The Irish
participle has always the force of an adjective denoting
the complete state, never the force of an action in
progress.

284. After ir- the Past Participle denotes what is
proper or necessary, as, Tli mote A -onic e. He is not to
be praised by you. This form, called the Participle
of Necessity, should probably be regarded as distinct

117

from the ordinary past participle, as it may occur in
verbs which have no past participle, e.g. : —

"1r- •oeirmn nA<i opuil -oume nAC beitce "66 A\\
coimeA-o o[un." " It is certain that there is no person
who loill not have to be on his guard against me."
(Letter of Se^n 0 T16ill, 1561.) "UuigteAp Af An
rgeul, nA6 beitce -oo neAC x>ul i n-eu-oOCAf." It
may hence be learned that it is not proper for anyone
to fall into despair, tli beitce AS A feunA* (or
simply, ni feunc^). It must not be denied. Here
beitce is the Participle of Necessity of the verb bi-

283. DeriYatiYe Participles.

lon-rholtA in-jveubtA lon-toUAilce ion-fr6ipte

•oo-rholcA

286. The prefix ion- or in- denotes what is proper or
fit to be done: as ion-mote^, fit to be praised, deserv-
ing of praise.

The prefix fo- denotes what is possible or easy to do:
as f o-peubtA, capable of being burst, easy to burst.

287. The prefix -oo- denotes what is impossible or
difficult to do: as -oo-buAitce, incapable of being
struck, hard to strike.

288. These derivative participles seem to be formed
rather from the genitive of the verbal noun than from
the participle : as pAg^it, finding.

, easily found. -OO-^A$AIA. hard to find.

118
19. Declension of Verbal Noun.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom.

Ace.

Gen. tnotca molAt) (mole A)

Dat. molAt) molCAiD

Nom. )

> t>UAlAt> btMilr.e

Ace. )

Gen. bu Alice DUAIA-O (buAilce)

Dat. buAlAt) tniAilcib

290. Many verbal nouns are seldom or never used
in the plural. As a rule the genitive singular of the
verbal noun is identical in form with the past parti-
ciple; but many verbal nouns are declined like ordi-
nary nouns: nearly all those ending in ACC, Ail, and
AriiAin belong to the 3rd declension — e.g., g^Ail, act
of taking; gen., JA&AIA: fit, running; gen.
leAtiArhAin, act of following; gen. leAnArhtiA:
act or walking; gen. pufrail: F^f» ac^ of growing;
gen. pAir-, &c.

SECOND CONJUGATION.

291. The second conjugation comprises two classes
of verbs — (1) derived verbs in 1$ or uig; and (2)
syncopated verbs.

292. Syncopated verbs are those in which tb.e vowel
in the final syllable of the stem is omitted when any
termination commencing with a vowel is added : as UvB<Aip,
speak; tAbfUMtn (not u\b<MfMtn), I speak. Verbs of
more than one syllable whose stem ends in a, in, if\.
ip, ing, belong to this class

VERBS IN 1$
293. Principal Parts.

1. bAilig bAileoCxvo bAili£te bAiLiuj^-O gather

2. ce4nnui£ ceAnn6C»vo ceAnninjte ceAnn^C buy

294. Except in the Future and Conditional, all verbs
in 15 and ui$ are conjugated like buAit (first conjuga-
tion), except that the c is aspirated in all terminations
beginning with that letter. It is, therefore, necessary
to give only the Future and Conlitional in full.

295. Future.

SINGULAR.

1. bAileoCAt), I shall gather, ceanndcat), I shall buy

2. baite<5C<Mf\,

3. bAile6CAit> pe,

PLURAL.
1.

2. l)<MLe6<iAi-t) pib,

3. b<MleO(i<Mt),
Relative.
Autonomous,

120

296. Conditional.

SINGULAR.

1. rjAite6CAinn, I would gather. 6eAnn6CAinn.

2. t><Mle6<itA,

8. DAile6<i.At> f6,

PLURAL.

(-Aimiip).
2.

'

Autonomous.

297. In early modern usage, when the stem ended in -uij, preceded
by T>, n, r, t, or p, these consonants were usually attenuated in the
Future and Conditional : as Ajroui5, raise, future AijvoeocA-o; fAtuij,
soil, future fAiteocAt); but nowadays AJVOOCA-O, pAtocAX), &c., are
the forms used.

Syncopated Verbs.

298. The personal endings of syncopated verbs vary
somewhat according as the consonant commencing the
last syllable of the stem is broad or slender.

Type (1). Stems in which the last syllable commences
with a broad consonant* as yu^SAip (pSsAip), proclaim.

Type (2). Stems in which the last syllable commences
icith a slender consonant, as 001511, spare.

* A few of these take ce in past participle ; as ofjAil, open,
orjAiice; ceAnjAiL, bind, ceAnsAilce. The parts of these verbs
[258 c.] which are formed from the past participle will, of course,
have slender terminations, e.g., •o'or-jiAilceA, you used to open.

121

299 In early modern usage the Future is formed by lengthening
the vowel sound of the last syllable of the stem from AI or i to eo. In
the case of Type 1 the broad consonant which commences the final
syllable of the stem ruust be made slender. Examples: mnif,
inneop-vo, / shall tell; t>ibi|i, -oibeotiAiji, you will banish; \rniy,
inieojijLi-o pe, he will play; 00151!, coi5eot<vo, I shall spare ; puAjAip,
puAijeopAix), they ic'iU proclaim; x>'puAi5eo|u\T> pe, he would pro-
cltiim; co-OAil, coi-oeolA-o, / nhall sleep ; coix>eolAinn, I would sleep.

300. In the present-day usage the Future stem is
formed as if the verb ended in i£ or ui$ : by adding
-6C in Type 1 and -eoC in Type 2.

801. Principal Parts.

Imperative. Future. Participle. V. Noun.

Type (1).

302.

Type (2). 001511 coi5le6C<vo co^ilce

803. IMPERATIVE MOOD.

BING. 1.

2. FUAgxiip, proclaim 001511, spare

8. pUAgf At) f6 coigleA* f6

PLUB. 1. yuAgpAitnif coisLimip

2. pu^gjVAit) coi 511-6

8. fUASpAI'Olf (-AT)AO1f)

Autonomous.

122

INDICATIVE MOOD.
304. Present Tense.

BING. 1. pu<\5p<Mm, I proclaim coigtim, I spare
2. pu-AgpAip coigltp

8. pu.\5]VAnn pea coigleAnn6 p£

PLUR. 1. fUASp-Aitni-o coiglimit)

2.
8.

Relative.
Autonomous.

305. Imperfect Tense.

SING. 1. T>'p.UA5p.Ainn CoigUnn

3. x>'p.UA5pAt> p6 CoigleAt) p<5

PLUB. 1. T>'ptu\5pAimip toigLJtnip
2. "o'pu^gp^t) pili

8. t>'fU4g|t4it>ff (-t)AOlp)

Autonomous. ptiA5<\pcAoi coigiLci

306. Past Tense.

SING. 1.

2.

PLUB. 1.

2.

8.
Autonomous.

123
307. Future Tense.

SINGULAR.

2.

3-

PLURAL.
1.

2.
8.

Relative Form.
Autonomous.

303. Conditional.

STNG. 1.
2.

PLUR. 1.
3.

Autonomous.

309. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.
Present Tense.

oING. 1. puA5ft<vo coijtexvo

'2. puAgpAip coigtijt

3. pUAgJVAITf) f6 COIgilTp |»6

PLUR. 1. •pu^gpAinii-o coi^Limix)

2. piM5|\Ait) fib 001511-6 pib
3.

Autonomous.

124

310. Past Tense.

SING. 1. £UA5jvAinn coigtinn

8. puAgpAt) f6 coi^leA-ft

PLUB. 1.

2.

8.
Autonomous,

311. Past Participle and Participle of Necessity.

812. Compound Participles.

813. Verbal Nouns.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

A.CC.
GEN.
DAT.

NOM. -j

4cc. }c°151tc
GEN. 00151 ice

DAT.

31*. In stems of Type (2) ending in p, the Participle is usually in
the form CAJICA, not i|tce, as -oi'bip, banish : T>\beA\\i&, banished;
iTni|i, play; imeAficA, played.

The endings formed on the participle [see par. 258 c.] follow this
change, e.g., Imperfect 2nd singular, x>ibeAtic.\ ; Present Anton.,

125

315. General Rules for the formation of Verbal
noun.

(a) As a general rule verbs of the first conjugation
form their verbal noun in A-O, if the final consonant
of the stem be broad ; in e.A-6, if it be slender, as —

•oun, shut T) tin At)

mitt, destroy milted

mot, praise moU\-6

t6i$, read tei£e<vo.

(6) When the last vowel of the stem is i preceded
by a broad vowel, the i is usually dropped in the
formation of the verbal noun, as —

buAit, strike t>u<xtAt>

•001$, burn
501 n, wound
bj\iii$, bruise

The 1 is not dropped in —
, lament
, loose
, reflect

(c) Verbs of the second conjugation ending in in,
it or ip generally form their verbal noun by adding
c, as — •

•oibip , banish •oibipc

cof Am, defend cor-Ainc

LAb-Aip, speak

coigit, spare

126 .

(d) Derived verbs ending in ui£ form their verbal
noun by dropping the i and adding ^-6 ; as, .iivouij,
raise, Ajvou$At>.

(e) Derived verbs in 15 form their verbal noun by
inserting u between the i and $ and then adding xvo ;
as mini£, explain, mimug<\t>.

316. There are, however, many exceptions to the
above rules. The following classification of the modes
of forming the verbal noun will be useful.

(a) Some verbs have their verbal noun like the
stem, e.g., p^r-, grow; 61, drink; pit, run; pi^ni,
swim, &c.

(Z>) Some verbs form their verbal noun by dropping
1 of the stem, e.g., cuip, put or send, cup; coirs, check,
cease, f5«p; 5"il, weep, gul, &c.

(c) Some verbs add AriixMn or e^rh^m to the stem to
form their verbal noun, e.g., CAilt, lose,

cpeiT), believe, Cf\eiT>e.Atti<Mti(c); v^n. stay,
lean, follow, LeAnAitiAin(c) ; f5A|\, separate,
<\m(c), &c.

In the spoken language c is usually added to the classical termina-
tion -Amain.

(d) A few add AD or e-^n for the verbal noun, e.p.,
, knock down, teA5^n ; leig, let or permit, l^ige^n ;

abandon, cp6i;5e<\n; ceitg, throw or cast,

127

(e) A few add <\rh ore-Atfi, e.g., fex\r, stand, re.Af.Arh ;
cAit, spend, consume, c-Aitex\rh ; T>eun, do or make,
oeun^rh (or -oeuiiAt)) ; peit, wait, yeite^rh.

(/) A small number end in Ait or $Ait, as 5^0, takev
gADAil ; JM£, find, jMjAil ; pig, leave, p<.\5<Ml '•> pe«vo,
whistle, pexyojAil.

A fairly full list of irregular verbal nouns is given
in Appendix V.

IRREGULAR VERBS.

317. In Old and Middle Irish the conjugation of verbs was very
complex, but by degrees the varieties of conjugations became fewer,
and nearly all ve>-bs came to be conjugated in the same way. At the
commencement of the modern period (i.e., about the end of the
sixteenth century) about fifteen verbs in common use retained their
old forms. These are now classed as irregular. Excepting occasional
survivals of older forms, all the other verbs had by this time become
regular ; so that from the stem of the verb it was possible in nearly
every instance to tell all its forms except tha verbal noun.

During the modern period even the irregular verbs have, through
the operation of analogy, shown a tendency to adopt the forms of the
modern regular conjugations.

, I AM.

318. The correct spelling of this verb is undoubtedly AC Aim, but
long since it has lost its initial A, except when it occurs in the middle
of a sentence, where it usually has a relative force. Some persons, by
confounding this initial A, which really belongs to the verb, with the
modern relative particle A, write the A separated from the CA: as A CA
instead of ACA.

128

IMPERATIVE MOOD.

319. bit-nip, let us be
bi, be thou bitiit), let you be
bio-6 fe, let him be bi-oir. let them be

Autonomous, bfce^t\.
The negative particle is n^.

All the persons, except the 2nd sing., are often written as if fonnec
from the spurious sfcein btx>: e.g., bix>e«yo pe»

INDICATIVE MOOD.

320. Present Tense— Absolute.

SYNTHETIC FORM.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

cairn, I am c-dimtt), we are

CAi|\,* thou art cxi p'^, c*5c«*oi, you are

Cxi pe, he is CAit), they are

Autonomous, c^tAp

Present Tense (Analytic Form).
CA me, I am CA rinn> we arQ

CA cu, thou art CA pifj, you are
Cv\ pe, he is c4 ptAT), they are

321. Present Tense — Dependent.

puilmit)
puil pit>

puit f 6

Autonomous,

* The early modern form, viz., CAOI, is still used in Monster, e.
Cionnuf CAOI ? (or C»onnur c^o.'n cu ?) How arc you .»

129

Negatively. Interrogatively. Neg. Interrog

I am not, &c. Am I, &c. Am I not, &c.
ni fruititn An bjruilim

ni f uilip AH bpuilip nAC

ni £uit, f6 An bj:uil f6 nAC

ni puiltnit) AH bjruiUniT) nAC

ni fruit f 10 An G^uil po nA<b ttpuil f iO

ni fruilit) An DjruiliT) nAC opuilTO
The analytic forms are like those given above ; as,
n.i £uil riAt), nAC t>puil cu, &C.

322. Habitual Present.

SINGULAB. PLUEAL.

t>im (oi-oim) ttnii-o

t)if (bfoip) bionn f itt, biti

bionn f 6 (bit) f 6, bit)6Ann f 6) bro (bit)iT))
Negatively, ni bim, &c. Interrogatively, An mbim, &o,
Neg. Interrog., nA6 rnbim, &c.
Relative form t>ior
Autonomous,

823. Imperfect Tense (7 used to be).

SINGULAR. PLUEAL.

•DO binn (-00 bit)inn) T>O bimip (onJmff)
„ biteA ( „ Cit)teA) „ biot) pb
„ biot) fe ( „ bit)6At)re) „ t>i-oif (bit)-oir)
Autonomous, bici
Negatively, ni binn

Interrogatively, An in binn ?
Neg. interrog. nAC rnbinn ">

130

324. Past Tense.

ABSOLUTE.

•oo biop (bnteAf) *oo bionuAf.

„ bip (bit>ir) „ OiobAp (bit>eAbAp)

t>i p6 „ bioT>Ap.,

AutonDiaous, bfce^p

325. DEPENDENT.

Autonomous,

Negative, ni f^GAf, ni tuxt»Air, ni JVAIO f6, &c.

Interrogatively (Was I? etc.).

An |VAt)Aif An p<MG pe An fuxtMrtiAjv, ifec.

Neg. interrog. (Was I not? <£c.).

j &C.

326. Future Tense.

SINGULAR PLUEAL.

eAT3 (beit)eAD) b6imi-o, beimit)

beip, l>eip (beit)ip) b6tt) pb, beiti

), bei-6 r^ b6it>, beit)

Relati'/e Form, beAp, beAf (beit>eAp)

Autonomous,

Negatively, ni

Interrog., ATI

Ne^. Interrog., nA

181
327. Secondary Future or Conditional.

Autonomous, t>eit>j:T, t>eiti

Negative, ni

Interrog., An

Neg. interrog., n^

328. THE SUBJUNCTIVE.

Present Tense.

50 pAftAT) 50 pAbmtMT)

gO JlAftAlp gO f\Alb fib

jgO JVA1b f-6 50 JVAbAlt)

The negative particle for this tense is n4: as,
T\s |\Aib mAit AJAC. No thanks to you.

329. Past Tense.

50 mbfrm 50 mbfmif

50 mbiteA 50 mbio-6 fir)

50 mbio-6 f£ 50 mbit)i|*

The negative partiole is nAp.

Autonomous Form.

i ! may (they) bo ! (for once).
141 ' ,, ,, (generally).

132

Verbal Noun.

t>eit, to be.

330. Phrases containing the Verb Noun
1f pei-oif tiom (A)* tieic I can be, &c.
tli pel-Dip Horn (A) tteic
Uis leAC (A) tteit
fli tig leAC (A) t>eit
CAitpt) f6 oeic
CAitp-6 me t>eic
Hi putAip 50 f AID cti 1
1f cor-riiAit 50 tvAio cu f
tliop ft'^ei-oin nO t>i cu i
Hi coprhAil 50 |v<MD rn6)
C |tAiti m6 j
(A) t»eit

Hi c6i|\ -ouic (A) Deit
Du-6 C6if "66 t>eit

(A) tieit

I cannot be, &c.
You can be, &c.
You cannot be, &c
He must b^, &c.
I must be, &L.

You must have been, &c.

I must not have been, &c.

I ought to be.

You ought not to be.

He ought to have been.

I ought not to have been.
Du-6 rhAic Uom (A) tteit Ann I wish I were there.
t)A rhAit itom 50 JVAID m6 I wish I had been there.

"CS, f6 te

He is to be there.

331. The forms puilim and p AttAf are used —
(1) After the particles ni, not ; CA, where ? AH (or
A), whether? 50, that; and nAC or nA, that (con j.)... not.

• This A is usually beard in the spoken language

183

(2) After the relative particle A, when it is preceded
by a preposition, after the relative A when it means
" what," "all that," "all which," and after the negative
relative nA£, who... not, which... not. CA tt-r.ua
re? Where is it? Mi puii A fiop ^5^™. I don't
know. "C& pop A^Am TIA puit fe Ann. I know it is
not there. "Oein fe 50 Optui fe flAti. He says that
he is well. Sin e An ^QA\(. n^C o-puit -AS obAifi. That
is the man who is not working. 'OuttAipc re
-Ann. He told me he was not there.

332. We sometimes find the verb j:uil eclipsed after
the negative ni, not ; as, n! Opuii re he is not

For the use of the Relative Form refer to pars.
554-560.

THE ASSERTIVE VERB 1S.
333. The position of a verb in an Irish sentence
is at the very beginning; hence, when a word
other than the verb is to be brought into pro-
minence, the important word is to be placed in
the most prominent position — viz., at the begin-
ning of the sentence, under cover of an unemphatic
impersonal verb. There is no stress on the verb so
used; it merely denotes that prominence is given to
some idea in the sentence other than that contained
in the verb. There is a similar expedient adopted in
English: thus, "He was speaking of you," and, "It

134

is of you he was speaking." In Irish there is 8
special verb for this purpose, and of this verh there
are forms to be used in principal clauses and forms to
be used in dependent clauses — e.g. :

1f rmfe An feAf. I am the man. '
X)eif.im gup Ab 6 SeAgAn An peAf\. I say John is the
man.

334. Forma of the Assertive Verb.

(a) In Principal Sentences.
Present Tense, if. Relative, if or Af .
Past Tense, bA.

[Future Simple, but). Relative, buf].
Secondary Future or Conditional, bA-6.
Subjunctive, Ab ; sometimes bA.
Subjunc. Pres. (ivith 50) 50 mt>A, 5«f.Ab; (w^

HA) tiA'HAb, nAjvA.

Subjunc. Past. -DA mbAt>, " if it were."
335. Present Tenso.

if me", I am ; or, it is I. if firm, we are, it is we.
if cu, thou art, it is you. if fib, you are, it is you.

if e\ he is, it is he. ., . ,,

if i AT), they are, it is they.
if i, she is, it is she.

335. Past Tense.

I>A me, I was. it was I.

bA to, thou wast, &c.

•oob' 6, b' 6, bA ti-6, he was, &c.

•oob' i, b' i, bA n-i "she was, &c.

bA finn, we were, &c.

bA fib, you were, &c.
t>ob' iAT), b' 1A-D, bA ti-iAT> they were, <Sco.

135

Du-6 or ftuf is never used in the spoken language,
and scarcely ever in writing, except when a super-
lative adjective or adverb occurs in a sentence, the
verbs of which are in the Future Tense.

337. In the Present Tense the verb 1S is omitted
after all particles except tTIA, if: as, 1f me An f.eA|\.
I am the man ; Hi m6 An ?e&]\. I am not the man.

338. In the Past Tense t)A is usually omitted after
particles when the word following t>A begins with a
consonant: as, Ap mAit leAC AH AIC? Did you like
the place? TUp OCAS An UJA£ e? Was it not a small
price? I)A is not usually omitted when the following
word begins with a vowel or f, but the A is elided:
as, tliop b' 6 fin ATI fAgAjxc. That was not the priest.
Notice that the word immediately after DA or OA-O,
even when DA or bAt> is understood, is usually aspi-
rated when possible.

(6) In Dependent Sentences.

339. Present Tense. — Ab is used instead of if after
Sup, meaning " that "; as, meAf Aim stifiAb e fin An
peA^. I think that is the man. Before a consonant AD
is usually omitted ; as, -oeifA fe guf. mipe An peAjv He
says that I am the man. Ab is always omitted after
nAC, that... not. SAOitim nAC e fin An j\i. I think that
is not the king.

340. Past Tense.— The word b.\ or bAt> becomes t>'
in dependent sentences and is usually joined to the

186

particle which precedes it. When the following word
begins with a consonant the t>' is usually omitted.
TneAf\Aim 5ut\b 6 peo An ceAC. I think that this was
the house; meAfAnn pe nAfv riiAit te TliAlt t>eit Annpo.
He thinks that Niall did not like to be here. xXn
meApAnn cti gup iliAit An pgeul 6 ? Do you think
that it was a good story ?

341. Conditional.— In dependent sentences bA or
bAt> becomes mbA. SAoilim 50 IDDA riiAit teif -out
teAC. I think he would like to go with you. T)eif\ p e
nAC mbA rhAit teif. He says that he would not like.
In the spoken language the tendency is to use the past
tense forms in dependent sentences ; hence Irish
speakers would say gup rhAit in the above sentence
instead of 50 mbA riiAit, and HAJ\ rhAit instead of nAC
mbA rhAit.

The Future is never used in dependent sentences
in the spoken language.

Dem, BEAR or CARRY.

342. Principal Parts.

Imperative. Future. Participle. Verbal Noun.

beirt beuripAT) bei|\ce bpeit

This verb is conjugated like buAil, except in the
Past, Future and Conditional.

343. Past Tense.

fugAf, fugAif , &c., like molAr (par. 264).

The prefixes -oo and jio were not used before this Past Tense in
early usage and not generally in present-day usage.

187

Future.

, &c., like mot^'o (par. 265).

In early modern usage there was no p in this Tense, or in the Con-
ditional. The rule was that when a short vowel in the Present
became long in the Future stem 110 p was added. This rule is still
observed in the Futures ending in -OCAT> or -eoc<vo.

Conditional.

beunpAinn, &c., like rhotpAirm (par. 266).

Verbal Noun bpeic, gen. bpeite or beipte.
355. This verb is of very frequent use in the idiom
"beijA A|\"; lay hold on, catch, overtake', e.g., JUI^A-D
optn, I was caught. tti fruit topeit Aip. Tliereisno
laying hold on him (or it).

Imperative.

UAt)Am, GIVE or BRING.
Principal Parts.

Future. Participle.

Verbal Noun.

356. IMPERATIVE MOOD.

SINGULAB. PLURAL.

1. —

(or

Autonomous,

138

INDICATIVE MOOD.
847. Present Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

SING. 1. COQ-) tieifMtn

2. (t)O-) t>ei]Mf\

8. (T>O

PLUB. 1. Coo-) rjewtnit)
2. (T)O-)
8. (T>O-)

&c. (like motAim), raay be used in both
constructions.

Autonomous, Coo-)tteifvueAf\, cxxb^f i*\|\ or CUSCAJ;.

348. By the " Dependent Form " of the Verb we
mean that form which is used after the following
Particles, viz., ni, not; An, whether; nA6, whether...
not; or who, which or that... not; 50, that; c<\, where,
munA, unless; T>A, if; and the relative when governed
by a preposition.

349. Imperfect Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

(•op-)r>eifunn
(•oo-)t>eipte4
&c., like ttuAitirm (262) (805)

Or, tugAinn, tu^tA, <fec., for both absolute and

dependent constructions.
Autonomous,

139

Past Tense.

350. The Past Tense has only one form:
CugAif, &c., like r;i3tAf (264). Auton CUSA-O.

In early usage this Past Tense did not take T>O or jto, as.
50 •o-tujAf, "that I gave." In present-day usage this peculiarity ia
sometimes adhered to and sometimes not.

331. Future Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

&C., C1U&JUMf\,

like molp<vo (265) ciut>jvAit> fe

CAbAIApyo, &c., may be used in both constructions.

Autonomous, l>eufvp.At\ CAt>A|\jMp
352. Conditional.

, ciot>f\Airm

like rholp<Mnn (266) &c.

inn, &c., may be used in both COD ^ructions.
Autonomous,

SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.

This Mood occurs only in dependent construction.

353. Present — cusxvo, cugxMp, cug^it) fe, &c., or

CAbpAT), CAt)pA1|\, &C.

354. Past — cugAinn, &c., like molAinn (268).

Verbal Noun.

, gen.

140

585. At)A1Tl, SAY.

Principal Parts.

Imperative. Future. . Partiriule. Verbal Noun,

356. IMPERATIVE MOOD.

1.

2.

8.

357. Present Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

2.

3. (^)-oeif or •oeipeAtin f 6 .\bf\Ann p 6
1.
2.
3.
Autonomous,

The initial A of Atjeiftim, <tc., is now usually dropped. The same
remark holds for the other tenses. The t> of -oei|tim, &c., is not
usually aspirated by a foregoing particle. The absolute and dependent
constructions are sometimes confused in spoken usage.

358. Imperfect Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

2.

&c. &c.

Autonomous, <voeit\ci

859.

141
Past Tense.

Autonomous,
360.

or
Future Tense.

f 6
Autonomous, •o&AppAp

In the spoken language the absolute and dependent forms are often
confused.

361. Conditional.

Autonomous,

In spoken language the two constructions are often confused.

362.

Present,
Past,

363.

SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.

f 6, &c.
fe, &c.

Participles.

Yerbal Noun.

, gen. sing, and norn. plur.

142

5At>, TAKE.
364. Principal Parts.

Imperative. Future. Participle. Verbal Noun,

This verb is regular except iu the Future and Con-
litioual.

363. Future.

5eot>AT), geoDAip, geotJAit) f6, &c.

366. Conditional.

, &c.

367. In the spoken language the Future is often made 546^4-0, &c,t
and the Conditional, 546 p AMI n, as in regular verbs.

Verbal Noun.
or s^O-dl, gen. sing, and nom. plural

, GET, FIND.
368. Principal Parts.

Imperative. Future. Participle. Verbal Noun.

369. IMPERATIVE MOOD.

1. —

2. pA$

3.

149

INDICATIVE MOOD.
370 Present Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

(-00-)

gei

Autonomous, (T>O-)

In spoken usage pAJAim, &c., is used in both dependent and
absolute constructions.

In the Auton. f ASCAII, fAigceAti and pAcc^tt are used.

371. Imperfect Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

(•oo-) geitnrm

&c. &c.

Autonomous, Jeittt?, PA$CAO

Spoken usage, Absolute, jeiftinn or pAJAinn, &o.

372. Past Tense.

This Tense has only one form for both absolute and dependent con-
structions. The prefixes -oo and |to are not used with it.

SINGULAR PLUEAL.

1.

2.

8.

Autonomous,

In spoken usage pt^c often becomes

144
373. Future Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

1. geofrAT), jeAtt-AT) ttpuigeA-o or

2. £eot>Aip, &c. &Ft"$ip

8. geottAit) re ftpuigit) f6

2.

8. geottxM-o t>pui$i-o

Autonomous,

374. Conditional.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

JjeOOxMnn or ge.Ati.Ainn ttptnginn or

&c. tipuigteA, &c.

f6 bpuigeA-o f 6

Autonomous, SeoW<si

375. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD
Present, ^§A-O, ^$Ai|t, pA$Aii6 r6. &c.
Past, f.A$Ainn, p^gcA, pAgA-o f6, &c.

376. Participle.

^A$CA, pAijce or JMCCA.

The derivative participles of this verb are usually
formed from the genitive of the verbal noun.

145

377. "Oeutl, DO, MAKE.

Principal Parts.

Imperative. Future. Participle. Verbal Noun.

•oeun -neunpvo -oeuncA

378. IMPERATIVE MOOD.

2. -oeun •oeun.Ai'6

8. -oeun-Aift f6
Autonomous, -oeuncAt\.

INDICATIVE MOOD.
379. Present Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

1. CDO-) gnirn (jnitwn) "oeunAim

2. „ $nif\ &c.

3. „ §ni f6 or gnionn

1. „ gnimit) •oeunAimi'o

2. „ jnitl "oeunAnn fi

3. „ S'1''0
Relative, gniop,
Autonomous, $nice^t\

In present-day usage -oeunAtm, &c., are very frequently used in the
Absolute construction.

146
880. Imperfect Tense.

ABSOLUTE.

DEPENDENT.

jo-jninn, §mt)inn

•oeuttAinn

„ gniteA, &c.

•oeunc4

„ gnio-6 r^

•oeunA* f6

„ gnmiif

•netniAimTr

„ gnio-0 fi»

•oeutixvti fib

Autonomous, "
381. Past Tense.

Autonomous, •oo

In Munster dialect -oeineAf, -oeinif, -oein fe, -oeineAmAii,
•oeitie-dbAft, and •6e*neA'OAii are used as the Past Tense in both
absolute and dependent constructions.

882. Future Tense.

ABSOLUTE AND DEPENDENT.

po

•oeun^Ai-6
Autonomous,
383. Conditional.

Autonomous,

384.

147

SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.
Present.

"oeunAMt) pe

Past.

, &c.
, &c.

Participles.

Verbal Noun.
t>eunx\rh (-oeunAt)) gen. -oeuncA

385.

j?eic, SEE.

Imperative.

Principal Parts.

Future. Participle.

peic

( Cipe^vo
peicte

Verbal Noun.

peicpinc

386.

IMPERATIVE MOOD.

1. — peicimip (

2. peic peicit)
8. peicexv6 f6 peicit)if

387. The imperative 2nd sing, and 2nd plural are hardly ever
found; for we rarely command or ask a person to "see" anything,
except in the sense of "look at " it. In Irish a distinct verb is always
used in the sense of "look at,'' such as peuc, t>e.dfic, bfteAcnuij;, &c.
The verb feuc must not be confounded with pete; it is a distinct
verb, and has a complete and regular conjugation.

388. In early modern Irish JMIC was the stem used in the impera-
tive and in the dependent construction throughout the entire verb.

889.

148

INDICATIVE MOOD.
Present Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

1. T>o-(iim (Citnm) peicitn

2. •oo-Cip, &c. peici|\

3. t)o-6i fe, Ciorm fe peiceAnn f6
1. •oo-titniT) feicimro

'2. -oo-Citi peicexMin fib

8.

Autonomous,

390. The prefix t>o-, now usually dropped, is an altered form of the
old prefix AC — e.g., Accim. This form survives in the spoken Ian-
guage only in the Ulster form, 'cfm or cix>im, &c.

391. Imperfect Tense.

•oo-Cinn, Cit>mn petcmn

, &c.

fit>

In spoken language feicmn, *c., is used in both Absolute and
Dependent constructions.

Ulster usage, ci-oeatiTi, CI-OCCA, <J:o.

392. Past Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

(connAC (pACAp (peACAr

1. (connAfCAp) r

(connACAp (PACA (peACA

2. connACAip (connApcAip) pACAip peACAip
8. connAic pe (connAipc f 6) JMCA f 6

'2.

8.

Autonomous, conn CAP pACAp or

The olJer spelling was AccontiAC and AcconnAjic, &c. The c is
still preserved in the Ulster dialect: CAJIAIC me, &o., I saw.

393. Future Tense.

(T>o-)cipeAt), ci-opeA-o, peicpeAT),

(•oo-)Cipi|\, cit>pip, peicpij%

&c. &c.

Autonomous,

394. Conditional.

(-oo-)cipinn, cit>pinn, peicpinn,

&c. &c.

In the Future and Conditional peicpeAT), &c., and
peicpinn, &c., can be used in both constructions.

395. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.
Present, peiceA-o, peicip, peicit) pe, &c.
Past, peicmn, peicteA, peiceA-6 p6, &c.

Participle, peicte.

160

396. Verbal Noun.

peicfinc, peipcinc, gen.

From the genitive of the verbal noun the compound

participles are formed: viz., m-jreiCfe^nA, fo-£eic-

397. CtOIS or cUntl, HEAR.

These two verbs are quite regular except in the
Past Tense.

In old writings the particle AC or -oo- is found prefixed to all the
tenses in the absolute construction, but this particle is now dropped.

398. Past Tense.

CUAtdf,

CUAl-A f 6

Autonomous,

Verbal Nouns.

ctop or cLoifinc (or more modern ctuinpnc or
cLoifcin).

UAH, COME.

399. IMPEEATIVE.

SING. 1. — PLUS- cigimfr

2. c^ C151-0

3.

151

INDICATIVE MOOD.
400. Present Tense.

1. dsirn cij;inm>

2. cigip cigti
8. cig r<*

Relative (wanting).
Autonomous,

The Present Tense has also the forms
inflected regularly.

401. , Imperfect Tense.

Cigmn, t<\5<Miin, or teA^Ainn, regularly.

402. Past Tense.

403. Autonomous,

The nj in this Tense is not sounded like 115 in Lonj, a, tihvp, but
with a helping vowel between them — e.g., 2nd pers. sing. — is pro-
nounced as if written cAnAgAir; but in Munster the 5 is silent except
in the 3rd pers. sing. — e.g., cAngAf is pronounced haw-nuss.

404. Future Tense, aocpyo,&c., inflected regularly;
also spelled ciucpvo, &c.

Relative, tiocjMr

Conditional, tiocpAinn, &c., inflected regularly.

152

403. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.

Present, cisexvo, C-ASXVO, or ce.A5<vo, inflected regu-
larly.

Past, cisinn, CAgAinn, or ce.A5.dinn, inflected regu-
larly.

406. Verbal Noun, CBACC (or ciot>A6c,
Participle, ce^gtA or

407. r£l5, GO.

N.B. — The present stem is also spelled tei-6, bat ceij is preferable,
as it better represents the older form, CIAJ or ceig.

408, IMPERATIVE.

2.

8. c^igeA* f6

409. In the Imperative 2nd sing, and 2nd plur. other verbs are now
usually substituted, such as 540, tmcij, reijtij. The use of cei|«5,
plur. ceititsi-6, seems to be confined to these two forms; imtij has a
foil, regular conjugation.

INDICATIVE MOOD.
410. Present.

1. c6i$im (ce"i-6im) 1.

2. cSijip &c. 2.
8. c6i$ r6» ceigeAnn f 6 8.

Autonomous,

158

Imperfect Tense.

teijmn (or t6it)irm), &c., regularly.

411. Past Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

1. ClKVOAf

2. CUAt>A1f

3. CuAit) r& t)e.A<iAi-6
1.

2.

3.

Autonomous,

In Munster cuA-oAf, &c., is used in the dependent construction, as
niop cuAi-6 fe, he did not go. "OeAJAf, &c., is also used in Munster.

512. Future.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

1. fACAT), f AJAt) jiACAmAOI-O

2. jVA^xMp, fAgxMp jtdCdlt) flO,

3. f AC^it) f e, f^jxM-6 f6

Relative,
Autonomous,

Conditional.

or fu\$Ainn, &c., regularly.

The Future and Conditional aro sometimes spelled ji
and p4cp Ainn, <&o.

154

414. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.

Present, ccM$eAt>, c6i$i|\, c6i$j* p6, &e.
Past, ceijmn, ceigce-A, ceijexvo pe, &o.

413. Verbal Noun.

t)ut, gen. -OOUA (sometimes

Participle of Necessity.
T>uLCA (as, ni -oulCA t)6, he ought not to go).

Derivative Participles.
ton-'ooUx, fo-t)otx3i> 'oo-'OoUv.

416. 1U, EAT.

This verb is regular except in the Future and Con-
ditional.

Principal Parts.

Imper. Future. Participle Verbal Noon.

it iotwo itce iCe

417. Future Tense.

SINGULAR. PLUKAL.

1. iopAT) (foppAt))

2. 1OpA1|\, &C.

3. ioiMi-6 p6 iof AI-O

Relative, iop^p (iopp^p).
Autonomous,

418. Conditional.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

1. iop^inn (iopp^inn) iopAtnAOip

2. iopcxi, &c. lop^-O pit>
8. iopA* f6

165

419. As well as the regular Past Tense, -o'lte^f, &c.,
there is another Past Tense, viz., -ou^t)Af, in use.

SINGULAB. PLURAL.

1.
2.
3. TUl-Alt) fe

Tl15im, I REACH.

420. This verb is nearly obsolete, its place being taken
by the regular verbs n^oicim and

Its Past Tense is inflected like

1.
2.
8.

421. Verbal Noun.

foCc.Mn or fiACcxMn.

tligim has a special usage in the phrase p i£im A teAf ,
" I need" (whence, fiACcAn^f, need, necessity: pi^CcA-
tiAC, necessary: from the verbal noun.)

mAtlt)Aim or TTIATlt)tl15im, I KILL.

422. This verb is quite regular except in Future
and Conditional.

Future, m^p6ft.<vo, mAft>(5CAt), tnAipeotiAt), tnAip-
UeoCAt) or muipftpeAt) (with usual terminations).
Conditional, rhAf»6t)Ainn, rhAf\ti6CAinn, rhxMpeot>Ainn,
or rhuipttpinn, &c., &c.

Verbal Noun.

or mxxr\t>u$At), to kill or killing.

156

SOME DEFECTIVE VERBS.
128. Atl, quoth, say or said. This verb is used
only when the exact words of the speakar
are given. (It corresponds exactly with
the Latin "inquit.") It is frequently
written A^FA or Af\p , as Aj\p A mife, said I.
When the definite article immediately
follows this latter form the f is often
joined to the article, as, Apr An jreAp or AJI
f AH peAp, says the man. " CIA tfi jre"m ?"
Ap feipeAii. *' Who are you?" said he.

When the exact words of the speaker
are not given translate " says " by -oeip,
and "said'' by •outjAipc. When the word
"that" is understood after the English
verb "say" 50 (or HAC if "not" follows)
must be expressed in Irish.

424. "OAU, It seems or it seemed. This verb is
always followed by the preposition le :
as, -DAP tiom, it seems to me, methinks ; or,
it seemed to me, methought. T)Ap LBAC.
It seems to you. "OAp teip An ttpeAfl. It
seemed to the man.

423. jreA'OAK, I know, I knew. This verb is
nearly always used negatively or inter-
rogatively, and although really a past
tense has a present meaning as well as a

157

past. t1! feATMtt. I do, or did, not
know. Hi peAT>Ai|\ f 6. He does not know,
or he did not know.
SINGULAR. PLURAL.

1. peATDAp 1.

2. jreAT)]A.Air (-If) 2.

3. peAtMip p6 8.

N.B. — The forms just given are those used in the
jpoken language, the literary forms are: j:e<yodp,
cu, peA-OAip f6, pe<voAtn,Att, peA-OAti-Ap, and

426. UATltA, There came to pass, it happened or

happened to be. It is also used to express
the meeting of one person with another.

427. D'fotJAIR or t>A t)Ot>Am, "It all but

happened." E.g., -o'fxttMitA -OAm ctucim,
It all but happened to me to fall, I had
like to fall, I had well nigh fallen. The
same meaning is expressed by -o'fr6bAi|\ 50

428. jretTOAIttl, I can, is regular in all its tenses,
but it has no imperative mood.

CHAPTER VI.

The Adverb.

429. There are not many simple adverbs in Irish,
the greater number of adverbs being made up of two or
more words. Almost every Irish adjective may be-

158

come an adverb by having the particle " "^O " pre-
fixed to it: as, m^ic, good; 50 mAit, well; urh^t,
humble ; 50 ti-urhAt, humbly.

430. This 50 is really the preposition 50* with its
meaning of "with." (Do not confound this word
with 50 meaning "to," they are two distinct preposi-
tions). Of course this particle has now lost its
original meaning in the case of most adverbs.

431. Adverbs may be compared ; their comparative
and superlative degrees are, however, those of the
adjectives from which they are derived ; the particle
50 is not used before the comparative or superlative.

432. It may be well to remark here that when
an adjective begins with a vowel 50 prefixes n, as
50 h-Ann-Arii, seldom.

433. The following list may now be regarded as
simple adverbs although many of them are disguised
compounds.

Am AC out (used only after a verb of

motion).

, ATTUHC outside, out; never used after a

verb of motion. He is out, TA
f 6 Amui£. He is standing out-
side the door, CA p e 'TIA

* This preposition is now used only in a few phrases ; as mite 50
teic, a mile and (with) a half : plac 5° teit, a yard and a half :
bli-y6ain 50 leic 6 foin, a year and a half ago.

159

,arh, AriiAc , , f.6f., yet.

> however. , .

Arht.dC, ) i in u* A, Amu, astray (mis-

taken).

AfhAin, alone, only. irrae (Ane), yesterday.

AriiAil, as, like. itroiu (An-oiu), to-day.

, thus. i mbAfuxC (AtnAj\Ac), to-

morrow.

, to-night. ifceAC, in (motion only}.

Anoif , now. 'f^S) inside (rest).

, last night. 50 h-AnnArii, seldom.

again. 50 poill, yet, awhile.

CA ? where ? ni (niop), )

Ce^nxx, already, previously. CA (C^p), (Ulste.r),)

conup ? cionnuf ? how? nu*xip, when.

Corn, corn, as (see par. 154). CAtv\

, henceforth, at once, c^f oin ?

when ?

Leir. ) . niAt\, as, like.

also.
ppeipnj m&\\ fin, thus.

PIU, even; as, niop L*\t)AH\ f e piu Aon VOCAL
//"g (/ici no£ speak even one word. 5AM F1" nA
•oo CAppAing. IFi^/iotti even taking breath. J?iu is
really a noun, and is followed by the genitive case,
whenever the definite article comes between it and
the noun; otherwise it is followed by a nomina-
tive case.

434. It may be useful to remark here that the words
itiiDiu, to-day; itroe, yesterday; i mbApAC, to-morrow;
Apeip, last night; AnoCc, to-ni<jlit; can be used only
as adverbs. He came to-day. CAinis fe itroiu. He

160

went away yesterday. T)' imcij f6 in-oe. When the
English words are nouns, we must use An LA (or ATI
oit)ce) before int)iu, inT>e, A|\eip, etc. Yesterday was
fine. t)i An IA int)e bpeAg. To-morrow will be wet.
t)eiT) An IA i mbAfiAc pliuc. Last night was cold. t)i
An oitxie Apeip

435.

ce An... ?

Interrogative Words.

when? CAtAin ? ce An UAip ? which

ce An c-Atn ?

where? CA? ce An AIC? what? CAT)?

conAT) ? ceufvo ?

how? conuf (cionnuf)? ce whither? CA?

An CAOI ? 50 T)e mAp ?

why? CAT) 'nA tAoti ? CAT) whence? CAT) Af? CA'P

CUIge ? CAT) £At ? Ce At>Af?

An fAt ?

how far ? j ce An £AIT) ? how much ?) ce rhetiT) ?

how long?) An PVOA ? how many ?j An mtf ?

which (pron.) ? CIOCA? ce? who? ce? CIA? cen-e(i,

1AT))?

Up and Down.

436. fUAf, upwards, motion upwards from the
place where the speaker is.

, upwards, motion up from below to the
Up. place where the speaker is.

CuAf (also spelled fUAr)> up, rest above the

place where the speaker is.
Anior; (Abuf),* up, rest where the speaker is.

* This form is used in Ulster and North Connaught, but generally
this word is used only for rest on this side of a room, river, Ac., or
here, where we are.

161

Down.

'flop, downwards, motion down from where

the speaker is.
Anu^p, downwards, motion down from above

to where the speaker is.
tiop (flop), down, below, rest below the place

where the speaker is.

(.Atwp),* down, rest where the speaker

is.

437. The following examples will fully illustrate the
use of the words for "up" and "down" : —

A.

A says to B, I'll throw it down, C^itpit) me piop e.
Is it down yet? t)puit pe tiop pop?

mi :j. — CxMt -Antop 6.

UA pe Atiiop Anoip.
C^itpit) me pu^p e.
t)puil p6 tiixip p6p?
CxMt Anu^p e.

B.

Throw it up,
It is up now,

B says to A, I'll throw it up,
Is it up yet ?
Throw it down,
It is down now

N.B.— He is up (i.e., he is not in bed), C4 p6
We are up,

* See foot-not* at end of page 160.

162

438.

-

Rest

Motion from
the speaker

Motion
towards the
speaker

Prepositional use,

this sido of, etc.

i bpup, Abup,
this side

Anonn

An All

lAfcbup -oe, tAob i
bptij' ue

tAll, the other
side, yonder

fAii

An All

lAfCAll X>6, CAOb

tAll -oe

ATTTUIJ (AmUIC),

outside
iftij, inside

Am AC

IfCCAC

Am AC

Amtnj -oe
IAIJ^CIJ, cAob ifci^
•oe

Over.

439. The following sentences will exemplify the
translation of the word " over " : —

A says to B, I'll throw it over to CxMtp* m6 x\nonn

you, CugAC 6.

„ Is it over yet ? t)puiL f 6 t^U p6f ?

„ Throw it over to me, CAIC AHAU, CugAtn 6.

„ It is oyer now, Cxi f 6

He went over the wall.
He went over to Scot-

land.
He came over from Cairns f6

Scotland.

re ^nonn 50

163

North, South. East, West.
The root oip means front : ix\|\ means back.
440. The ancients faced the rising sun in naming
the points of the compass ; lience tO1R, east; C1AR,
west; CUAlt), north; U6AS, south.
441.

Rest

Motion from
the speaker
towards the

Motion

torvards the
fpeaker
from the

Prepositional use, east of,
west of, north of, south of,

coif, east

fOljt

AtlOtf)

I*l/ApCO1-fl T>e ; Afl ATI
CAo5 coi|t tie ;
•oiAf coip "oe

I*l/Aifz;tAn ~oe ; A-p ATI

ciAfi, west

flAft

Am Aft

CAo5 tiA^t -oe ;

•Q1A C1A|1 T>e

I*tAfC«A1T» -OG; Af ATI

tuAi-6, north

6 tttAnj

AT>C«A1'6

CAob tuAi-6-oe;

•O1A CUAIX) X)C

f'lAifceAf -oe; AJI An

teAf, south

6 -oeAf

ATTOCAp

CAot) teAf -oe ;

( X>IA ceAf T>e

2. The noun "north," etc., is AH UAOt)
CAOD UtiAS, etc., or cuAifceAp

, and oir\tex\t\. These latter words are obso-
lescent.

443.

The Nort-n wind, An £Aot A-QCUAI-O N.W. wind, JAOC AniAji A'oruAi'6
„ South „ „ An-oeAf S.E wind, JAOC Anoiri An-oeAf

„ East „ ., Anoifi etc., etc.

„ West „ „ AniA^ Notice the change of position in

Irish.

444. With reference to a house, ri^p is inwards
foi|\ is outwards.

P or lo,r may be used, t Probably a corruption of i -OCAOO.

164

445. Compound or Phrase Adverbs.

i seem, far off (space).
i t>pAT>, far off (space and

time) .

Ap Aif , back.
Ap scut, backwards.
Ap -ocuf, | at first, or in
Ap -ouuif, ) the beginning.
Annfo, ture.
Ann f An (fAin, fin), there,

then,
•oo fiop,

coi-oce, ever (future).
piArh, ever (past).
50 -oeo, for ever.
50 bpAt(AC), for ever,
pe (or PA) -66, twice.
p6 (or PA) tpi, thrice.
p6 (or PA) f GAC, by turns.
1 tAtAip, present.
Af tAtAip, absent.
•oe tAtAip, presently, just
now.

almost.

nAC m6p,
geAtt le,
50 teip,
50 h-

i entirely.

at all.

Ap Aon Cop,

1 n-Aon Cop,

Ap bit,

Cop Ap bit,

Cop teif fin, moreover.

Ap Aon CumA, | at any

ApCumAApbit, J rate.

pefgeAteJ however,

p6 pu-o e, j at any rate.

^ gratis.

?, in safe keeping.

in vain.

cuitte eite, ") moreover,
cuitte p6f, ) besides,
i teit, apart, aside.

CAT> Af ? ) ,

> whence ?

CA h-Af ? )

c6 rheuT) ? 'v

. I how much?
CA rheut)? V .

j how many ?
An m6 ? J

•oe t6, by day.
ifc' oi-oCe,
•o' oit>Ce,
6 C6ite,

ie, ) . ,

| by night.

-» i

. asunder.
6 n-A Ceite,

i n-empeACc, together.
p6 tuAipim, conjecturally.

165

eA-oon (written .i.)>

(•o6ic),

6

50 leop,

•oo $eic

bonn,

Af\ All T>C01f\C,
A|\ UAIJVlb,

namely,
awhile ago.
ages ago.
enough,
sure, surely.

immediately, instantly.

sometimes.

especially.

5«

50

5<>

50

AJ\ bAll, by and bye, after awhile.

•DAlAAnfjeilor-oAtcAfiut), by the bye.

i n-Aijvoe,

50 •oeirhm or 50
50 •oeirhm if 50

AtT»b|\1AtA|\ 'f AtnbAf A,
T)A

6 foin i teit,
C foin

on high.

at full gallop.

indeed.

really and truly.

really, in fact,
likewise, in like manner,
from that time to this,
from that time out.
hardly, with difficulty,
perforce.

166

AT\ cum if m6 t>e
AH (A) iomAT>,
An CUIT> if IU$A -6e,
Af A IA$A-O (lAijeA-
Af\ A fon fAti (if uiLe),

at most.

at least.

notwithstanding (all that).

com f.AT>A V (use le before noun))

. . . ' [whilst, as long

An f AIT) (rel. form of verb) \

purposely,
just as if.
at dawn.

as.

t)' Aon £n
com m Ait
le h-eipge An IA&
JAH coinne le,
5Ati fuil le,
T)e jnAC

mA|V ACA, mA|\ ACA1T),

6f ipol,

6f AfVO,

fA cpAcn6nA, )
um CfiAtndnA,]
Ap mAiDin int)iu,
Afi mAit)in
fA cjvAtnotiA

1 mbAJVAC,

bA|\AC,

AtlUflAlli,

unexpectedly.

usually.

namely, viz., i.e.
secretly, lowly,
aloud, openly,
in the morning.

in the evening.

this morning,
to-morrow morning,
this evening,
on the day before yesterday

Ion the day after to-
morrow.

on the following day.
(during) this year.
(during) last year.
(during) the year before last

16?

4$ b. The phrases which have just been given about
morning, evening, &c., are strictly adverbial, and
cannot be used as nouns.

447.

Adverbs. Nouns.

•OIA t>orfinAi£, on Sunday 'Dotting, m., Sunday

•DIA tuAin, on Monday titan, m., Monday

IDIA TTlAifAC, on Tuesday TtlxSipc, f., Tuesday

•o i A CeutMom', on Wednesday CeutxAom, f., Wednesday

•oiA'O.Atvo.Aoin', on Thursday T)AtvoAoin,f., Thursday

TMA n-Aome, on Friday Aoine, f., Friday

•OM S.AtAifui, on Saturday SAtAjui, rn., Saturday

448. T)1 A takes the name of the day in the genitive
case ; it is used only when "on" is, or may be, used
in English — i.e., when the word is adverbial.

T)IA is really an old word for day. It occurs in the two expressions
t n--oiii, to-day; i n-t>e, yesterday. It is now never used except before
the names of the days of the week, and in the two expressions just
mentioned.

M9. "Head-foremost"

He fell head-foremost, "Do tuic re i troiAi-o* A cmn.
1 fell head-foremost, t)o tuicex\f 1 troi.Ait) mo cum.
She fell head-foremost, "Do euic fi 1 nt>i.Ait> A cmn.
They fell head-foremost, t)o tuice^-OAp 1 troiAi-6 A

• inx)iAi-6 is a phrase meaning " after," and is followed by a geni-
tive case.

168

However.

However followed in English by an adjective or an
adverb is translated into Irish by the preposition -oo
(or T>e), the possessive adjective A, and an abstract
noun corresponding to the English adjective or
adverb.

However good, T>'A feAtiAf. However long, -O'A
However great, -O'A tfcei-o. However violent,

However high, T>'A Aoitvoe. However young, -O'A oige
The Adverb " The."

•O'A lUAite YexVO Or
AtfilAit)) if

The sooner the better,

ni'l T>A lUAite

_ A lUAlt6A(iC If

The longer... the bolder, T>'A pAit) 'feA>° U
The sooner... the less, D'A lUAite 'peAt) ip

CHAPTER VII.

Prepositions.

450. The following list contains the simple pre-
positions in use in modern Irish : —
i, A, in, (.Ann) in. • 50, to (motion).

A5> (A15)> at. t\oirh, before.

•^P, CAIP)> on. i-oif, between.

Af, out of. le, with.

•OAp, by (in swearing). <3, from.

•oe, off, from. tAn

' over, across.

•00, to. CA,

AOI, f<3, PA, under. cpe, cpit), through.
without. um, im, concerning, about.

169

CHAPTE

R VIII.

Conjunctions.

351. The following is a list of the conjunctions in

use at present : —

•oe t>pi§ 50

niA, -OA, if.

f.Aoi PA-O 'f 5o, becauge

cion if,

tnutiA, muriA, if... not.
Si'oeAi!), however.

cion if 50,

cop leif fin, \

ACC, but, except.

rux> eite (t>e), 1 moreover>

•A5ur (A'r> lr> 'r)> an(^

cuitte f.6f,

iT>ip...A5Uf, both. ..and.

cuitte eite, J

An (AP), whether (interrog.)

niAp, as.

Ap A f on 50,

nA, than ; nor.

fi«t>if5o, although.
ci-6, 51*,

mAp if 50, as though.

0650,51-650, )

1 -ocpeo 50 (nAc),

50, ' ...
until
"650,
(with

ACC 50,

verbs) .
50 -oci 50, J

AP n<5f 50 (nAc),
Ap rho-6 50 (nAc),
i 5CAf 50 (IIAC), so that
Ap cop 50 (nAc), (not)-

corn tUAt Af, |

Ap t)6i5 50 (ViAc),

•OA UiAf i, [ as soon as.

1 5CAO1 50 (nAc),

An cuifse 50, i

lonnuf 50 (nAc),*

fOf, yet, still.

f eACAf , compared with.

fuL ; f Ar», ^j

n6, or.

£a before'

6, since, because.
6 nAc, since... not.

f Ul -OA T)Ci, )

<5ip, for, because.

* 50 and tiAc are very frequently separated from ionnuf by a sub-
ordinate or relative clause : e.g., " ionn«r , ATI ri AJI A mbnvo AH t11^1"
fin, 50 mbiA-6 reAjimAnn AIJC 6'n oitileAc ;" so that the person who
would be marked with that sign would have protection from the
daughter.

170

. well, if so. 6 tAplA 50, whereas.

uime fin, therefore, where- CA^ CeAnn, moreover, be-
fore, sides, furthermore.
Ap An A-ooAp fAin, therefore. tiAci

that... not.
pin p6in, even so. IIA, nA 50

lMot> 50, although, whether
...or.

452. In Munster "that. ..not" is usually translated
by HA followed by the dependent form of the verb.
11 -A neither aspirates nor eclipses. In the past tense
it becomes nAj\ which causes aspiration. Whenever
" that... not " follows a negative (or a virtual negative)
phrase, nA 50 is used (HA guf\ in the past tense).

CA fiof Aige pein HA puiL An ce^pc Aige. He
knows himself that he is not right.

tli -Dei^im (or t>eifim) nA 50 t>ptnl An ce^pc Aige.
I don't say that he is not right.

tl^C is used in Munster as a part of the verb ip,

453. The use of m Aft before a clause is noteworthy.
AT>ut><Mpc p6, (according^ as he said,
tii p6 1oei<i nibLiAt)nA picexvo 6 fom.
Beyond (or compared with) how it was 30 years
ago.

-oei|\ cu, regarding what you say.
p6 niA|\ A pAiE> V1onn- HS came to where
Finn was.

171

CA or triAti ACAI-O, that is, viz., i.e.
mA\\ 50 mbxro IAX> v6m ~°o -oeunAtii An
gniorhA, as if it were they who per-
formed the act.
n\A\( AT\ gceu-oriA, likewise.

, on account of.

CHAPTER IX.
454. Interjections and Interjectional Phrases.

eipc,

motttuwt

tTIo CpeAC !

mo 16 AH !

1T)o L6An 5<2iij\ !/

peuc!

0 bu bu ! oc ! u6 ! uccn !

ino iiAipe tu !

A bu !

O (the sign of the Vocative
• case),
hushl list!

Alas!

Behold ! lo !
Alas !

Shamo on you !
Hurrah for .
Welcome !

172

"OlA -00 OeAtA ! ")

, [ Hail!

'S6 t)O t)6AtA ! )

Stdn leAC (lift) ! J

StAn beo AJAC (ASAIG) ! \ Good-bye !

"OiA linn !

£0151-0 (poigne) !

pxitxe!

50 •oc6it> ctS

*OlA t)UICl

Di '-oo tope ! ")
Gifc T»O t>eut! )
tTlo $oipm tu 1
Su-o
Stance!

An

-An

rn^it

50

50 n-eitugi* At)

HA^ 16151-6 T)IA fin !

50 tnt)eAnnui$r6 X)IA -Ouic

50

50

Oi-66e

50

T)IA ot\Ainn!
t)uic !
X)IA

God be with us !
Well! Musha!
Patience !
Take care ! Fie !
Safe home !
God prosper you!

Silence !
Bravo !
Good health !

Good man !
Good fellow !

Thanks! thank you!

Good luck to you !
God forbid!

God save you ! Good
morning ! &c.

Long life to you !

God help us !
May you have a good night !
May God give you a good
night i

173

^o mbuA-OAit) "OiA
StAti co-oAtcd tiA

50 5COT>tAif\ 50 f-Arh !
t)Ait 6 "OiA ope !
Cui-oeACAti "Oe leAC !

FAT) f40$All AgAC 1

tlAt go

'SeA-6 !

1 leit !

TTlo $pAi-6in cpoi-oe Cu !

AC

God grant you success !

Sound night's sleep to

you!

May you sleep peacefully .
God bless you !
May God accompany you J
Long life to you !

Success to you !

Well!

There now !
Whisper (here) !
Indeed !
Bravo !
My dear !
Dear me !

CHAPTER X.
WORD-BUILDING.

Prefixes.

455. The following is a list of the principal prefixes
used in Irish. Some of them have double forms
owing to the rule CAOI t,e CAOI.

174

or 6if , back, again ; like the English re- ;

foe, payment; ^ipoc, repayment, restitu-
tion.

or

•oi

mi

<Mn,

-oio,*

mio,

/p6i-6, even ; Aimpdrt, un-

even.

c-p*\c, time ; i n-AntfiAt, un-

timely.

ce*Min, a head ; "oiceAnnATO,

Negative,

to behead.

particles

commie, an advice; mio-

corh,Ai]U,e, an evil advice.

nit), a thing ; neirhmt), no-

thing, non- entity.

aditvoe^f , friendship ; e^p-

\ c*\!jvoex\p, enmity.

ne-Afh „ nenti,

6 or 6-a, a negative particle. It eclipses c and c and
becomes 6^5 before f . COip, just ; 6x^50 61 p,
unjust; cpom, heavy; 6AT)C|\om, light;
copfiAil, like; euspAmAiL, different.

•DJVOC, bad, evil; me^f, esteem; •cpoC-me-ap, reproach,
disesteem.

com, e«|ual; Aimfip, time; corii-Aimfe^fuxc, contem-
porary.

* -01, t)io eclipse words beginning with b or p,
ingratitude.

175

An, '

ll, 101,

no,

Intensifying ,
particles

/

leAt, a half; leA£-uAif

'mop, big; xMi-tfi<5n, very big.
•oat, a colour ; ioit>Afrd£, many-

coloured.
tn6f\, big; tv5-rh6p, too big.

ce, warm; f^f

warm

•6B61L, vast

awfully vast.
5^nt)A, ugly;

ugly.

half an hour ;
leit-f jjeui, an excuse.

excessively

very

a story;

in, ion, fit, suitable; t>euncA, done; in-t>euncA, fit to
be done ; juAit>ce, said ; ion-|\Ai*ce, fit to be
said ; ion-rholCA, praiseworthy ; ion-6lcx\,
drinkable ; in-ttce, eatable, edible. (See
pars. 286, 288.)

t\euifi, before ; f4i-6ce, said ; peutfi-n Ai-oce, aforesaid.

ppit, back ; p pit-teACc, coming and going ; pp
palpitation, or a return stroke.

bAn, a feminine prefix; £t<Mt, a prince ; b
princess ; DAin-ciseAfn^ a lady.

At, a reiterative particle: IIA-O, a saying; ^t-^-6,
a repetition ; AtuxMp, another time ; .an
AtDtiA"6Ain, next year ; -An dtfeACcrhAin,
next week. At has sometimes the force
of "dia" in dismantle, as cunuvo, to form;

176

to deform, destroy;
to crown, to elect a king ; Atfio^At), to de-
throne.

bit, biot, lasting, constant; biMn, lasting;

everlasting ; t>ic-f ipeun, ever-faithful.

•oo and j*o, two particles which have directly opposite
meanings, as have often the letters -o and f .
T)o denotes difficulty, ill, or the absence oj
tome good quality ; f o denotes the opposite.

•oo-'oeiinr.A, hard to be done f o--6eunc.a, easy to be done

sorrow f<5Uf, comfort, joy

, bad-luck f011^ good-luck

•outu\C, sad futile, merry

poor f Artftip, rich

i, a fool fA°i, a vdsQ man

•oit, want, misery fit, peace, plenty

vice pufrAitce, virtue

, condemned, dear rA°r> ^ree> cheap

, Jbarm foC^p, profit

•OOTIA, unlucky, unhappy f OHA, lucky, happy

, bad weather fome-Ann, fine weather

inconvenient focAttiAil, convenient

456. Affixes or Terminations.

i, when it is the termination of an adjective, mean?
full of, abounding in: bpiAtAf, a word;
i, wordy, talkative; peup^c, grassy,

177

, when it is the termination of a noun, denotes a
person or personal agent: as 6ipe.<uinAC, an
Irishman; AlbAnAt, a Scotchman.

is an abstract termination, like the English -ness:
, sweet; milfeAcc, sweetness.

N.B. — The termination -.aCc is usually added to
adjectives.

Ai"6e, tntte, it>e, are personal terminations denoting
an agent: fseuL, a story; rgeiilui-oe, a story-
teller; cop, a foot; coipt>e, a pedestrian.

Aipe, if e, are also personal terminations denoting an
agent: ceAlg, deceit; cexMgxMpe, a deceiver.

.arii Ail, a termination having the very same force as
the English like or ly. pe^f^tfi-Ail, manly;
, princely, generous.

> or sometimes f alone, an abstract termination
like aCc: mdit, good: m«iiteAf, goodness;
ce^nn, ahead; ce^nn^f, headship, authority.

>^p and ttye have a collective force: as, T)uitte, a leaf
(of a tree) ; •ouiLteAt)<.\|\, foliage.

A, •DA, or CA, is an adjectival termination which has
usually the force of the English -like'
TTiOjnbA, majestic; 6p-6^, golden; 5411/04,
exotic, foreign (from gAlt, a stranger, a
foreigner). E2

178

e is an abstract termination like ACc or AJ*: whenever
it is added to an adjective the resulting
abstract noun, owing to the rule " CAOI
le CAOI/' has the very same form as
the genitive singular feminine of the adjective:
as, pAl, generous; p6ile, generosity; A|VO,
high; Aifvoe, height; geAl, bright; giie,
brightness; Aiine, beauty.

LAC, nAC, fia6, CAC, cf\A6, have all the same meaning
as At, viz., full of, abounding in: muc, a pig;
muclAC, a piggery; coitt, a wood; coillceaC,
a place full of woods; jruilceAC, bloody;
coilceA6 (coilce.Ann.AC), willing.

means full of, abounding in: ceot, music; ceot-
ttiAf, musical; gfeAnn, fun; gpeAnnrhAp,
full of fun, amusing ; ciAllrhAf, sensible,
intelligent.

T><5if\, or cCif, denotes a personal agent: fpeAt, a
scythe; rpeAlA-ooip, a mower, reaper;
a door-keeper.

Diminutives.

457. In Irish there are three diminutive termina-
tions, viz., in, An, and 05. However, in is practically
the only diminutive termination in Modern Irish as
.MI and 65 have almost lost their diminutive force. A
double diminutive is sometimes met with, as Apx>Ainin,
a very little ktic/ht.

179

TT1.

458. The termination 111, meaning " small M or
" little," may be added to almost every Irish noun.
Whenever the final consonant is broad it must be made
slender (as the in always remains unaltered), the
vowels undergoing the same changes as in the
formation of the genitive singular, but C is not
changed into 5 (Bee P8-1"8- 60 and 78).

an ass apaitin, a little ass

s a man Pf in, a „ man

, a field gtnftcin, a „ field

c.<MtteAC,anoldwoman cAitticin, & „ old woman
nuti-o, a street nuii-oin, a „ street, a lane

If the noun ends in e, drop the e and add in ; but
if the noun ends in A, drop the A and attenuate the
preceding consonant ; then add in.
p-aip-oe pAip-oin nojta M6i|\in m-Ata

459. An.

ff ut^n, a brook, from fp ut, a stream.

•Ajvo.dn, a hillock, „ ^jvo, high.

, a knitting-needle, „ •oe-Alg, a thorn.
, a pin, „ biop, a spit.

n, a booklet, „ teAt>A|\, a book.

n, a twig, „ geug, a branch.

, a little lake, „ toe, a lake.

f5i^tx.\n, a wing, ,, fguxc, u shield.

The above are examples of real diminutives, but
such examples are not very numerous.

180

MO. 05.

piAfc6$ (p6if ceog), a worm, from piAfc, a reptile.
UAf 65, a match, „ tar-, a light.

5-A&165, a little fork, „ 540^1, a fork.

These are examples of real diminutives in 65, but
such real diminutives are not numerous, as most nouns
in 65 have practically the same meaning as the nouns
from which they were derived (the latter being now
generally obsolete) : cuileGg, a fly, from cuil, a fly ;
•of if 665, a briar, from "o^if, a briar; pumnfeog, an
ash, from puinnpe, an ash.

In Craig's Grammar we find 111(65, a rat (Ui6, a moose). This
example is a striking instance of the fact that the termination 65 is
losing (if it has not already lost) its diminutive force.

All derived nouns in 05 are feminine.

Derived Nouns.

461. Words are of three classes — Simple, Derivative,
and Compound. All simple words are, as a general
rule, monosyllables ; they are the roots from which
derivative and compound words spring. Derivative
words are made up of two or more parts. These parts
undergo slight changes when they r.re united to form
words, and thus the component parts are somewhat
disguised. The difficulty which presents itself to a
student in the spelling of Irish is more apparent than
real. The principle of vowel-assimilation is the key to

181

Irish spelling. Let a student once thoroughly grasp
the rules for " CAOI Le cx\ol, &c,'' " aspiration,"
" eclipsis," " attenuation," and "syncope," and im-
mediately all difficulty vanishes.

Derivatives are formed of simple words and particles.
The most important of the latter have been already
given under the headings "Prefixes" and "Affixes."
We will here give some examples of derivative nouns,
a careful study of which will enable the student to
split up the longest words into their component parts,
and thus arrive at their meanings.

462. cpom means heavy; cpomAr, i.e.,
(the abstract termination) means heaviness or weight ;
6Ai)cp.om, light, from cpom, and the negative particle
&A, which eclipses c and c, hence the -o ; 6A-octvomxXf ,
lightness, from €A, not; cpom, heavy; A?, ness;
corhtfvotn, impartial, fair, or just; from com , equal,
and cfom, heavy; corhtfom^f, impartiality, fair-
ness, &c.; exxscorhCpotn, partial, unjust ; from £A+
corh + crvotn ', 6A5cotfitfotnAf, partiality, injustice;
from eA+ corn + cpom+^f. SpeAtAt)6ip, a reaper;
from ppeAl, a scythe, and -otfip, an affix denoting an
agent ; the A is put in between the t and T> to assist
pronunciation : c^ifvoe, friends ; CAi^-oe^f , friendliness,
friendship ; euscAip-oe^f, unfriendliness, hostility :
pexifx\rhlAcc, manliness ; from pe^t\ + AtitAit +
ACc : neirii-$eAnxMrilACc, unamiability ; from neirh,
not + se<in. affection + Amail + ACc : fiog^Cc, a

182

kingdom, from pio$ + ACc : com6f\CAf, comparison,
emulation, competition ; from co (com), equal, and
mtipCAf, greatness, i.e., comparing the greatness of
one thing with that of another.

463. Compound nouns are formed by the union ot
two or more simple nouns, or of a noun and an
adjective.

(A.) A compound noun formed of two or more
nouns, each in the nominative case, has its declension
determined by the last noun. Its gender also is that
of the last noun, unless the first noun-part be such
as requires a different gender. The first word quali-
fies the second, and the initial consonant of the
second is usually aspirated.

(B.) If the compound is formed of a noun in the
nominative form followed by a genitive noun, the
first is the principal noun, and determines the de-
clension and gender; the second qualifies the first,
and generally remains unaltered, and the aspiration
of the initial consonant in this case depends on the
gender of the first noun. See par. 21 (f).

We will give here a few examples of the two chief
kinds of compound nouns. It is usual to employ a
hyphen between the nouns in Class A, but not in
Class B.

188

464.

bj\eii5-t\i, a pseudo king
bun-pput, a fountain

, a helmet

, twilight
, a belfry

garland
cul-6Ainc, back-biting

C4oi|\-f eoil, mutton
lAoig-peoii, veal
muic-peoil, pork, bacon
eoil, beef
, a household god
a handker-
chief, a napkin
Urh-6iA-o, a hand-sledge
leic-eut* an excuse

Glass A.

bpeug, a lie, and |\f, a king
bun, a source, origin, and

pput, a stream
At, a battle, and
top, head

clog, a clock, bell, and
, a house

branch, and
, a wreath
cut, the back of the head,

and c-Ainc, talk
peoa, flesh ; GAO^A, a sheep
a calf; muc, a pig
, a beef

a hand; T)i4. God;
, a cloth; ojvo, a
sledge

0>

, a half, and
a story

, a sceptre ; <5p, gold ; and pu\c, a rod
, patriotism; cfp, country; and

*j;At> mo Leic-fgeuL I beg your pardon. (Lit. Accept my excuse).

184

469. Class B.

cAipe, a winding-sheet (a garment of death).
ceoit, a musician (a man of music).

, a Beer (a man °f knowledge ; poj%

ci$e, a householder (a man of a house).
n\AC ripe, a wolf (son of (the) country).
cti rhafVA, an otter (a hound of the sea; tnuip, gen

a seal (a calf of the sea).
pe^p ion AIT), a lieutenant, vicegerent (a man of place)
ce.dc orc<\, an inn, hotel (a house of entertainment).
ttiAigir-cip fcoite, a schoolmaster (a master of a school).
ut> cifce, a hen-egg (an egg of a hen.)

f it>e or be^n c-fit>e, a fairy (a woman of the

fio-6, a fairy hill).

466. A Noun and an Adjective.

ro-pi, a high king.

a sovereign lord.
supreme power, chief power.

partiality; cUvon, inclined: and bpeit, s
judgment.

, a druidical altar ; cp om, bent ; and
a stone, flag.

condemnation ; tMop, condemned.
, a bond-slave ; OgUc, a servant.

185

tAip), a brother by blood [ b^tAi^ and piujv, brother
Mpopiun, a sister by ( and sister (in reli-
blood. J gion).

, spring water: piop, true, pure; uipge, water.
,a tempest: SAJAD, rough; andpion, weather,
a hare: 5e.\pp, short; and pi^-o, a deer.
, an upstart : mi<y6, new, fresh ; and T)ume,
a person.
, a grandfather,

old; AtAip, a father.

a great grand-

father. A0ir. age.

a grand-

mother.

, old age.

a mother ;

law; •oiige is a

more common word
for law.
the old law.
a brave man.
i, a hero.

\-pe.AlD, a freehold : pe^lo, possession,
cpom-luige, a nightmare.
\, a patriarch.

.,, folly, silliness: p^\ot>, silly; and ciAtl, sense
p6ip-O|vu\t^ft, an adverb: p6ij\, before; and bpiAtAp, a

word.
p6tp-imeAll, a frontier, extremity; imeAll, a border, a

hem.

pCip-opeit, a prejudice (a fore- judgment),
violence.
^, oppression, compulsion.

186

Formation of Adjectives.

467. (a) Adjectives may be formed from many
nouns by the addition of AC or 6AC, which signifies
full of, abounding in. All these adjectives belong to
the first declension, and are declined like Dipe^c.

NOUN. ADJECTIVE.

peApg, anger ^CA^SAC, angry

puil, blood puilceAC, bloody

grass jreupAC, gra8SV

>, victory buxvOAC, victorioup

a lie bjAeugAC, false, lying
•oiceALL,oue's best endea- t>iceAiUAC, energetic

vour

feAfArh, standing feAprhAC, steadfast

5n6, work gnOtAC, busy

cLu, fame cLuice^C, famous

fAotAjv, toil fAotfuvC, industrious

lub, a loop tub-AC, deceitful

life fAogtAC, long-lived

sufficiency f.AtA(i, satiated

Scotland Alb*\nAC, Scotch

i, England SAcr-An^, English

branch ctvAobAC, branchy

a rock CAif\j;e.A<i, rocky

sorrow bpotiAC, sorrowful

f\At, durt ^AtAt, dirty

piof , knowledge popAC, intelligent

joy AtAf AC, joyous

sorrow X)oil£iorAC, sorrowful

187

ADJECTIVE.
, tricky
, weary
, watery
, cloudy
Mc, childish
540CAC, windy

c, anxious

, powerful
, starry
, attentive

, patient
, timid

, willing
cuf\AtnAc, careful
iotnA|\cAC, excessive,
copious

(ft). Many adjectives arc formed by adding itlAU
to nouns.

All these adjectives belong to the first declension
and are declined like m<5p.

NOUN.
A-O, luck
ceot, music
ciAll, sense
peup, grass
, flesh

NOUN.

, a trick
cuipr-e, wearinesa
inp^e, water
netiL, a cloud
, a child
, wind
i mm tie, anxiety
cutfu\cc, power
petite, a star
Aijve, care
poigit), patience
eAgiA, fear
coil, a will
, heed

too much

ponn, fancy

ADJECTIVE.
^-6nK\tv, lucky.
ceoLitiAp, musical
cu\UrfuAp, sensible
peuprh<\p, grassy
peoLrh<\p, fleshy
ponnriiAp, desirous

188

NOUN. ADJECTIVE.

5l6i|\, glory 5l6t\rhAf\, glorious:

fun grie.AnnrhAp, funny

, price, value luAcrhAft, valuable

tion, number tionrii^tS numerous

, strength ne.At\crhAj\, powerful

a shadow fgAtriiAp, shy, startled

we, activity tutt-hAp, active, nimble

(c). Yery many adjectives are formed from nouns
by the addition of A1VIA1I or eAttlAlt (both pro-
nounced oo-il or u-wil). All these adjectives belong
to the third declension.

NOUN. ADJECTIVE.

Ve.Afi, a man freAjvArhAil,, manly

be^n, a woman beAn^rhAit, womanly

a prince pkaite.Arh.Ai I, generous

, a name AinmeArhAil, renowned

, esteem meAr^tfiAil, estimable

U\ (pi. LAete), a day taete.Arh.Ail, daily

grtAin, hatred Sfi^meArh^il, hateful

CAftA (pi. CAip"oe), a friend OAijvoe.Arh.Ail, friendly
nArhA(pl.riAirh-oe),anenemy nAirh-oeArhAil, hostile

cpoit>e, a heart cfoi-beArhAit, hearty, gay

pi (gen. rtio$), a king fiojAttiAit, kingly, royal

CAOI (pi. CAoite), a way cAoite.Arh.Ail, opportune

order l\iA|VArhAil, subject, docile
obedient

, affection SeAnAttiAiL, affectionate

mot), manner mot)ArhAiL, mannerly

189

NOUN.
cip (pi. cioptA), country

courage

ceine (pi. cemce), fire
fliAtt, (pl.fleit5ce),amoun-

tain

SpeAtin, fun
eun, a bird

comuff A, a neighbour
t>At\AncAf, authority

ADJECTIVE.

opfcAriiAii, country-like,
homely, social

courageous

ceinceArhAit, fiery, igneous
fleiticeArhAit, mountain-
ous

gay

bird-like, airy
coriiutirAriiAil,neighbourly
, authentic

(d). There is a fourth class of adjectives formed
by the termination 'OA (t^.; ; but it is not as large
as the three preceding classes. The following are
some of the principal ones : —

, godly, divine

masculine
, feminine
golden, gilt

heroic

ancient

human

5t\An-OA, ugly
cp6t>A, brave
, lively

exotic or foreign
tiAorhtA (nAorht>A),
saintly

Compound adjectives are extremely common in
Irish, being usually formed by the union of two or
more simple adjectives (sometimes of a noun and an

190

adjective) ; but these compound adjectives present no
difficulty once the simple adjectives have been
mastered.

FORMATION OF VERB&

468. Verbs can be readily formed from noons and
adjectives by the addition of 15 or tng. The addi-
tion of this termination is sometimes accompanied by
syncope, which often necessitates slight vowel changes
•in accordance with the rule " CAOL Le

469. (a). Verbs derived from Nouns.

NOUN,
a name
life

cuirhne, memory
cuit), a part

ctil, the back of the head
, exertion
, a visit
, improvement

, strength
ACC, a decree
bAf , death
cAt, a battle
c6im, a step
cpioc, an end
cpit> ft trembling

VERB (Stem).

name

, nourish
cuirhni$, remember
cuit)i$ Le, assist (take part

with)

cutuig, retire
exert
visit, search

improve
» strengthen
, decree, enact
t)Afui$, put to death
CAtin$, contend, fight
c6imni$, step, advance
cf\iocmn$, finish
cf\if;ni$, tremble

191

NOUN. VERB (Stem).

5O[\CA, hunger, injury gopcut?;, injure

idm.<vo, multitude lomA-ouij, multiply

6|ro, an order <j|votii£, order, command

fotuf , a light foitlfig, enlighten

cup (cor), a beginning coping, begin

, a guide c^eofvuig, guide, lead

i, pain pidtiuig, cause pain

work oibpig, work

(b). Verbs derived from Adjectives.

ADJECTIVE. VERB (Stem).

.AIYO, high -Ajvouig, raise

b,in, white b-Anuig, whiten

•ouli, black * -outtui^, blacken

A, deaf bot)iiui5, deafen, bother

, lasting DuAnuig preserve

, ai)parent poatfi?;, reveal, show

, cold puAf tug, cool, chill

, weak tAguig, weaken

, well flAnuig, make well, cure

, dry ciopmuig, or ctumijg, dry

boCc, poor t)o6cui$, impoverish

ceAtac, right ce*\i\cui$, correct

min, fine mi nig, make fine, explain

ipol, low ir^15» lower

uitiAl, humble utiiluig, humble

fAfottip, rich f^it)t)|\ig, enrich

The compound verbs are very few, and are there-
fore of little consequence to the beginner.

192

PART III.— SYNTAX.

CHAPTER L

The Article.

470. In Irish the article always precedes its noun,
and agrees with it in gender, number and case
as, AH peA|\, the man ; HA pn, the men; AH pip, of the
man; HA run A, of the woman.

471. When one noun governs another in the geni-
tive case the article cannot be used with the first
noun : as, ITIAC ATI f?ip, the son of the man ; pe^n An
ci$e, the man of the house, &c.

Notice the difference between the son of the man,
n\AC An pt\, and a son of the man, TDAC -oo'n jreAfl.

Exceptions. (1) When a demonstrative adjective is
used with the first noun (the governing one), the
article must also be used ; as, t:\ ATI CBAC fAin mo
tAtvA-o te -olol, that house of my friend's is for sale.

(2) If the two nouns form a compound word, the
article is used before the first, if used in English : a
newspaper, pAipeup miAit>eACcA ; but, the newspaper,
An p^ipeufv nuAit>eACcA.

198

(3) When the noun in the genitive case is an
indefinite* one, which denotes a part of something, the
material of which a thing is made, or the contents of the,
first noun, the article is used with the first noun when
it is used in English : —

An 5peirn -aiiAin, the piece of bread.

An mAlA mine, the bag of ineal.

An cpuifSin uipse, the little jug of water.

We say blAp Ajvdin, for, the taste of bread ; bolAt,
eifs, the srnell of fish ; TTIAC 1*105, the son of a king ,
because if the noun in the genitive expresses quality,
connection, or origin, the governing noun does nol
take the article.

472. If a nominative be followed by several geni-
tives the article can be used only with the last (il
"the" be used in English), as, cpuime Cinn An
cApAiil, the weight of the horse's head.

The article is often omitted before a noun which is
antecedent to a relative clause ; as, 1p 6 -oume t>o oi
Ann. He is the person who was there.

473. In the following cases the definite article is
frequently used in Irish though not used in English.

(1) Before surnames, when not preceded by a
Christian name, as, TUib An t>t\eAtiiAC Ann ? Was
Walsh there ?

' See par. 585.

194

(2) Before the names of some countries, as, ATI
SpAinn, Spain; AH £f\Ainc, France; pi nA h-GipeAnn,
the king of Ireland : also before Rome, 'p^n Tl6nti, in
Borne; o'n Konfi, from Rome. The article is not used
before the names of Ireland, England or Scotland in
the nominative and dative cases.

(3) Before abstract nouns : An C-OC^AP , hunger.
1p tnAit An c-AnntAnn An c-oc^Ap. Hunger is a good

We frequently use An bAp for " death."
The article is not used in such sentences, as: —
UA oc|\Af oj\tn. I am hungry.

(4) Before nouns qualified by the demonstrative
adjectives: AH pe^p pAin, that man ; An tieAti .po, this
woman .

(5) Before adjectives used as nouns :

An rfiAit Agup An c-olc, goodness and badness.
1p peAff Uom An slAp nA An TieAps. I prefer green to
red.

(6) After " C6 " meaning "which " or " what."

Ce An peAf\ ? Which man ?
Ce An leAt>A|\ ? What book ?

(7) To translate " apiece," " per " or " a " before
words expressing weight and measure ;

TlAoL An ceAnn. Sixpence apiece.

In speaking of a period of time pA (inp ATI) is used •.
PA rnt>UAt>Ain, once a year.

195

(8). Before titles :

An C-ACAIH 605x301 UA St^™™- Father Eugene

O'Growney.
An c-AtAip peA-oAp UA UogAipe. Father Peter

O'Leary.
An -ooCcuip T)ut»5Ur De n-Voe. Dr. Douglas Hyde.

(9) To express any attribute :
A tteAn tiA -ocf i mt>6. 0 woman of three cows.

(10) The article is used before the word denoting
the use to which a thing is put, or the place where a
thing is found or produced.

tttAtA nA mine. The meal bag, i.e., the bag for hold-
ing meal.

An uipge. The water-jug.

Compare these with the following : —

An mAlA mine. The bag of meal.
An q\uif5in uifge. The jug of water.

(11) Before the word "uite" meaning "every."

An utte peA|\. Every man.
An u ile tip. Every country.

(12) Whenever an indefinite noun, accompanied by
an adjective is predicated of a pronoun by means of
the verb if, the definite article must be used with the
noun whenever the adjective is placed immediately
after the verb.

1r t)|\eA5 An u e. It is a fine day.

1f mAit An j?eAf\ tu. You are a good man.

196

(13) Before the names of seasons, months, days of
the week (when not preceded by the word t>e).
An 6 An S^t^n ACA AgAinn ? Is to-day Saturday?

An int>iu »\n tuAn ?) T

. Is this Monday ?

An 6 feo An LuAn ?j

IITOIU AH Aome. To-day is Friday.

CHAPTER II

The Noun.

474. In Irish one noun governs another in the
genitive case, and the governed noun comes after the
governing one.

Ce^nn AH CApAill. The horse's head.

The noun, odpAilL, in the genitive case is aspirated by the article
because it is masculine gender. It would not be aspirated if it were
feminine. (See par. 40.)

475. When the governed noun in the genitive is a
proper name it is generally aspirated, whether it be
masculine or feminine, although the article is not
used.

Mary's pen.
John's book.

The last rule is by no means generally true of place
names.

197

576. When the noun in genitive case has the force
of an adjective, it is not preceded by the article, but
its initial consonant is subject to precisely the same
rules, with regard to aspiration and eclipsis, as if it
were a simple adjective, i.e., it is aspirated if the
governing noun be nominative or accusative singular
feminine, or genitive singular masculine. It is
eclipsed if the governing noun be in the genitive
plural.

uD Cipce, a hen-egg (an egg of a hen)

uioe ci|\ce, of a hen-egg.

pe.Afv ceoil, a musician.

pip Ceoil, of a musician.

nA t>peAf\ gceoiL, of the musicians.

477. Apposition has almost entirely disappeared in
modern Irish, the second noun being now usually in
the nominative case, no matter what the case of
the first may be.

478. A noun used adjectively in English is trans-
lated into Irish by the genitive case.

A gold ring, pSinne 61 j\ (lit. a ring of gold).
A hen-egg, UD
Oatmeal, mm

479. Collective nouns (except in their own plurals)
always take the article and qualif}ring adjectives in
the singular ; they sometimes take a plural pronoun,
and may take a plural verb.

198

fin t>o U\tAip £i

TOO be^nnuig p*yo -oo. That company of warriors
came into the presence of Finn, and saluted him
(lit. to him).

480. Nouns denoting fulness or a part of anything
are usually, followed by the preposition -oe and the
dative case, but the genitive is also used.

ce^nn (or 5^-6^) -o'^p M5<v6fXAio, one of our hounds.
bAfp mo 0^6156, the top of my shoe.
Ldn mo t)ui|\n, the full of my fist.

In phrases such as "some of us," " one of them,"
&c., " of us," " of them," &c., are usually translated
by AgAinn, ACA, &c. ; but -oinn, -oiob, &c., may also be
used.

481. The personal numerals from -oi^f to t>5peu5
inclusive (see par. 177) generally take their nouns
in the genitive plural: beipc m^c, two sons;
, nine men (lit. two of sons, nine of men).

A tpiun mx\c Aguf A •ocfiup b^n.
His three sons and their three wives.

482. When used partitively they take -oe with the
dative.

t)4it> f6 nAOtibA|t *iot> ?A 'n loc.

He drowned nine of them under the lake.

Nine times nine of the stewards of Erin.

199

Personal Nouns.

483. An Irish name consists of two parts, the
b-Aipoit) (or simply Amm), which corresponds to the
English Christian name, and the plomneAt), the sur-
name or family name.

Surnames were first used in Ireland about the eleventh century ;
until that time every Irish personal name was significant, and
sometimes rendered more so by the application of some epithet.
"In the early ages individuals received their names from epithets
implying some personal peculiarity, such as colour of hair, com-
plexion, size, figure, certain accidents of deformity, mental qualities,
such as bravery, fierceness, Ac." Joyce's " Irish Names of Places."

484. When the Christian name is used in address-
ing a person, it is always in the vocative case, and
preceded by the particle A, which causes aspiration,
e.g.:

£An itotn, A SeAgAin. Wait for me, John.
T)IA t)uic, A SeuniAip. Good morning, James.

485. When the Christian name is in the genitive
case, it is aspirated, e.g. :

teAbAp tilAipe. Mary's book.
SgiAn Seoij\r-e. George's knife.

486. Surnames when not preceded by a Christian
name usually take the termination AC, which has
the force of a patronymic (or father-name), and are
declined ' like m^CAC (par. 57). They are usually
preceded by the article except in the vocative case :
An PAO^C, Power ; CAP All AH t)f\iAnAi £, O'Brien's horse

200

Two forms are admissible in the vocative case;

facility of pronunciation is the best guide, e.g., SAO i
leit, A t)f\iAn.Ai£. Come here, O'Brien. A ttlic Hi
, O'Leary. A Ttlic Hi Suitme, MacSweeney.

487. Surnames occurring in Ireland to-day are of
three classes: (1) Surnames of Gaelic origin. These
in almost every instance have the prefix 0 (UA) or
true tor a male, and tli or Die for a female.

(2) Surnames of old foreign origin. The majority of
these have no prefix. (3) Surnames of late foreign
origin. Only a few of these have acquired a distinct
form, pronounced in an Irish way.

588. When the surname is preceded by any ot the
words 0 (UA), true, tli, 11ic, the surname is in the
genitive case, and is aspirated after tli or tlic, but
not after 0 or triAC: e.g., Se^g^n ITUc 'OottmAill,
John McDonnell; niAipe tli CotiAiU, Mary O'Con-
nell; *OiAfunuit> 0 Con^ill, Dermot O'Connell; t16p^
tlic 'OorhnAiLi, Nora McDonnell.

489. When the whole name is in the genitive case,
the words after Ui (gen. of 6 or VI A) and ttlic (gen.
of true) are aspirated ; tli and tlic do not change in
genitive. le.Ab.Ap Scum^ir- Ui t)pum, James O'Brien's
book; b<5 Tjpi^m ttlic "Ootiin^iLl, Brian McDonnell's
cow.

490. tTUc and 0 aspirate when they really mean
"son" and "grandson" respectively.

201

1T1,AC 'ftorhn.Ailt, Donal's son.
ttlAC "OoriitiAitl, McDonnell.
0 t)piAin, Brian's grandson.
6 t)f\iAin, O'Brien.

491. Some surnames take the article after ITUc au-d
J1ic — e.g.:

TftAC An t)4ifvo, James Ward,
ttic AH UICAI$, Nora McNulty.

CHAPTER III.

The Adjective.

492. An adjective may be used either predicatively
or attributively. An adjective is used predicatively
when it is predicated of a noun by a verb, and in this
case it is usually separated from the noun by the
verb. " The way was long, the wind was cold.'1
''The day is fine." "He made the mantles green."
"Long," "cold," " fine," and "green" are used pre-
dicatively. An adjective is used attributively whenever
it is not separated from the noun by the verb, and is
not predicated of a noun by a verb : as, " The infirm
old minstrel went wearily along." " He made the
green mantles." The adjectives "infirm" "old,"
and "green" are here used attributively.

202

493. In Irish almost every common adjective can
be used both predicatively and attributively. There
are, however, one or two exceptions : -opoc, bad, and
•oeA$, good, can never be used predicatively. If
" bad" or "good" be used predicatively in the Eng-
lish sentence, we must use olc, bad, or m^it, good,
in Irish. Never say or write ip "oe^ e for " he is
good," but ip ni^xit e, &c.

The adjective lom-OA is always used predicatively
with ip. In Munster 'm6 is used instead of iotm>ou

t)o £»xt> An cpli£e peo.
('Tis) many a rider (that) has gone this way.

ADJECTIVE USED ATTRIBUTIVELY.

(a) The Position of the Adjective.
494. As a general rule the adjective follows its noun
in Irish: as, le^t)*\i\ mop, a big book; pe^p, m-Aic, a
good man.

Exceptions. (1) A numeral adjective, whether ordi-
nal or cardinal, when it consists of one word, always
precedes its noun : as cp.i DA, three cows ; -OA Cip.c,
two hens. The intewogative, possessive, and most of
the indefinite adjectives also precede their noun.

(2) Monosyllabic adjectives are. frequently placed
before the noun, but then the noun and adjective
form a compound noun, and consequently the initial
of the noun is aspirated, when possible. This is

always the case with adjectives: T>e,A$, good;
bad; fe^n, old; and frequently with nu-A-6, new; and
pop, true. In this position the form of the adjectives
never changes for number or case, but it is subject
Lo the very same initial changes as if it were a noun.

-f eA|\, ah old man ; peAn-frij\, old men.

i, a brave man ; ^|AD-|\I, a high king.

n, the old woman ;
l<irh An cr-e^n-pfv the hand of the old man.

(8) When a name consists of two words the adjec-
tive frequently comes between them: as, "SliAD je-Al
SCUA," "the bright Slieve Qua."

(b) Agreement of the Adjective.

When an adjective is used attributively and fol-
lows its noun, it agrees with the noun in gender,
number, and case : as, be^n rh&p, a big woman ; tn.dc
An p|\ tfioip, the son of the big man ; tiA pp rhopA,
the big men.

For the aspiration and eclipsis of the adjective see
par. 149.

495. Since the adjective in English has no inflexion
for gender, it is quite a common thing to have
one adjective qualifying two or more nouns of dif-
ferent genders. Sometimes in Irish we meet with
one adjective qualifying two nouns of different genders
or numbers ; in such cases the adjective follows the

204

latter noun, and agrees with it alone. However, the
more usual method is to use the adjective after each
noun: as,

JTeAfX TTIAlt AgUf bC«At1 ttlAlt.

A good man and woman.

ADJECTIVE USED PREDICATIVELY.
(a) Position of the Adjective.

496. An adjective used predicatively always fol-
lows its noun, except when it is predicated by means
of the verb 1S, in any of its forms, expressed or
understood.

The men are good, C.A tiA pp
The day is fine, "C& .AD

If (he verb if he used in these sentences, notice the
position of the adjective and the use of the pronoun.
The men are good, 1f m«Mt r\A -pijv 1^*0.
The day is fine, 1f bfteAj .ATI IA e.

(I) Agreement of the Adjective.
An adjective used predicatively never agrees with
its noun in either gender, number, or case : in other
words, the simple farm of the adjective is always nscd.

Moreover, it is never aspirated nor eclipsed by the
noun.

497. When the adjective comes immediately after
the Past Tense or Conditional of if (i.e., bvi or bux>),

205

its initial is generally aspirated, when possible; but
in this case it is not the noun which causes aspira-
tion.

t)A t>t\eA§ An IA 6. It was a fine day.

498. Notice the difference in meaning between the
following : —

Hmne p e DA fgeAriA genf A He made the sharp knives.
ttmne

_

He made the knives sharp.
tlmne fe HA r^eAnA seupj

UA AH ti<5 ttiop nub. The big cow is black.

~CA Ar\ t>6 -CUD m6p. The black cow is big.

C<A An oi-oee -ooyCA |rli«6. The night is dark and wet.

~CA AII oit>ce rliuC -oopCA. The wet night is dark.

499. Adjectives denoting fulness or a part of any-
thing are usually followed by -oe with the dative
case :

full of milk, tAti -oe t><Mnne.

two barrels full of water, t>«i DAjtAile tan T>'

NUMERAL ADJECTIVES.

Position of the Words.

500. A numeral adjective, whether ordinal or
cardinal, when it consists of one word, goes before
the noun.

ceit^e C4P41U, four horses; f^ CAOipi$, six sheep.

AH ceu-o ttuACAiLL, the first boy.
The words for 40, 60, 80, 200, 300, &c., also pre-
cede their nouns.

206

501. A numeral adjective, except those just men-
tioned, consisting of two or more words, takes its
noun immediately after the first part of the numeral :
as,

ceitpe cApAill "oeuj, fourteen horses.

•O.A UAH "oeug, twelve lambs.

TO-A fcum "oeug if cpi pCit), seventy-two cows.

502. When we wish to express large numbers in
Irish, we may either place the unit digit first, then
the tens, next the hundreds, and so on ; or we may
express them in the English order. Convenience for
utterance and clearness of sense are the best guides
in any particular case.

The word A5US is generally used with the
larger numbers C6AT), mile, etc., and 1S with the
smaller ones.

129 miles, C€AT> (mile) -Aguf H.AOI mi

79 horses, tix\oi gCAp^xill "0645 if cpi f.iciT>.

5,635 men, cuig mile A£ur fe Ce«vo f.eap ^j

356 sheep, fe CAoipij "oeAg if -o^ £icit> xxguf (-Am

1,666 years, fe DUA-onA if cpi piti-o Aguf (A\\)

Cexyo ^suf (Ap) mile.
519 A.D., <\oif t)o!n cije^ptiA 0015 Ce<vo

52,000 of the Roman army, T><\ mile
f.ici-0 mile -oe flu<\£

207

More than 400 years, cuiUe(A-o) (bpeif)

ceitpe CeAt) t>UA*Ain.
About 80, cu-Aipim le (or timceAU le) ceitpe

The word rl15e is often added to make it clear that
miles not thousands is meant. Se mile fti$e, or re
mile [-oe] ftige, six miles.

503. The initials of the numerals undergo the very
same changes with regard to aspiration and eclipsis
as a noun would in the same position.

8M. The article prefixes c to Aonmxvo, first, and to
oCcrhA-o, eighth, whether the following noun be mas-
culine or feminine : as,

An c-oCcrh-AX) De^n, the eighth woman.
Initial Changes produced by the Numerals.
805. Aon, one ; T>A, two ; ceut), first ; and cjieAf ,
third, aspirate the initial of the following word : as,
Aon E>6 AttiAin, one cow; -AH Cevro feAp, the first
man.

506. Aon, prefixes c to the letter p ; but has no
effect on t> or c : Aon AJ\AI Aiti^in, one ass ; Aon top
AttiAin, one foot ; Aon cpAgApc xxttiAin, one priest ;
Aon cptAC AtfiAin, one rod ; Aon cfeAftAC xMtiAm, one
hawk; t>A feAttAC, two hawks; Aon CAOD ArhAin, one
Bide.

507. Se^cc, seven; oCc, eight; TTAOI, nine; and
•oeit, ten ; and their compounds eolipse the initial

208

of the following nonn and prefix n to vowels ; pe<\cc
mbx\, seven cows ; -ceic n-ublji, ten apples.

508. Up!, ceitpe, cuig and pe" have usually no effect
on consonants (except ceti-o, 100, and mile, 1000);
but tp.i, ceitp-e, pe, and TKAP~\ prefix h to vowels : as,
cpi bA, three cows ; cpt li-Afv\iL, three asses ; pe"
ti.ubtA, six apples ; 'p^n ^p** h-Aic, in the second
place; cp? ceux>, 300; ceitpe mile, 4000.

Cpi, ceitpe, GUIS and pe (as well as re<\ec, oCc, &c.),
cause eclipsis in the genitive plural : A be.Ati HA -ocpi
m'oo. () woman of three coirs.' Uu\C ceicpe bpiinc
four pound's icorth.

The Number of the Noun after the Numerals.

509. The noun after ^on is always in the singular,
even in such numbers as 11, 21, 31, 41, &c. The other
numerals (except -CM) may take the singular number
when unity of idea is expressed : e.g., Aon ub»ai
•oeAj;, eleven apples; -Oe^ivnuvo pe A\\ ruv cp-i tnnLle
'DiuxlAt). He forgot to strike the three blows.

510. When a noun has two forms in the plural, a
short form and a long one, the short form is preferred
after the numerals : as

n-«xMp.e, nine times; not ru\oi n-tiAip.e<\nnc»\.

811. In Modern Irish the numerals pee, 20; TM
, 40, &c., ceu-o, 100; mile, 1,000, are regarded
as simple numeral adjectives which take the noun
after them in the singular number.

209

812. This peculiar construction 1ms n risen from the fact that thes«
numerals are really nount, And formerly governed the -nouns after
them in the genitive plural. As the genitive plural of most Irish
nouns has exactly the same form as the nominative singular, the
singular form has come to be almost universally used in Modern Irish
after these numerals. Formerly they would use ceu-o ban and p:ce
CAOJIAC, but now we use ccuo be<vn and pice CAOJIA.

513. The word ce^nn and its plural cum are often
used with numerals ivhen the noun is not expressed in
English: as, CA rfcetro (Ati'mo) leADap AJAC ? UA t)x5
Ce^nn T)eu5 A5Am. How many books have you?
I have twelve.

CA ceAtin (or mime) ACA mr» <\n ci$.
There is one of them in the house.

The Dual Number.

514. "OS, " two," always takes the noun after it in
the dual number (neither singular nor plural), which
in every Irish noun has the same form as the dative
singular. This does not at all imply that the noun
after -OA is in the dative case. It is in the dative
singular form, but it may be in any of the five cases,
according to its use in the sentence. All the cases of
the dual number are alike, but the form of the geni-
tive plural is often used for the genitive dual : -OA
bum, two cows; -OA $AtK\inn, two smiths; Uin 4 t>«i
Uim or Un A i)& Urn, the full of his two hands.

F2

210

515. The article which qualifies a noun in the dual
number will always be in the singular form.

516. The adjective which qualifies a noun in the
dual number will be in the plural form, but really in
the dual number; the pronouns belonging to the
noun will be in the plural form ; and the verb may,
but need not be ; because in these parts of speech the
dual number and the plural number have the same
forms.

517. The initial of an adjective* qualifying and
agreeing with a noun in the dual number will be
aspirated, no matter what the gender or case of the
noun may be : as,

•6^ tt$ -oeus, twelve houses.

An t><\ lA\m ft An A, the two white hands.

Urn A -DA Uirii tie^s, the full of her two little hands.

518. The t> of T>A is usually aspirated, except after
words ending in t>, n, c, I, p (dentals), 'or after the
possessive adjective A, her.

A T)xX Coip tie-A^A, her two little feet.

•Except demonstrative, posfee'ssive, indefinite, and interrogative
adjectives.

211

The Possessive Adjective.

519. A possessive adjective can never be used with-
out a noun: as, her father and his, A ri-AtAij\ Agup A

AtAlft.

520. The possessive adjectives always precede their
nouns : as, mo rfiAtAip, my mother.

521. The possessives mo, my; -oo, thy; and A, his,
aspirate the initial of their nouns ; Aft, our ; tiup, your ;
and A, their, cause eclipsis: as, A -OAri, his poem; -oo
rhAtAip, thy mother; A -OAti, her poem ; A troAn, their
poem.

522. If a noun begins with a vowel, mo, my, and
•oo, thy, become m' and -o' (c or t); A, his, has no
effect ; A, her, prefixes ti ; and A, their, prefixes n ; A\\,
our, and tiur\, your, also prefix n to vowels: as,
A AtAir, his father; A ti-AtAip, her father; A n-AtAirt,
their father; m'f:ex\i\, my husband; -o'eun, your bird;
A\\ n-A\\Ar\ tAete.Arh.Ail, our daily bread; tiup n-At>rvAn,
your song.

523. The possessive adjectives, when compounded
with prepositions (see par. 186), have the same
influence over the initials of their nouns as they have
in their uncompounded state : as, -com mAtAir., to my
mother ; om tirv, from my country.

212

524. When the portion of a thing which helongs to
one or more persons is to be expressed by the posses-
sive adjectives, the name of the thing is preceded by
cuiT), with the possessive adjective before it. The
name of the thing is in the genitive case — genitive
singular if quantity be implied, but genitive plural if
number — as, my bread, mo CUIT> A^in (lit. my share
of bread) ; his wine, A cuit> ponA ; their horses,

A 5CU1D

This rule is not always followed ; for instance, we
sometimes find m'pon, my wine ; but mo CUID p'on«\
is more idiomatic.

525. The word ctut> is never used in this way before
the name of a single object.

, my book; A scap^U, their horse.
, his book; but A cuit) lexit>Af, his books.
A t>6, her cow; A CUID b<5, her cows.

526. The word cuit) is not used in such phrases as
mo COJM, my feet; mo fuile, my eyes; A Cn-dm^, his
bones, &c.

527. When the emphatic suffix is used, some make
it follow CUIT) ; others make it follow the noun : as,
mo cuix>-fe A^AW or mo cuix>

213

CHAPTER IV.
THE PRONOUN.

Personal Pronoun.

628 The personal pronouns agree with the nouns
for which they stand in gender, number and person :

as, He is a big man. 1p tntfp An peAp 6. They are big
men. 1p mop m\ pip IAT>.

529. A personal pronoun which stands for a noun
the gender of which is different from its sex, agrees
in gender with the sex of the noun ; as, 1p mAit An
CAilin i. She is a good girl. 1p olc An Comupp A e.
He is a bad neighbour.

530. In Irish we have no neuter pronoun corre-
sponding to the English "it;" hence, in translating
"it," we must determine the gender of the Irish
noun (masculine or feminine) and then use pe (he) or
f i (she) accordingly :* as, It is terrible weather. 1p
CAillce An Aiinpp i. Is to-day Friday ? An i An
Aome ACA A^Ainn ? X)ob i An ppinne i. It was the
truth. UA An CApup AgAm, ni puit p6 cj^otn. I have
the hammer, it is not heav}'.

* The word Ate although feminine takes sometimes a masculine
pronoun, as, 1p x>CAp AH AIC e. It is A nice place.
Notice also —
ire \
or Lmo fcAHAtiiAit,. mo tuAijnm, Ac. It is my opinion, &c., &o.

If '')

214

531. The pronoun cu, thou, is always used to trans-
late the English "you" when only one person is
referred to ; as, How are you ? Ciontu\p CA cu ?
What a man you are ! tUc cu x\n

532. The personal pronouns, whether nominative
or accusative, always come after the verb; as,
motAtin f6 Cu, he praises you.

533. The disjunctive forms of the personal pro-
nouns are used immediately after the verb 1S in any
of its forms expressed or understood ; as, if e an jre^p
tAiT)it\ 6. He is a strong man. An 6 A jritAip e? Was
it he who found it ? tUc i -o' ing&An i ? Is she not
your daughter?

534. A personal pronoun which stands for a sen-
tence, or part of a sentence, is third person singular,
masculine gender. An put) <vout>.An\c me, ip £ ADeipim
Apip. What I said, I repeat.

535. The accusative personal pronoun usually
comes last in the sentence or clause to which it
belongs : as, "O'fAg p6 A|\ Ati AIC fin IATX He left them
at that place. 1lu^f6 letp mite eile e. He brought it
with him another mile. "O'fAgAf im tnxMt) e. I left it
after me.

Relative Pronoun.

536. The relative particle follows its antecedent and
precedes its verb : as, .an jre^p A cot)t6(iAf , the man
who will sleep.

215

837. The relative particle, whether expressed or
understood, always causes aspiration : ap, AH
fteAr- AS obAip, the man who will be at work.

538. The relative when preceded by a preposition
causes eclipsis (unless the verb be in the Past Tense).
When the relative A signifies " all that " or " what "
it causes eclipsis : as, AD AIC 1 n-A 6-puit pe", the place
in which he is ; A bpuiL i mt)Aile-AtA-ClMt, all that
is in Dublin.

539. When the relative is governed by a preposi-
tion and followed by a verb in the Past Tense, the
relative combines with f\o (the old sign of the Past
Tense), and does not eclipse : -AH AIC AJ\ tuic Ao-o,
the place where (in which) Hugh fell.

550. The eight verbs which do not admit of the
compounds of j\o being used before them (see par.
279) form an exception to the last rule : as, An cip
i n-A •oc<.\mi5 pe, the country into which he came.

541. In English, when the relative or interrogative
pronoun is governed by a preposition, tbe pronoun
very often comes before the governing word : as,
What are you speaking about ? The man that he gave
the book to is here. In colloquial Irish it is a very
common practice to separate the relative particle from
the preposition which governs it ; but instead of using
a simple preposition at the end of the sentence, as in
English, we use a prepositional pronoun. Thus we

21G

can say — .ATI peAp AS A t>pinl AH t>6, or more usually, AT.
peAf. A tipjit, AM 156 Aige,* the inan who has the cow;
An peAp Ap •OiolAr- An CApAll Leif, or An p*An lep
oiolAr- An CApAll, the man to whom I sold the horse.

542. The forms t>Apl) or tMpAb, T)ApG, lepo, niApb,
&c., are compounds of a preposition, relative particle;
"po," the sign of the Past Tense,* and DA or two the
Past Tense of if.

•OApt>=-oo + A-f-po + bA=to whom was.

lep t> = le + A + po + bA = with or by whom was.

as, beAtt -OAjvt* v\inm t)pi$iT>, a woman whose name
was Brigid.

543. As the accusative case of the relative particle
has exactly the same form as the nominative, the
context must determine, in those tenses in which the
verb has no distinct termination for the relative,
whether the relative particle is the subject or object
of the verb ; An peAf\ A tiuAil SeA$An, may mean, The
man whom John struck, or The man who struck John.

Translation of the Genitive Case of the English
Relative.

544. The Irish relative has no inflection for case ;
hence, in order to translate the English word " whose''

fi 50 B-puil An Bo Aiy;e is also used.

217

when not an interrogative, we must use one of the
prepositions (^5, -oo, i) + relative particle + posses-
sive adjective (before the noun).

The man whose son was sick.

An peAjv < .AgA - JVAI& A tfiAC cinn.
(i n-x.\)

but. -ad, A^A, or '5A, i n-A are often shortened to A, 50,
and 'HA ; hence the above sentence in colloquial Irish
would be —

50 f JAAltt A
'llA

The woman whose son is sick visited us yesterday.

( 5° 1

f t>puil A triAc cinn

'"" \ '5^ C
I *c. ) '

An tie-An U

545. To translate the English relative pronoun
when governed by an active participle, we employ a
somewhat similar construction ; as —

The hare that the hounds are pursuing.

An Sippf1^ S° opuil nA SXVO.AIP A|\ A toj\5 (or AP A

c<5ifi, or ^5 c6]\AigeA(ic Ai|\).

The man whom I am striking.
An

218

546. The relative A meaning all that, what, may
itself be genitive ; as, cfMAti A jvAib Ann, a third of what
were there. "t)eip beAiniACc 6m Cpoit>e Cum A
mAipeAnn Ap t>Aiicnoic 6ipeAnn 615." " Bear a bless-
ing from my heart to all those who live on the fair
hills of Holy Ireland."

The relative A in this sentence is genitive case being
governed by Cum (see par. 603).

CHAPTER V.

The Yerb.

547. As a general rule the verb precedes its nomi-
native: as, CA pe, he is; tM .ATI ve<<xlv -arm,- the man
was there.

Exceptions. (1) When the subject is a relative or an
interrogative pronoun the verb comes after its subject;
as,

An buACAill A ttuAiteAf me" . The boy who strikes me.
CAV AK A AS AC? What have you?

(2) In a relative sentence the nominative though
not a relative pronoun may precede its verb ; but as
the noun is usually far separated from the verb, a

219

personal pronoun is used as a sort of temporary sub-
ject, so that really the noun and its pronoun are
nominative to the same verb : as,

-An veAP At A '"A f eAfAtri AS An -oopAf tin Ail p 6 An
cApAll. The man who is standing at the door
struck the horse.

Compare the similar use of the French pronoun OE ; or the English
" He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved."

(3) The nominative often precedes its verb in
poetry, and sometimes even in prose.

RAC 50 pAifc o|\c ! Success to you !

548. Transitive verbs govern the accusative case ;
and the usual order of words is, Verb, Subject,
Object. When the subject or object is a relative or
an interrogative pronoun it precedes the verb.

T)o finne SeA$An An DAD pAin. John made that boat.
T)o tiuAtl An tHMCAitl e. The boy struck him.

For the conditions under which a verb is aspirated or eclipsed, see
pars. 21(g) and 26(e).

Use of the Subjunctive Mood.

549. The most frequent use of the present sub-
junctive is with the conjunction 50, expressing a
wish. If the wish be negative use 1U\R (except
with j\Ait>).

220

50

5o ftpdifit) T)IA ojVAinn I

50 -oc6i$ cu flan I

fl-dp 16151-6 "OiA pn !

A^AC !
HA jvAib triAic A$AC I

May God bless you !

God help us !

Safe home ! (may you go

safely) !
May God not allow that !

God forbid !
Thank you !
No thanks to you !

550. The subjunctive is also used after II (3 50, 50
or ACU 50, all meaning "until"; and after mtin^,
"unless," but only when there is an element of
doubt.

p.Ati Annfo 50 •ocASAt) A|\Tf .
pti n\6.

cu AH
-oom.

Stay here till I come again.
Unless you believe me.
Unless you give me the
money.

551. SUl A, SVlt pA, Stlt mA, Stlt "O&, all mean-
ing " before," when used with reference to an event
not considered as an actual occurrence, take the sub-
junctive; as,

Imcig teAU put A -ocASAit) At\ mAigifci^. Be off
with you, before the master comes.

552. The past subjunctive is found after "OxS or
muriA to express a supposed condition. They may
also take a conditional. In translating the English
phrases "if he believed," "if he had believed " (im-

221

plying that he did not believe), we use T>A with the
past subjunctive ; but as this Tense is identical in
form with the Imperfect Tense, it may be said that it
is the Imperfect Tense which is employed in this

If you were to see Donal on the following day
you would pity him.

"OorhnAll Af\ tn.Ait>in US AJ\ n-A t>^ttA£

te*.\c 6.

If you were to give me that book.
T)A •ocagtA-fA "ooriifA ATI le.AD«.\n pin.
If it were true for him. "O«i mbA-o pop -66 6.

All the particles given above can also be used
with the past subjunctive in reference to past time.

553. In the passive voice the present and past sub-
junctive are identical in form with the Present and
Imperfect Tenses (respectively) of the Indicative
Mood.

May it be worn out well. 5° SCAitceAf 50 mAit 6.
May it never be worn out. tl^ CxMtce^p 50 -oeo 6
If it were worn out. X)A CAitci 6.

Relative Form of the Verb.

554. The relative form of the verb is used after the
relative particle A, when it is the subject of the verb;
(but never after the negative relative n^C, which or
who. ..not}. It has a distinct form in two, and only

222

two, Tenses — the Present and the Future. In these
two Tenses it ends in Ap or eAp. In all the other
Tenses the third person, singular is used after the
relative pronoun. The verb is aspirated after the
relative, expressed or understood ; but nAC eclipses.

535. The inflection of the relative form in present
tense is not used in the spoken Language of to-day
(except irj proverbs). In Connaught the final p of the
relative form is added to the form for the 3rd person
singular; <?.</., ATI pe^v A tiUAileAnnp, the man who
strikes ; An tniACAill A tutgeAnnp, the boy who under-
stands. The literary form of the' relative in the
future tense is retained in full vigour in Connaught ;
e.g., An peAj\ A ftuAilpeAp, the man who will strike. In
Munster the relative form has entirely disappeared in
both the present and the future tenses (except in pro-
verbs). The 3rd person singular form has taken its
place ; e.g., AH peAp A ttUAjleAnn, the man who strikes.

556. As the relative has no inflection for case,
ambiguity sometimes arises: e.g., ".An p.6Ap A fcuAil
SeA^An, may mean, either the man icho struck John,
or, -the man whom John struck. The context usually
solves the difficulty. The following construction is
sometimes emplpyed in order -to obviate any am-
biguity : —

An peAp A tiuAil SeA$Ati. The man who struck John.
An peAf\5tip. tiuAil SeAgAn The man whom John
e. struck.

557. Cionnup, how; nuAip, when; and tnAp,, as, are
followed by the relative form of the verb in the Pre-
sent and Future, and the verb is aspirated ; but with
cionnup A, CIA An CAOI, CIA An n6p, CIA A'n mot!), or any

223

other such locutions, the eclipsing A or 1 (in which) is
used before the verb. Before the Past Tense, of
course, ^\|\ (<\-fpo) is used. Cionnup A bputt cu ?
How are you ?

IT)Af\ is also followed by the ordinary Present and
Future.

558. SUt, " before," has two usages. It may be fol-
lowed by the relative forms — e.g., put tiocpx\p pe, put
tAimg pe ; or else it may be followed by one of the
particles A, tn.a, pd,- T>A, all of which eclipse.

559. After these particles, the Subjunctive Mood is
often used when the event is future and uncertain, or
contains a mental element : as —

LeAc put. A t>p.eicf6 pe tti. .
Be off (with you) before he sees you (i.e., so that
he may not see you).

It is not correct to eclipse after the word put, as
put TDc^mig, although sometimes done.

560. The relative form of the Present Tense is fre-
quently used as a historic present, even when no
relative occurs in the sentence : as —

6itAerhon -ooiti, Eremon revealed to them.

224

The Verbal Noun and its Functions.
561. "Is there an Infinitive in Irish?" We give
here Father O'Leary's answer to his own question,
" Certainly not." In Irish there is neither an infini-
tive mood nor a present participle, both functions
being discharged by the verbal noun. It follows
from this statement that there is no such thing as a
tign of the infinitive mood in Irish.

1f mait liom f luDAl. I wish to walk.

"OufcfVAr teif 5411 neACc. I told him not* to come.

CA ot\mfA peiteArii. I have to wait.

tlfop rhAit liom be-dti- I did not wish to salute

nu$At> -06. him.

tli tig te mAlA potAtti An empty bag cannot

stand.

862. In the above examples, and in thousands of
similar ones, the Irish verbal noun is an exact equivalent
in sense of the English infinitive, sign and all. If any
one of the prepositions t>o (or A), le or Cum, be used
before the verbal nouns in the above examples, the
result is utter nonsense. Now consider the following
examples : —

tiom An D6tA t>o I wish to walk the road.

liom jroc-Al T)O I wish to speak a word.

* Not before the English infinitive is translated by 5^\n (a prep.,
without).

225

T)ut>Aipc nVAtAipLiom 5An My father told me not to

An CAPALL "oo -oioL. sell the horse.

1f c6if t>uic An jreup -oo You ought to cut the grass.

An pei-Dip LeAC An CAinc Can you understand the
•oo tuigpnc ? conversation ?

Uom licip T>O I wish to write a letter.

\n

563. The preposition t>o in the above examples and
ones like them between the noun and the verbal
noun, is very often, in the spoken language, softened
to A : and this A is not heard before or after a vowel :
as,

1f C6lp •OI11C COtfUMfVle 'gtACAt).

You ought to take advice.

564. In any sentence of the first set of examples
there is question of only one thing ; e.g., fiuftAt,
CCACC, peiteArh, &c., but in each of the sentences of
the second set there is a relation between two things :
e.g., oCtAf and fiuGAl, JTOCAI and lAftAipc, &c., and to
express this relationship a preposition is used between
the two nouns. If the relation between the nouns be
altered the preposition must also be altered, as —

CA b6tAp AgAm le pubAl, I have a road to walk.
CA f OCAI AgAin Le lAbAipc, I have a word to say.
CA CApAll A5Am Le -oioL, I have a horse for sale (to

sell).
CA jreup AJAC Le bAinc, You have grass to cut.

226

565. There is still another preposition which can be
used between the nouns to express another alteration
in meaning —

CA CC.AC Cum corhnui£te I have a house to live in.

Cum rnAf cui$- He has a horse to ride on.

If in any one of these sentences the wrong preposi-
tion be employed the proper meaning cannot be
expressed.

566. In translating the simple English infinitive of
an intransitive verb, use the simple verbal noun in
Irish: as,

He told me to go to Cork. "OutiAipc f£ liorn -out 50
Cop.c.Ai$.

An empty bag cannot 11 i tig le
stand. fe.Af.Am.

It is impossible to write Tli ?eiT>ip f5piot>At>
without learning. f-ojlAim.

I prefer to walk. 1f f.e^|\f\ liom fiuoAl.

He cannot stand. tli tig teif fe^fArh.

Tell him to sit down. Ab<Mj\ teif f uit)e fiof.

Tell them to go away. AbAip Leo

227

567. When the English intransitive infinitive ex-
presses purpose (i.e., the gerundial infinitive), use the
preposition le.

He came to stay, CAinij; f &

I have a word to say, UA pocAt AgAm le

You are to wait, CA cu le

I am to go, CAim te -out.

568. When the English verb is transitive and in
the simple infinitive (no purpose implied) use the
preposition -DO or the softened form A.

My father told me to buy T)uDAit\c m'AtAin tiom

a horse. cApAlt T>O ceAnnAC.

You ought to have cut t)A Coip t>tnc An peujv t>o

the grass. riAinc.

He told me not to shut "OuGAi^c p e tiom gAn An

the door. -oofVAf T>O -ounA-6.

Would you like to read An miAn teAC An
this book ? f o -oo

569. When the English infinitive is transitive, and
also expresses purpose, use either CUtl or le before
the noun which is the object of the English infinitive,
and "OO before the verbal noun in Irish ; <iun takes

the noun after it in the genitive ; le becomes leif
before the article, and then causes eclipsis if the noun
be singular.

S6 Cum bpeit-
"oo t.At>Aiivc A\\
t>eot>Ait> A5up x\j\ rhAf.t>-

He will come to judge the
living and the dead.

He came to buy a horse.
He went to strike the men.
He went to strike the man.

He said that to praise the 'OuOAi^c f6 fin leif An

girl. SCAilin -oo

He came to buy the horse. UAinig fe Cum .an

le

fe Cun DA tif.eAf\

Leif

"DO

570. We can also express the above by means of
the preposition -oo alone, but in this case we must
put the verbal noun before the other noun. This
latter will, of course, be now in the genitive case,
because one noun governs another in the genitive
case. This is the only governing power the verbal noun
has in Irish.

fe t>o CeAtitu\e

He came to buy the horse.

He went to strike the man. CUAI-O f e -DO t>uAiAt> An f ip.

Did you come to strike An t)C.An5Aip -00 bu-AUvo

John ? SeAgAin ?

He came to make fun. UAinig p& T>O

They came to make war. UAH^A-O^X t>o -oeunAm

COgAlt).

N.B. — This latter method is not often used in the
spoken language.

571. When the English infinitive is passive, and
also expresses purpose, use te.

He is to be hanged. UA pe te cpo6A>6, or te

beit cfio£cA.

The milk is to be drunk. UA An bAinne te n-Ot (&c.).

Cows are to be bought at UA bA te

the fair. AonAC.

The grass is to be cut. UA An peuf\ te

The house is to be sold. UA An ceAC te -oiot.

There is no one to be seen Hi pint T>uine A^ bit te

on the road. peicpint A]\ An

57?. When a personal pronoun is the object of the
English infinitive and the latter does not express
purpose, we translate as follows : —

,, (Hi ctfm'ouicme' t)o bUAtAt).

You ought not to strike me. <

(tli coij\ -Dine mo buAtA-6.

(t)A miAn liom e*oo biiAtAt).
1 wished to strike him. ]

(DA miAn tiom A

280

1f miAn Uom i -oo rhoUvo.

I wish to praise her.

jr miAM Itom A moUvo.

It is not right to strike (Hi c6ip IA-O x>o
them. (til c6ij\ A mbuAlA-6.

T. . t i ,1 • -, C\r

It is a bad thing to wound
\
me.

I cannot understand it. tli 615 iiom A

(its understanding).

Could you tell me who it An peiDij\ lev\c A* mnf me

was ? -com CIA 'i\6'e ?

A desire to kill them came U<\mij; miAti A in*xf\t>tA

upon me. 0|\mfA.

In this sentence mAptirA is the genitive case (after
the noun miAn of the verbal noun

573. When the English infinitive governing a per-
sonal pronoun expresses purpose, we translate as
follows : —

Aimj; re t)Otn DVKAUVO.
He came to strike me. { .

{ CAitiig r e le in6 ~oo 5uAtAt).

I went to strike them. -I CUAI-O m6 te II-IAI) -oo
v GnjktAT!).

* Whenever the object of the verbal noun is a phrase, it cannot be
put in the genitive case, but the possessive adjective A is used before
the verbal noun.

p

They are coming to wound]

I1

us. CA pxvo ^5 CCACC le pnn

-oo 5011^-6.

If we used the autonomous form in this last
sentence we would get —

(tAtAp 45 C64CC T>A)\

They are coming to wound I nsonxvo.

us. JUAtAp AS ceACC Le pnn

-oo

674. The English present participle .is usually trans-
lated by the verbal noun preceded by the preposition
45. If the English present participle expresses
"rest " (e.g., standing, sitting, lying, sleeping, &c.)» the
verbal noun must be preceded by the preposition i
( = in) compounded with a suitable possessive adjec-
tive (§ 186).

CA p.vo ^5 ce^ct. They are coming.

t)i .\n bu^cAilt'n^ fe.\r^rh. The boy was standing.
CJk ^n Oe^n HA feap<\rh. The woman is standing.

575. The verbal noun in each of the above is dative
case, governed by the preposition ^5.

576. When the English present participle governs
an objective case, the object if a noun will follow
the verbal noun in Irish and will be in the genitive
case.

He is cutting the grass. UA p6 45 twine An f£ip.
She was stretching out her V)i p 45 finest) A Uiime
hand.

£32

Are you reading the letter? t)puiL cu AS

licj\e?

Who was beating the child? CIA E>i A$ OUAIA-O AH Leinb?

577. If the object of the English present participle
bo a personal pronoun we cannot translate as in the
above sentences, because the pronouns have no geni-
tive case ; hence instead of using the personal pronouns
we must employ the possessive adjectives. Posses-
sive adjectives must always precede the nouns
which they qualify.

He is striking me. "CA p6 'sAtn (or ASOHI)

OUAIA-O (lit. he is at my
beating).

Are you breaking it? t)puH cu '§A

Are you breaking them? t)puil cu '5 A (ASA)

eAt>?

He is praising us. UA fe s^v (AS A\\) molAt).

Is he not burning them ? HAI

They are not striking her. Hi puit fiAt> '54 (ASA)

bUAlAT).

Note carefully the initial effects of the possessive
adjectives on the verbal nouns after them.

233

578. Preceded by AJ\, the Verbal Noun has the force
of a Present Participle Passive, denoting a continued
or habitual state : as,

Hi jrtnl An C6AH5A fin AJ\ That language is not
lAtiAipc Anoir. spoken now.

CA An Cfuic Af\ cfoCA* AJ\ The harp is hanging on
An 115615. the bough.

Sseut Af\ teAn<\rhAinc. A continued story.

In this idiom A^ neither aspirates nor eclipses.

579. With iA|\, after (eclipsing), the Verbal Noun
has the force of a Perfect Participle : as,

Patrick having come into Ireland.

But in this idiom IAJ\ is usually shortened to Ap: as,
Af\ -oceACc, &c., the eclipsis being retained. In collo-
quial language the Verbal Noun is commonly aspi-
rated, not eclipsed, by AP in this usage.

580. 5An. is the word used to express negation
with the Verbal Noun : as, SAM CCACC, not to coine.

At)Ai|\ te t)fUAti 5An An sojvc t)o tf eAfeAt).
Tell Brian not to plough the field.

581. 5 .\n with the Verbal Noun has the force of the
Passive Participle in English with un prefixed: as,

Hlo Cui5 puinc olnA A^uf iAt) $An fniotti,
My five pounds of wool, and they tmspun.

284

582. The genitive of the Verbal Noun is often used
where a relative or infinitive clause would be used in
English: as,

T1iot\ FASA-O peAp innipce

There was not a man left to tell the tidings,

CAiUn -oeAr cfui-oce HA mt>6,
The pretty girl who milks the cows (lit. of the
milking, &c.).

583. The following examples will be studied with
advantage. They are culled from Father O'Leary's
fllion-CAinc : —

Someone is striking me. UAtAp '£Am t>«AlA-6.

I am being struck. CAITTI -corn &UALAT!).

Someone is striking the tAtAj\ A$ buAlA-6 ATI

dog. gA'OAIfV

The dog is being struck. UA AH SA-OAJX -DA t)UAlA-6.

Someone is breaking the CACA|\ AS DpipeA-b HA

stones. gcloC.

The stones are being Cd TIA CIOCA -DA mbpipeA*.
broken.

Thsy used to kill people. t)ic! Ag mAf\oA-6 -OAome.

People used to be killed. tMo-o DAome -OA mApbA-6.

They used to buy horses. t)ici Ag ceAnnAC

Horses used to be bought. l)iotf CApAiU -OA

RAC.

235

We (or they) will be dig- t3eit>pe^i\ 45 bAinc ptvd-

ging potatoes. CAOI.

Potatoes will be dug. t)ei£ ppACAOi T>A mb^inc.

We shall have dug the t)6i-6 r>A PJVAC.AOI

potatoes. ..\5Ainn.

If they were breaking T)A mb6i-6p! ^5

stones, they would not doc ni beit>pi

be cold.

If they are breaking stones

they are not cold. tii

THE VERB 1S.

58$. A definite noun is one limited by its nature or
by some accompanying word to a definite individual
or group.

The following are definite nouns : —

(a) The name of a person or place (but not a class

name like S-AjvmAc).
(fc) A noun preceded by the definite article.

(c) A noun preceded by a demonstrative adjective.

(d) A noun preceded by gx\c (because it means each

taken individually).

(e) A noun followed by any other definite noun in

the genitive case.

Any noun not included in the above classes is an
indefinite noun.

236

585. Whenever a definite noun is the subject of
a verb in English, and the verb ir is employed
in translating into Irish, a personal pronoun must
immediately precede the definite noun in Irish.

John is the man. 1p 6 SeA$»\n AI\

WHEN TO USE THE VERB 1S.

586. (a) When the verb "to be " in English is fol-
lowed by a definite noun, use ir : as,

I am John. 1r mire Se^Sn.

It is the man. 1r 6 An pe^p 6.

You are my brother. 1r cii mo

James is the man. ip 6 Seum^r ATI
It is the woman of the house. 1r i be<\n ^n cige i.

Are you not my friend? H^C cu tno

He is not my father. Hi h-6 pin

All sentences of this class are called "Identifica-
tion sentences."

He, she and they in sentences of identity have
usually the forc^ of demonstrative pronouns, and
are translated by e pn, i fin, u^o r-vn-

(6) When the verb " to be " in English is followed
by an indefinite noun ir or CA may be used,
but with very different meanings. Whenever
wp use the verb if in such a sentence we convey
the idea of " classification," or species : as, ir

237

Aimrhi$e bo. A cow is an animal, &c. ; or we lay
stress on what the person or thing is at the time being,
without any thought that he has become what he, or
it, is. For instance, a father, enumerating to a friend
the various positions in life of his children, may say,
1p ceAnmime Seunu\p, ip pAgApc SeAgAii, Agup ip
peAp T)Li5e TttiCeAl : James is a merchant, John a
priest, and Michael is a lawyer. He should not use
CA in such a case, as he considers simply what each
is at the time being. When CA is used we convey
tne idea that the person or thing has become what he
(or it) is, and that he (or it) was not always so. Sup-
pose a father is telling what professions his sons have
adopted, he should say, CA Sen map 'tiA CeAtinufoe, &c.
In such constructions the verb CA must be followed
by the preposition i or A, and a suitable possessive
adjective.

(c) The difference between c^ and ip is well ex-
emplified by the two sentences if peAp e and CA pe
'HA peAp, both meaning " He is a man." If we see
a figure approach us in the dark, and after looking
closely at it we discover it to be a man, our correct
phraseology would then be, ip peAp 6. But when we
say CA pe 'TIA f e^p we convey a very different idea.
We mean that the person of whom we are speaking
is no longer a boy, he has now Teached manhood.
If anyone were speaking to you of a person
as if he were a mere boy, and you wished to correct
him, you should use the phrase CA pe 'PA

288

(d) When the indefinite noun after the verb "to
be " in English is qualified by an adjective, the verb
if or CA may be used according to the idea we wish to
convey. If we wish to express a " condition sentence "
(i.e., one which has reference to the state or condition
of the subject at the time in question), we use c<i ;
otherwise we employ ip, e.g.,

He is a small man. CA pe 'n-A fe<Ap

He is a useful man. "CA fe 'n& £e<\f\

She was a good woman t)i f i 'n-a trmxioi rh^it.

(e) When the verb ip is employed in such sentences
there is a clioice of two consti-uctions. In the second
construction (as given in the examples below), we
emphasise the adjective, by making it the prominent
idea of the sentence. The definite article must be
used in the second construction.

1f LA btie^S £• I T4- • « j

[It is a fine day.
1f bpe^g .ATI LA 6. \

1f oit)Ce . TA

It is a cold night.

1r b6 btreAS i fin. )

That is a fine cow,
1f bpe-Aj; AT\ G<5 t fin. }

fin ?

J Isn't that a pretty island?
Tl-aC -oexxr An c-oite^n e

239

(/) When a simple adjective follows the verb " to
be" in English, either if or c<* may be employed

in translating, as,

Honey is sweet, if rmtif mil or CA mit milip.
He is strong, if Ui-oip e or CA f e

587. The beginning of a sentence is naturally the
place of greatest prominence, and is usually occupied
in Irish by the verb. When, however, any idea other
than that contained in the verb is to be emphasised,
it is placed immediately after the verb if , and the
rest of the sentence is thrown into the relative form.

For example, "We went to Derry yesterday,"
would be generally translated : CUAI-O finn 50 Doipe
iiroe : but it may also take the following forms
according to the word emphasised.

We went to Derry yester- if finne t>o CUAI-O 50
day. T)oif\e m-oe.

We went to Derry yester- 1f 50 T)oif.e -DO CUAI*
day. finn in"o6.

We went to Derry yester- 1f itroe t>o Cu^it) finn 50
day. "Ooife.

588. The Verb 1S is then used.

(1) To express Identity, e.g., 1f 6 Conn An

(2) „ Classification, „ 1f f.i Conn.
(B) „ Emphasis, „ 1f in-oe -oo

pnn 50

240

POSITION OF WORDS WITH 1S.

589. The predicate cf the sentence always follov/s
1S: as,

Dermot is a man, 1f pe^p X)i.AfuniiiT>.

They are children, 1f pAipoi i<vo.

John is a priest, 1f f«\5-<\j\c

Coal is black, 1f x>ut>

A cow is an animal, 1p .Ainirhige bo.

Turf is not coal, Hi giuvl m6in.

Is it a man? An ve^r 6?

590. Sentences of Identification — e.g., Conn is the
king — form an apparent exception. The fact is that
in this sentence either the word "Conn" or "the
king" may be the logical predicate. In English
" king" is the grammatical predicate, but in Irish it is
the grammatical subject, and "Conn" is the gramma-
tical predicate. Hence the sentence will be, 1f e
Conn An -pi.

591. In such sentences, when two nouns or a pro-
noun and noun are connected by the verb if, as a
general rule, the more particular and individual of
the two is made grammatical predicate in Irish.
The converse usually holds in English. For instance,
we say in English " I am the messenger," but in Irish
if mire *\n ce^CcxMne (lit. "the messenger is I").
Likewise with the following : —

You are the man, if cu <MI pe<xp.
He is the master, If e pin <\n m<\i$ifcip.
^We are the boys, 1f pinne n*i

241

592. Sentences like "It is Donal," " It is the mes-
senger/' &c., are translated if 6 'OorhnAll 6, if e An

e. Here "e "OorhnAU" and " 6 ATI ceAC-
" are the grammatical predicates, and the second
e in each case is the subject.

It is the master, 1f e An mAi£ifcif\ e.
He is the master, 1f 6 fin An mAigifcip.
(The underlined words are the predicates.)

593. In recent times we often find such sentences
as "1f e An ttiAigifdf./' "1f e An peAp," &c., for "It
is the master," " It is the man," in which the last e,
the subject of the sentence, is omitted.

Translation of the English Secondary Tenses.
59S. The English Present Perfect Tense is trans-
lated by means of the Present Tense of the verb CA,
followed by T>' eif (or CAJ\ eif) and the verbal noun.
When -o' 6if comes immediately before the verbal
noun, the latter will be in the genitive case ; but
when -o' eif is separated from the verbal noun by the
object of the English verb, the verbal noun will be
preceded by the preposition -oo, and will be dative case.
He wrote, "Do fspioti f6.

He has just written, UA f 6 t>' eif fg^iotifcA.

He broke the window, t)o bf if f 6 An f-umneog.

He has broken the window, CA f6 1>' eif nA f-umneoige

He has just died, CA f e -o'

o2

242

595. The word "just" in these sentences is not
translated into Irish, and the word after -o' 6if is in
the genitive case.

596. When the English verb is transitive there is
another very neat method of translating the secondary
tenses. As already stated, there is no verb
"to have" in Irish: its place is supplied by the verb
c^ and the preposition ^5. Thus, "I have a book"
is, "CA leADAn -Ag^m. A similar construction may be
used in translating the secondary tenses of an English
transitive verb. The following sentences will illustrate
the construction : —

I have written the letter, C4 AA imp
I have struck him, C-A f 6 buxMlce .454™.

Have you done it yet? t)puit f6 T»euncA
I have broken the stick, CA x\n mAi-oe bf\ifce

597. The English Pluperfect and Future Perfect

are translated in the same manner as the Present

Perfect, except that the Past and Future Tenses re-

spectively of UA must be used instead of the Present,

as above. The following examples will illustrate the

construction : —

He died, "pUAip f6 txaf .

He had just died, t)i p6 t)' 6if t^ip T>'

He had broken the chair, -oo
An

^DeAT) t>' 6if cpiCe -oo Cup
AJ\ mo Cuit) oibpe ful
A mb6ip pei-6 (ultAtfi),

248

The window has just been (~CAtA\\ r>' e"if

broken by a stone, ( -oo t>f\ife.<y6 le cloiC.

/t)i -An licip rspiotit-A AgAm.
I had written the letter, t)ior T>' e"if HA ucpe -oo

I shall have finished my
work before you will be
ready,

Prepositions after Yerbs.

898. We give here a few verbs which require a
preposition after them in Irish, although they require
none in English : —

56iltim -oo, I obey.

i -oo, „

te, I assist.
1nnpm t>o,

mo Cuit) oibpo Cjvi
nuigte AgAm ruL
mt>eij\

•oo, )
te,j

I tell.

A|\, I persuade, prevail over.

?A, I endeavour.

Af, I ask (beseech).

T>e, I ask (enquire).

5eAlLAim -oo, I promise,

-oo, I salute.

244

Ctnrhnigim

no,

•oo,

T>O,

tiom,

te,
tiom

I remember.

I catch, I overtake.

I prepare (gteup ot\c, get

ready).

I allow, permit.
I advise.

I forgive, pardon.
I answer.
I help.
I succeed (lit. It arises with

me).

I confirm, I corroborate.
I can.
I loose.

I beg, I beseech.
I

te,

599. Many verbs require prepositions different from
those required by their English equivalents.

n AH, I speak of.

te, I wait for.

UnACcAim AH, I treat of.

Ceitim AH, I conceal from.

SgAHAitn te, I separate from.

Cuinitn pop AH, I send for.

n te, I speak to.

te, I say to.

te, say, said to (AH is used only
in quotation).

245

"OeutiAim

t)Airnm te (also -DO),
t)eifum bUAit> Af,
UAIHI

te,
te,

dnnim

t)ei|\im

"O lot Aim A
CxMtim te,
C|\omAim

I face (for) (a place).

I make fun of, I mock.

I tremble at.

I belong to, I appertain to.

I win a victory over.

I am bothered with.

I listen to.

It seems to.

I call for.

I excel or surpass in.

I pray for; also, I beseech.

(gtH-o ojvAinn, pray for us.)
look at (f euC opt-A, Look at

them; peuC IAD, Examine

or try them).
I bid farewell to.
I stick to.
I take hold of... by: as, He

caught me by the hand.

Rug f£ Ap tAirh opm.

Catch her by the hand,

tDeip A]\ tAlttl U1|\f1.

I sell to... for. He sold me
a cow for £10. t)iot fe b<3
Uorn A^ t>ei(i bpuncAift,

I pay for.

I throw at.

I begin to (do something).

246

The Negative Adverb— Not.

600. Young students experience great difficulty in
translating the English negative adverb — " not." We
here give the various ways of translating "not."
Not, with the Imperative mood, is translated by nA.
Subjunctive „ „ nA*.

,, „ Verbal Noun „ 5 An.

„ , m (statement, nion or CAT\.
Fast Tense }

(question, MAP or nACAp.
Indicative Mood

All other (statement, ni or CA.

I tenses (question, nAC, nA.

"If... not " is translated by munA :* if the verb be
in the past tense use

All the above forms are used in principal sentences
only. In dependent sentences " that... not " is always
translated by ti.dC or nS, except in the past tense, in-
dicative mood, when n<sp or r\A&Ap must be used.

ni, aspirates; CA, eclipses. CA become^ t^n
before if and ^uil : e.g., c^n m6t It is not I.

How to answer a question. Yes — No.

601. (a) In Irish there are no fixed words for ''Yes"

or •' No." As a general rule in replying to questions,

"Yes" or "No" is translated by using the same

verb and tense as has been employed in the question.

* Pronounced morru.

247

The subject of the verb used in reply need not be
expressed, except when it is contained in the verb end-
ing. In English we frequently use a double reply, as
" Yes, I will." " No, I was not," &c. In Irish we
use only one reply.

"Dpuit cu cinn?

tlAit) f e •Annj->oin ?

An t>jMC<* cu
Hi $ACA or nT

An ttpACA |*e An
ConnAic.

An

Are you sick? Yes. or I

am.

Was he there ? No.
Did you see John ? No.

Did he see the house?

He did.
cu ? Do you understand? Yes.

An •ociocp-Ait) cu ? TH

Will you come? No, 1
will not.

. (6) When the question has been asked with any
part of the verb if, expressed or understood, followed
by a definite noun, the English subject must be used
in the answer, as also must the verb, except when the
answer is negative.

An cu x\n j?eAf\? tli nvfe. Are you the man? No.
H.AC e fin An pex\f ? 1r e. Is not he the man ? Yes,
he is.

Af t>'6 fin Se^n ? Tliop Was that John ? No, it
t>'6. was not.

248

Notice also the following : —

FIRST SPEAKER. SECOND SPEAKER.

1f rnif e An ce^Cc^ipe. An cu ?

I am the messenger. Are you '}

Hi n-e fin Ay. fc\5-Ajvc. HAC e ?

He is not our priest. Isn't he ?

1f 6 An peA|\ 6. Hi h-6.

It is the man. It is not.

(c) Whenever the question is asked by any part of
the verb if, followed by an indefinite predicate, the
word "Yes" is usually translated by repeating the
verb and the indefinite predicate, as —

tl-AC f. u-A|\ .An LA e ? 1f Isn't it a cold day ? Yes,
f.uAf\. or It is.

flAC mAit e? 1f m.Aic. Is it not good? Yes, or

It is.

An Aige ACA An c--Ai|\5eAT)? Is it he who has the
1f ^156. money ? Yes.

But in this case the answer may also be correctly
given by using the neuter pronoun exvo. 1f e*vo (or
for "yes;" ni n-eAt) for " 110."

An nu\TMt) e fin? Hi Is that a dog? No.

e ? 'SeA-6. Is he an Englishman ?

Yes.
e? 'Se^-o. Isn't it good ? It is.

249

(d) When the question is asked with " who " or
" what," the subject alone is used in the answer, and
if the subject be a personal pronoun the emphatic
form will be used, as —

CIA t\irme e pn ? Itlife. Who did that ? I did,

CHAPTEE VI.

The Preposition.

602. As a general rule the simple prepositions
govern a dative case, and precede the words which
they govern : as,

r-e 6 CojtCAig. He came from Cork.

f e An c-utixM,l -oo'n He gave the apple to the
woman.

Exceptions. (1) The preposition it>ir», " between,"
governs the accusative case: as, TOI|\ CofiCAig ^gup
t«imnex\6, between Cork and Limerick.

(2) 50 T>CI,* meaning "io" (motion), is followed by
the nominative case.
CuxM-o r& 50 -oci An ceA6. He went to the house.

*5<> -oci is really a corrupted form of the old subjunctive mood of
the verb cij;itn, I come; so that the noun after 50 -oci was formerly
nominative case to the verb.

250

(3) The preposition SAD, " without," governs the
dative in the singular, but the accusative in the
plural: as,

C-& f e 5An C6ill. He is without sense.

SATI A?. scAifvoe. Without our friends.

603. The words cimCeAU, (around),* cpAftiA or
C|teAftiA (across), coif (beside), PAT> (along), Cum +
or 6«n (towards), coifg (oiving to), t>AtA, TDAICA, and
[lomtur^] (a* tot or concerning), although really nouns,
are used where prepositions are used in English.
Being nouns, they are followed by the genitive case.

"buAit f6 PAT) tiA f|\ome 6. He struck him along the

An mD6i-6 cu Ag -out Cum Will you be going to
An AonAi$ 1 mbAfVAC? (towards) the fair to-

morrow ?

"On pit f6 cimceALl T\A He ran around this place.

n-Aice feo.

*Oo CiiADAf cf AfnA An They went across the field

£uif\u eoptiA. of barley.

For the so-called compornd prepositions see par. 608, <tc.

604. The prepositions i (in) and te (with) become
itif and Leif before the article : eg.. inp AH te.<^,\«i in

* The meanings given in parenthesis are the usual English equira-
lents, not the real meaning of the twrdt.
tThe m in this word is pronounced like n.

251

the book ; teif An bpe^p, with the man. In Munster 6
(from), -oe (off, from), -DO (to), 4156 (=^5, at, urith), and
some others take f before the plural article — 6 f n^\
>, from the men ; T>O fn<x bu.Ait>, to i/ie cows.

605. The simple prepositions cause aspiration
when the article is not used with them : as, Aj\
b-Af\i\ An Cnuic. On the top of the hill. |?«A1|\ f 6 6 £ex\p
.an ci$e 6. He got it from the man of the house.

Exceptions (1) The prepositions 45, at ; le, urith ; &?,
out : 50, to, cause neither aspiration nor eclipsis ;
as, 'Do tuic f6 te gott. He fell by Goll. CUAI-O fe
50 t)Aile-AtA-CliAt. He went to Dublin.

5^11, without, may aspirate or not.

(2) The preposition i or A, in, causes eclipsis even
without the article : as, t)i fe i sCopcxxig. He was in
Cork.

606. The simple prepositions, when followed by the
article and a noun in the singular number, usually
cause eclipsis: as, ap An mbApp, on the top; 6 'n

from the man ; '^An mobile, at home.

Exceptions. (1) The prepositions t)o,* to, and -oe,
of, off, from, when followed by the article, usually cause
aspiration, though in some places eclipsis takes place.

•50 or 50 -ori is usually used for "to" when motion to is implied
(the Latin aoc. of motion). x>o is usually used for "to" when no
motion is implied (the Latin dative).

26*

Aspiration is the more common practice: -DO 'ti
to the man; -oe'n riinAoi, from the woman. They
prefix c to r; as, Cug r^ "oo'n cfASApc e. He gave
it to the priest. SA (=inp ATI) usually aspirates in
Munster ; JTA bcrgA riidp, in the big box.

(2) When gAn, without, is followed by the article it
produces no change in the initial consonant follow-
ing: as, SATJ An fion, without the wine; but if the
following noun be masculine and begin with a vowel,
or be feminine beginning with f, c is prefixed: as,
5-dn An c-eun, without the bird ; gAn An cf oil, without
the eye.

In the Northern dialect aspiration takes place after
the preposition and the article.

607. When a simple preposition ending in a vowel
comes before the possessive adjective A (his, her, or
their), or the possessive AJ\, our, and t>up, your, the
letter n is inserted before the possessive : as, te n-A
tAirh, by his hand; cf6 n-A mDofAit), through their
palms ; ie n-Aj\ gcui-o, with (or by) our portion ; le
noun -ocoit, with your permission.

Except the prepositions -oo and t>e, which become t>'.

Whenever 50 or le comes before any other word
beginning with a vowel the letter n is usually inserted :
as, 6 rhAit)in 50 h-oi-oCe, from morning till night ; 50
h-AtbATn, to Scotland; le n-eAglA, with fear. (See
par. 29.)

258

608. In Irish certain nouns preceded by prepositions
have often the force of English prepositions. As
nouns they are, of course, followed by a genitive
case, unless a preposition comes between them and
the following noun, when the dative case naturally
follows. Such locutions are styled in most grammars
" Compound Prepositions," and to account for their
construction they give the rule " Compound Preposi-
tions are followed by the genitive case."

609. We give here a fairly full list of such phrases
employed in Modern Irish.

along with; on the side of.
in the presence of.

of comne, before; face to face.

for the sake of, for the love of

under the pretext of.

along with, in company with.

1 T>CeAtlCx3i, '

i •QC-AOD, concerning ; with regard to.

i 5ce.Ann, at the end of.

re -oem, )

for, (in the sense of going Jor).
1 gcoinne, }

re -oem, towards.

among, amongst.

254

te

i 5C61|\, (, gcorhoip),

At\ CUt,

1 TITMAlt),

c.Ap. eip, "o'eip,

1 scomnib, i gcoinne,

1 _

cun, }

(turn),}

t>' ionnpxMt>e,

;.!

te coif

COIf

oif,")

, )

t)0

op ciorm,

te ti-Aip,

i 5C.Ai6e.Arh, i fit,

1 n-Ain-oeom,

te

1 n-Aice,

opposite.

against.

throughout (used of time).

for want of.

throughout (used of space)

for, for the benefit of.

behind, at the back of.

after (used of place).

after (used of time).

against.

concerning, about.

to, towards.

towards.

beside, by the side of (a sea,
river, &c.)

according to.

over, above.

beyond, in preference to.

beside, by (he side of.

during.

in spite of.

for, for the use of.
near.

255
610. Some of them are followed by Prepositions.

le, near, beside.

VJ;AP -DO, near.

around (and touching).
on account of.
tnAf\ Aon le, along with, together with.

1 n-em£eACc le,) together with, at the same

,j time as.

611. Examples — (1) Nouns.

Do cuip r^ or cionn An He put it over the door.

Conn AC i n-Aice An cobAin I saw them near the well.

Do pit An SA'OAH 1 troiAi-6 The hound ran after the

An cponnAig. fox.

CIA bi i bpocAif\ SeumAif ? Who was along with

James?
Do t«s f 6 -Dom An CApAll He gave me this horse for

f o le h-A$xxi-o An the priest.

A|\ Aif t)' 6if An I shall come back after

the summer,

tl! puil leigeAf AJ\ bit i There is no remedy against

n-A$Ai-6 An t>Aif. death.

Do cuAit) f6 PA -oem nA He went for the horses.

JCApAll.

Ap peA-6 An lAe. Throughout the day.

Ap purt nA cipe. Throughout the country.

256

T)o fv6ip An teAttAip peo. According to this book.

CA f 6 le coif nA pAippse. He is beside the sea.

"Do 6«ip p6 An tub cim- He put the loop around
CCAU AI\ mo CeAnn. my head.

612. (2) Pronouns.

Oinij; pe" im IOIAI*. He came after me.

HA c6i£ 'nA n-oiAi-6 peo. Do not go after these.
CIA oi 'nA p.oCAip? Who was along with him?

6 pin Ap -oo fon. I shall do that for your

CeAnnui£ip e peo tern Did you buy this one for

me?

I was opposite them,
op Af The lark is above us.

t)lOf A|\ A n-A

CA An

gcionn.
An pAitt cu i n-^l|\

(i n-Aice Unn)?
t)i pe i n-Aice tiom.
fiAt) im

n-Aice Were you near us?

He was near me.
They came against me.

Translation of the Preposition " For."
613. (a) When "for" means " to bring," "to fetch,"

use P.A •66m, A 5-comne, or A$ iAf\p AI-O, followed by a

genitive case; or A$ CJMAII AJ\: as,

Go for the horse. £61$ ^5 cjtiAlt AJ\ An
He went for John. CUAI-O p6 pe t)6in

257

(b) When "/or" means "to oblige," "to please,"
use -oo, followed by the dative case : as,
Do that for him. T)eun fin t>6.

Here is your book for you. 'Seo t>uic t>o

Use T>O to translate "for" in the phrases "good
for," "bad for," "better for," &c.: as,

This is bad for you. 1f olc t>uic e feo.

(c) When "for" means "for the use of," use te
n-AgAi-6, followed by a genitive case, or -oo \vith
dative.
I bought this for the Ce^nnui^eAf 6 fe° te

priest. n-AgAit) An cp^g^ipc

(•oo'n cf-AgApc).
He gave me money for £05 f£ Aif\5eA-o -com le-o*

you.

(d) When "for" means " duration of time" use te,
with the dative case, if the time be past, but 4j\ j?e.<v6
or 50 ceAnn, with the genitive case, if the time be
future. In either case past and future are to be
understood, not with regard to present time, but to
the time of the action described.

(1) He had been there for t)i f£ ^nn le

a year when I came. nuAin t-dinig

(2) He stayed there for a TV f^n f 6 Ann

year. (50 ce-Ann)

258

In the first sentence the year is supposed to be completed at the
time we are speaking about, and is, therefore, past with regard to the
time we are describing.

In the second sentence the time at which the action of staying (If
we be allowed to use the word "action") took place at the very
beginning of the year that he spent there. The year itself came after
the time we are describing ; therefore it is future with regard to that

It will be a great assistance to the student to remember that
Aji f eA-6 or 30 ceAtiti are used when in the English sentence the fact
is merely stat3d, as in sentence (2) ; and that te is used when a
secondary tense ought to be used in the English sentence, as in sen-
tence (1).

(e) When "for" means "for the sake of," use A$
f on followed by a genitive case.
He toiled for a little gold. £dottu>i$ f6 AJ\ fon

(/) When "for" is used in connection with "buy-
ing" or "selling," use A|\ followed by a dative case.
He bought it for a pound. Ce^nnuig pe -Af £unc 6.
I sold it for a shilling. "OiotAf -A|\ flitting 6.

(g) "For" after the English verb "ask" is not
translated in Irish.

He asked me for a book. TV iApp f6 teAt!>At\ opm.
Ask that man for it. 1.dpp -AJ\ -ATI t>j:e.Af\ foin e.

(li) "For" after the word "desire'' (-ouit) is usually
translated by i (=in): as, Desire for gold, -ouiL i n-6f

Or, T)Ult Itlf At! 6fV.

259

(i) The English phrase "only for" very often
means "were it not for," "had it not been for," and
is translated by triune mtn^t), followed by a nomina-
tive.
Only for John the horse TTIupA mbe.A-6 Se^gxxn -oo

would be dead now. oexvo An CApAll m^po

614. Note the following Examples.

I have a question far you. CA ceif c A^Am ope.
To play jor (a wager).
To send/o?\

At\
-oo

A. cure for sickness.

To wait for.

For your life, don't tell.

He faced for the river.

They fought for (about)

the Fiannship.
Don't blame him /or it.

I have great respect for

you.
This coat is too big for me.

What shall we have for
dinner? 4

It is as good for you to do ~CA
your best.

cmnif.

te.

^ cuif\ A
blame on him).

(its

An COCA fo f6-mop

com

260

615. Translation of the Preposition " Of."

(a) Whenever "of" is equivalent to the English
possessive case, translate it by the genitive case in
Irish.

The son of the man. TTI-AC -An pip.

The house of the priest. CeAC .ATI

There are cases in which the English "of," al-
though not equivalent to the possessive case, is trans-
lated hy the genitive in Irish.

The man of the house. pe^p .an ci£e.

A stone of meal. Clot mine.

(&) Whenever "of" describes the material of which
a thing is composed, or the contents of a body, use
the genitive case.

A ring of iron. £Ainne lAjvAinn.

A cup of milk. CupAn bAinne.

A glass of water. glome uirge.

(c) When "of" comes after a numeral, or a noun
expressing a part of a whole, use t>e with the dative ;
but if the word after " of" in English be a personal
pronoun, use one of the compounds of 45 with the
personal pronouns.
The first day of the week. An Ceu-o LA -oe'n

fflAlfl.

One of our hounds. Ce^nn T>' A?

Many of the nobles. TTIopxin -oe n

One of us was there. t)i -oume

261

Some of them. Cum ACA.

One of these (persons). "Ouine ACA fo.
XX leAt is used for "half of it" or " half of them."

(d) When "of follows "which," use -oe with
iiouns, and AJ; with pronouns.

Which of the men? CIA (CIACA) -oe TIA peAt\AiE>?

Which of us? CIA

(e) When " of" means " about " use citnCiotl or pi.

They were talking of the t)ioT>Ap AS CAIHU cimcioll

matter.

(/) " Of" after the English verb "ask/' "inquire,'
is translated by -oe.

Ask that of John. piApj\ui$ fin -oe SeAjAn.

(g] When "of" expresses "the means" or' instru-
ment " use te or -oe.

He died of old age.

He died of hunger. puAip f e t>x$p teif An octvAf .

He died of a seven days' "puAip r6 Wf "°e

sickness. f eACc UA.

(h) Both of us. Smn

Both of you. Sib AjvAon.

Both of them. SIAT) AIVAOH, IAX>

262

616. Further Examples.

He is ignorant of Irish. UA fe AinttpofAC tnf

The like of him.
Such a thing as this.
Don't be afraid of me.
A friend of mine.
A friend of yours.
A horse of mine.
A horse of Brian's.
I have no doubt of it.
A man of great strength.
Oisin of mighty strength
and vigour.

A teitei-o (his like),
-A teiceix) f eo -oe JUTO.
HA bio-o eAj;tAOi\c i\6rhAm.
CAJVA -corn.

te

til

Oipn t)A tpeun
tut.

(t)A is the past tense of if in the previous sentence.)
I think much of it. CA

CHAPTER VII.

Classification of the Uses of the Prepositions.
617. A5, AT.

1. To denote possession (a) with cd.

<5 rji^n AgAtn. I have a knife.

A Aitne AAtn -A An I know that man.

268

(6) With other verbs :

CoimeA-o f 6 AH fgiAn Aige He kept the knife for him-
83lf.

t)' f AS f6 ACA iAt> He left them to them.

2. It is used in a partitive sense, of them, &c

-Aon Dume ACA. Anyone of them.

£,Aci Aon ACA. Each one of them.

3. With verbal nouns to translate the English
present participle :

(a) active — UA f6 ^5 bttAlAO -an

He is beating the boy.

(&) passive — UA AH buACAitt AJA ('$A)

The boy is being beaten.

4. With verbal nouns followed by DO, meaning
" while."

AS -out -0610. While they were going.

5. To express the agent or cause with passive verbs.

CA An 6toc SA(ASA) cosAti The stone is being raised
45 SeAmur-. by Jarneo.

The English preposition at when used with as
semblies, e.g. market, fair, school, &c.t IB usually
translated by AI\.

264

618. Att, ON, UPON.

1. Literal use : Ap -An mbojvo, on the table.

2. In adverbial phrases :

(a) TIME.

Ap bAU, just now, by and by. A? peA-6, daring.
IA -Af LA, day by day. AJ\ mAroin, in the morning.

AJ\ uAif\iti, by times. AJ\ An lAtAip, immediately.

(6) PLACE.

AF bit, in existence, at all. AJ\ eca, behind.

AJA le^f , ^ A|\ rgoiL, in school.

AI\ pAi^fSe, > at sea. AJ\ put), throughout,

Af mui|\, / -Afi nexirii, in heaven.

A|\ Uip, on the ground. Ap bo^-o, on board.
-Af ci, on the point of.

earth.
, in length.

Ap f Ait),* lengthwise. Af An -ooitAf , by (through)

the door.

!Af PA-O (rAi"o)> three feet long.
At\ teiteAt), ,, wide.

i.- i
A|\ Aoif\t)e, „ high.

A|\ t)oiriine, ., deep.

(c) CAUSE.
AF An ^.-6ftAtt fom, for that AP teAtct\om, under op-

reason, therefore. pression.

Af fon, for the sake of. Ap coil, according to the
50, for foar that. will of.

* AJ\ A FAIO, literally on its length,

265

AP 61 gin, hardly, by com- Aft CO&A, at the choice of.
pulsion.

(d) MANNER AND CONDITION.

Ap Cop Ap bit, on any con- Ap t>eilt>, in the form of.

dition. Ap fiutiAl, in progress.

Ap An rntf-o, in the manner. Ap A lAigeAt), at least.

Ap AgAit), forward. Ap Aif , back.

, face to face. Ap scut, backwards.

te^t, side by side. ap. cjtAf n^, breadthwise.

), ablaze. Ap pan, ")

in tiie power of. ^p f e^t^&n,)

fteAs^n, little <A|\ meifse, drunk.

by little. ^l\ f OT>A|\, trotting.

on credit. AJ\ i-Afx\(ic, on loan.

3. In numbers :

>, 28.

, 23rd,

4. (a) Before the verbal noun, which it eclipses or

aspirates to form the past participle active.
Ap •ourixvo ^n T>of\Aip *o6it> Having shut the door,
•o' imtigeAOAp. they went away.

(b) With the possessive adjective A and verbal
noun to form perfect participle passive.

Aj\ n-A Cup 1 n-eAgAfi AJ, Edited by.

Aj\ n-A Cup AtriAC Ag ConnpA-6 HA ^AeTiilge, Pub
lished by the Gaelic League.

266

5. Emotions felt by a person :

Care, sorrow, &c. CA imnt-oe, b|\6n

Thirst, hunger, need, sick- UA CAJVC, ocf\Af,
ness. tinneAf oj\tn.

Fear. CA eAgtA, ^AicCiop opm.

Joy. CA lucgAifv, ojun.

6. In phrases :

UioTbtACAt) AJ\, favour (con- CA t>Ao£Al
f erred) ow. danger.

Cion, ge^n ^p, aifection Cturhne Af, remembrance
/or. o/.

ColAr, pof, Aitne A|\,

Knowledge of, acquaint-

ance with.
5fuiin ^t\, horror of, or "p«At A^, hatred of.

disgust with. p«iC Af, debt due from.

~CA Ani|AAf A5i\tn Aip, I

suspect him.
Curh-Acc Af, power over.
\, victory over.

there is

-v

A|\, I complaint
>
i against.

>f, power over,
capacity for.

|?U\CA Ap, claim upon.
"Oe

on6it\ AH, honour (given) X)'

tO. t)'

A^A o °-
^, - gation

, J 07Z.

In the above phrases the agent is expressed by Ag
where possible, CA sttJto, seAn, eolo>r, cuirhne, &c.,

AgAtTI Of\C.

267

7. Aft is used after various classes of verbs.

(a) Verbs of motion upon or against (striking,

inflicting, &c.).

pi An AJ\. I punish.

AH (te). I throw at.

CAf\tA Aft.

CAfA-6 An £6Af\ opm. I met the man.

"Do $AD f 6 T>e 6toCAit> oftA. He threw stones at them.
(6) After the verb t>emitn.

t)ei|tim

t)eif\im

t)eipim -oiol Ap.
Deipim* PA r\-veApA A

t)eif\itn 5f 4t) Ap.
t)ei|\im miniu$Ai6 Ajt.
(c) After the Yerb
Aft ..... Ap.

I call (name), (ap before
person), induce, persuade,
compel a person (to do
something).

I attempt (something or to
do something).

I requite, repay (a person).

I cause, make (a person do
something).

I love (fall in love with), &c.

I explain.

Af\.

t)eipim t)f»eiteAtfinAf Ap,
buAi-6 A\\ .

I catch, seize (a person) by

(the hand, &c.).
I overtake, I catch.
I judge, pass judgment on.
I conquer.

may be used in this sense.

After verbs of Praying, Beseeching, Appeal-
ing to.

At\. I ask, entreat (a person).

p. I pray for (sometimes I

pray to}; but generally
Sin-Dim 6um T)6 AJ\ f on &c.
I pray to God for.
Aft. I beseech.

(«) After verbs of Speaking about, Thinking of,
Treating of, Writing of, &c.

l,At>fvAim Ap, I speak of. SmuAimm AJV, I think of.

Af\, I treat of. Sgp'0^101 AtA> I write of,
\, I remember. or about.

(/) Verbs of looking at :

A\ or T)eAACAim <i. I look at.

(g) Verbs of threatening, complaining, offending,
displeasing, &c.

t)A5f Aim Af\. I threaten.

5oillim A|\. I am troublesome to.

toCc At. I find fault with.

Qi) Verbs of concealing, neglecting, hindering, for-
bidding, refusing, &c.

Ceitim AJ\. I conceal from.

Coif\meAf5Aim Af. I hinder or forbid.

FAiU,i£im A|\. I neglect.

269

(i) Verbs of protecting, guarding, guaranteeing
against.

cu f.em AP An Take care of yourself from

fin. that car.

•oo tAm Ap An Take care! That stone
fin. will hurt your hand.

8. (a) Cuipim is used with verbal nouns and adverbial
phrases beginning with Ap :

I put in a tremble.
I put on one's guard.
Cuipim AP feAcpAn. I set astray.

Cuipim Ap CAip-oe. I put off, delay, postpone.

Cuipim AP gcuL. I put aside.

neimnit). I reduce to nothing, I

annihilate.
(b) Also with many nouns : —

ceifc Ap. I question.

Cuipim comAoin Ap. I do a kindness to.

Cuipim

cpAinn Ap (cAp). I cast lots for.

Cuipim cum A Ap. I arrange.

Cuipim gAipm (pof) Ap. I send for.
Cuipim lAtti AP. I set about.

I apply a remedy to.

I lay a snare for.
moiU Ap. I delay.

Cmpim coipmeAfg Ap. I hinder.

Cuipim impitie Ap. I beseech.

9. 5nim is used

flict... on.'1

tjnim t>A5Af\ Ap.
jnim buAit>neA>6 AJ\.
jjnim CAfAoit) Af.
jnim eu5c6ift A$.
5 mm f.eAU Af..

5nitn topeite.Ariin.Ar
tjnitn

270
many nouns meaning "I in-

I threaten.

I trouble.

I complain of.

I wrong.

I act treacherously to-
wards.

I exercise authority over,
I restrain.

I judge, pass judgment
upon.

I watch.

619.

AS, OUT OF, FROM.

1. Literal use : out of, from, &c.

CuAit) f 6 Af ATI cig. He went out of the house.

t)uL Af AM mbeAtAi-6. To depart from life.

2. With various other verbs :

Af co-olAt). I arouse from sleep.

I dispossess.
I hang from.
I utter (a shriek, &c.).
I let off.
I erase from.
To fall asunder.
To pull asunder.

Af .

AfAtn.
lei 51 in Af.
Sgpiof Aim Af.
Uuicim Af A C6ite.

Af A ce"ile.

271

3. To express origin, cause; ground of proof; confi-

dence, trust in :

Af 5<\C Aif\-o. From every quarter.

SoC.Af\ -oo t>Atnc Af. Derive benefit from.

An JMC A\>. The reason why.

xXf fo f uAf . Henceforth.

1f -pottuf Af . It is evident from,

loncuigte .Af. Inferable from.

1TIuini5in Af. Confidence in.

4. After verbs, of boasting or taking pride in :

*\f. I boast of.

xjp. Glorying in.

"L\nrhAf\ Af pem. Full of himself.

620. Cun (cum), TOWARDS.

1. Cum is used alter Yerbs of motion:

C«Ait) fe Com ^n cige. He went to wards the house.
Cup Cum j?xMpt\5e. To put to sea.

2. Before Yerbal noun to express purpose :

UJkini5 fe Cum ^n CApxMll He came to sell the horse.
•oo -OioU

272

8. In Phrases, as :

Cum cf\iCe. To bring to pass.

I take for myself.

Cup Cum t>Aif. To put to death.

Leig Cum bAip. Let die.

gleufCA Cum oit>j\e. Prepared for work,

Cum 50. In order that.

5uitmn Cum. I pray to.

"Out Cum t)ti$eAt>. To go to law.

621. t>e, FROM, OUT OP.

1. Literal use :

t)Aimm T>e. I take from.

6if\i$im t>e. I arise from.

Cuicim -oe. I fall from.

SsAOilim -oe. I loose from (anything).

2. Partitive use:

"Ofxong t)e nA t)Aoim1i. Some of the people.

"Ouine -oe n^ peA^ Aitt. One of the men.

. One of the O'Mahoney's.

Often before the relative it is equivalent to a
superlative relative :

t)euf\jMt> SAC nit) "o* -i I will give everything I

have,

273

If 6 An peAf if Aoitvoe t>'

He is the tallest man 1

ever saw.

Ili mAit leir nit) T)' A -ecus- He does not like anything
Aif T>6. you gave him.

8. In the following phrases:

t>e D|M$, because
•o' eAglA 50, lest
•o' Aoif , of age
•oe fiop, perpetually
•oe •ofuitn, owing to
•o' 6if , after
•oe -oeoin, willingly
•oe full le, in expectation
of

•o' Aif jte, for certain
•oe jtiAt, usually
•oe $niorii, in effect
•oe m' iul,to my knowledge
t>e -oit, 1 for lack of,
•o' eAfbAi-o, \ want of
•o' Airiroeom, unwillingly,

in spite of
•oe tAoio, concerning

4. After following verbs, &o. :

T»e.
T>e.

lioncA -oe (le).
LAH T>e.

gnitn c-dSAipc -ce.
xif Ait) TDC.
... -oe ...,
T»iom

I ask (enquire) of.

I adhere to.

Filled with.

Full of.

1 mention.

I make use of.

I make ... out of (from)

I let slip.

5. To translate "with," &c., in phrases like x>e
\vilh a leap, at a bound.

274
T30, TO, FOR.

1. Literal use :

(a) After adjectives (generally with ir) :
cinnce x>o, certain for (a person),

coif T)O, right for (a person).

•oo, necessary for.

•oo, good for.

better for.

(/>) After nouns:

(•out) i focAf T)O, for the advantage of.

(if) beAtA -66, (is) his life.

•60, (is) his father.

(c) After verbs:

-Aitnim T)o, I command. Cinnim T>O, I appoint for.

t)fonnAitn x>o (A\\) I pre- CottiAiftijim -oo, I advise.

sent to.

T)e6nui5im -oo, I vouch- "OiuLc-Aim -oo, I renounce,
safe to.

•oo, I announce "pOgnAim T>O, I am of use
to. to.

•oo, I answer. 5eA^A1rn "°0> ^ promise,

obey or leigim t)o, I allow, let.

'£ do homage to. 1nnpn -oo, I tell.

V-/XAI I *J^X.\I I4M1II \J\J) f

•oo, I order. ^_ . t \\ show

5-AthMm>oocoj\Mt:>, I trample. Coiglim "oo, I spare.

275
2. To express the agent :

After the verbal noun, preceded by Ap, AS, &c. :
Af\ -oceACc Antif o -o6it>. On their arrival here.

With the participle of necessity, participles in

ion, &c. :
11! molcA -ouic 6. He must not be praised

by you.
1f 6 fin ip itroe'AticA -ouic. That's what you ought to

do.

8. For its use in connection with the verbal noun see
pars. 563. 568, 570.

623.

FA or F£, UNDER, ABOUT, CONCERNING.

1. Literal use : as,

UA f 6 PA 'n mbop-o. It is under the table.

2. FA is used in forming the multiplicatives :

A cpi pe -66, twice three.

A -06 pe CeAtAip, four times two.
8 In adverbial phrases:

pA CorhAijt, (keeping) for. p4 leit, separately.

PA -oeo, at last. PA •6eif\eAI6, at last.

PA feAC, individually, PA mAf . just so (as),
separately.

276

824. 5AT1, WITHOUT.

1. Literal use :

5^n pinginn im p6cA. Without a penny in my

pocket.

2. To express not before the verbal noun :

5411 cej.Cc. Tell him not to come.

825. 50, WITH.

1. This preposition used only in a few phrases:
generally before leit, a half.
1Tlile 50 teit. A mile and a half.

50 teit. A yard and a half.

628. 50, TO, TOWARDS.

1. Literal use : motion, as —

go t,tnmne.&6. To or towards Limerick.

2. In Phrases :

6 «Aij\ 50 ti-UAijt. From hour to hour.

0 ti6m 50 66ite. . From evening to evening.

0 rhxM-oin 50 ti-oi-oCe. From morning till night.

277

627. 1 (in, x\nti), IN, INTO (Eclipsing
1. Of time :

1nf An cSAriijtAt). In Summer.

2. Of motion to a plaoe :

1 n-6ij\mn t>o Patrick having come into
Ireland.

3. Of rest at a place :

UA f e 1 nTJoip e. He is in Derry.

4. In following phrases :

i.n-AomfeACCte, along with. i ti-A£Ai-6, against.
1 ntnAit), after. 1 gce^nn, at end of.

1 gcomne, against. i scorhAif, in front of.

i tifoc-Aijt, in company with. 1 meArs, among.
>t>cim(iioU, about.

5. After words expressing esteem, respect, liking, &e.,

for something :

1 n-6|\. Desire for gold.

6. Used predicatively after UA :

UAim im' pe^f\ tAi-oif ^noif. I am a strong man now.

7. In existence, extant :

1f topers An Aimp|\ ACA It's fine weather we're
Ann. having

278
Hi crtin "i>utc "out AtnAC ~] An Aimpifi fu-Ap ACA Ann

You ought not to go out considering the cold
weather we have now.

8. Used after c4 to express "to be able."

Hi tMonn Ann p6m iompOt>. He cannot turn.

9. After cuip , t»eif , -out, in phrases like :

Cuif\im i gctnrhne t>o. I remind.
t)ul i f OCAP t>o. To benefit.

628. t01tt, BETWEEN, AMONG.
1. Literal use :
nOf i-oip n^ HorhAnCxvi5, a custom among the

Romans,
difference between them.

2. rom...A5US, BOTH... AND.

roif fAit)t>if Aguf t>o6c, both rich and poor.
iT)if Atx\i|\ Aguf rhAc, both father and son.

up uAnAit>, both sheep and lambs.
if mnAit), both men and women.

629. te, WITH.

1. Literal use, with :

with the steward.

279

2. With if to denote possession:

1p tiompA e. It is my own. It belongs to me.

Cu\ teif 1A-0 ? Yv ho owns them ?

3. With ip and adjectives to denote "in the opinion of: '

1f pu tiom e. I think it worth my while.

"Do b' pAT)A teif. He thought it long.

4. To denote instrument or means:

t)fiir-e.<vt> An ftnnneog te The window was broken

ctoic. by a stone.

bAf teif An oc|\Af. He died of hunger,

te ceim-o e. He was burned with fire.

5. After verbs or expressions of motion:

Airu\6 teip, Out (he went).

SiAp tir> ! Stand back !

*O' imtig fi teiti, She departed.

6. With verbs of touching; behaviour towards; say-
ing to ; listening to ; selling to ; paying to ;
waiting for :

6ir-t t,iotn, Listen to me.

t)v\mitn te, I touch.

te, I speak to.

.Ati t>6 teif , I sold the eow to him.

tiom, Do not wait for me.

280

7. After words expressing comparison with, likeness
to, severance from, union with, peace with,
war with, expectation of,

O re Com Apr) liom. He is as tall as I.

~CA re cofriiAil leac. He is like you.

*Oo rs-An fe leo. He separated from them.

8. With verbal noun to express purpose, intention

(see pars. 567, 569).

9. In following phrases : —

le ti-A&Ai-o, for (use of), le coir, near, beside.

te ti-uCc, with a view to. lAin'i le, near.

te tv-Air, beside. map Aon le, along with

le r-AtiAit), downward. c-aoii le, beside.

630. mATl, LIKE TO, AS.

1. Literal use : as, like to.

n\A\\ rm, thus ^EUT mAV T'n *°^' an<i so on-

"Oo $lxvc r^ m^p C6ile i. He took her for a spouse.
PA tru\t\ A-OUOAII\C re, (according) as he said.

2. Before relative particle A, it is equivalent to as,

how, where, &c.

-AH x\ic wxxp A f-xMtt r6> tne place where he was.

3. For an idiomatic use of mAp, see par. 358.

281
631. 0, PROM, SINCE.

1. Since (of time) : as,

6 tuj% from the beginning. 6 f om, ago.
Conjunction : as,

0 T1AC bjTACAf pUD AJ\ bit, tAn^Af AbAlle Af\ij\

Since I saw nothing I came home again.

2. Of place, motion from:

0 61 [\irni, from Erin.

8. In a modal sense :

6-0 C|voi-6e, with all thy heart.

boCc 6 (i) fpiopAVO, poor in spirit.

4. After words expressing severance from, distance
from, going away from, turning from, taking
from, exclusion from, cleansing, defending,
protecting, healing, alleviating.

632. OS, OVER.

Used only in a few phrases as :

6f cionn, above, over. bun 6f cionn, upside down.

6f ipol, silently, secretly. 6p AJVO loudly.

282

633. noittl, BEFORE.

1. Of time:

X)ei6 ti6iirut> fioitfi (Cun) Ten minutes to three.

A cj\i.
Hoime r-eo. Before this, heretofore,

formerly.
Roime pin. Previously.

2. Of fleeing before, from; coming in front of; lying

before one (= awaiting) ; putting betore one
(= proposing to oneself):

Cibe" ctnpeAf poirhe 6 peo Whoever proposes to do

•oo -oeunArh. this.

t)i An 5it\fApAt> AS jut poitii The hare was running

DA cotuMti. from the hounds.

3. After expressions of fear, dislike, welcome, &c. :

V\A bio-6 eAglA ope t\6mpA. Do not be afraid of them.
|A6ttiAC (pCrhAib) ! Welcome !

634. CAT*, BEYOND, OVEE, PAST.
1. Of motion (place and time) :
teim p6 tAf Ati mt)Alt<\. He leaped over the wall.
An tt>i peo §At> tonAinn. Last month.

2. Figuratively: "in preference to," "beyond."
UAJ\ mAj\ t>i f 6 -Deic Compared with what it was
mbtiA-bnA piceAt) 6 fom. 80 years ago.

-66. Beyond what was lawful
for him.

283

3. In following phrases :

•out cAf\, transgress. ceACc tAp, refer to, treat of

CAJ\ 6if, after. tAp Aif, back.

CeAnn 50, notwith-
standing.

635. CHS, (UttT), THROUGH, BY MEANS OF.

1. Physically, through :

Up6 n-A VAriiAifc. Through his hands.

2. Figuratively, " owing to " :

Unit) fin. Owing to that.

N.B. — In the spoken language cpi-o is generally
used instead of cp e or

636. 13111, ABOUT, AROUND.

1. Time : um t\\Atr\6i\A, in the evening.

2. Place : um An ci$, around the house.

B. About : of putting or having clothing on.

T)o Cui^eAT)AiA umpA A They put on their clothes.

4. Cause: uime fin, therefore.

.284

PARSING.
637. R. Parse each word in t"ie following sentence :

(Prep. Grade, 1900).

-oeip An irreg. trans, verb, indie, mood, pre-
sent tense, analytic form of the verb .
•oeipirn (verbal noun, jv&o).

eumAp A proper noun, first declen., genitive
' SeumAif, 3rd pers. sing., masc. gen.,
nom. case, being subject of At>eif\.

gup A t conjunction used before the past
tense : compounded of 50 and po.

['t>] The dependent form, past tense, of the
verb if.

Leip A prepositional pronoun (or a pronomi-
nal preposition), 3rd pers. sing., maso.
gender. Compounded of te and p 6.

pCm An indeclinable noun, added to teif for
the sake of emphasis.

An The definite article, nom. sing, masc.,
qualifying the noun c^p-Alt.

AP-AU, A com. noun, first declen., genitive
CApAiU, 3rd pers. sing., masc. gend.
and nom. case, being the subject of
the suppressed verb ['&].

285

•DO A particle used as a sign of the past
tense, causing aspiration ; but here it
has also the force of a relative.

Ci An irreg. intrans. verb, indie, mood

past tense, analytic form of the verl
c^im (verbal noun, oeit).

A prepositional pronoun, 3rd sing.,
masc. gender, compounded of 45
and e.

B. Parse the following sentence : T)o Cur.i pi
mortA Af\ •oeA|\5-lA»M'0 i n-T)ion ctge tiA fcoi
tae DCAlc-Aine. (Junior Grade, 1900).

t)o A particle used as the sign of the past
tense, causing aspiration.

£uif\ A reg. trans, verb, indie, mood, past
tense, analytic form of the verb cui^im
(verbal noun, cup).

pi A personal pronoun, 3rd pers. sing.,

fern, gend., conjunctive form, nomi-
native case, being the subject of the
verb Cuip.

pot) A com. noun, first declen., gen. f6iT>
3rd pers. sing., masc. gender, accusa-
tive case, being the object of the verb

m<5n.A A common noun, third declension, nom.
tndn, 3rd pers. sing., fern, gender,
and genitive case, governed by the
noun f 6t>.

.Ap A preposition, governing the dative

A compound verbal noun, genitive
•oe-Ans-tAfCA, 3rd pers. sing., dative
case, governed by the preposition Af .

t A preposition, governing the dative

case, and causing eclipsis.

•ofon A com. noun, first declens., gen. t>in,
3rd pers. sing. masc. gender and dative
case, governed by preposition 1.

(N.B.— This word may also be

second declension).

ct$e An irreg. com. noun, nom. ceac, 3rd
pers. sing., masc. gend., genitive case,
governed by the noun -Dion.

HA The definite article, genitive sing, femi-
nine, qualifying j^coite.

fcoite A common noun, second declension,
nom. f coit, 3rd pers. sing., fern. gend.
and genitive case, governed by the
noun cije.

287

A com. noun, second declension, gen,
nidi-one, 3rd pers. sing., fern. gend.
and dative case, governed by the pre-
position Ap (understood).

tx*e-be,AtCAine A compound proper noun, nom. Ul
be.Atc.Aine, 3rd pers. sing., masc.
gend. and genitive case, governed by
the noun

C. Parse : Oim AS -out Cum An .AonAig (Junior, '98).

C4im An irreg. intrans. verb, indie, mood,
present tense, 1st pers. sing., syn-
thetic form, of C.A (verbal noun, tteit).

.AS A prep , governing the dative case.

•out A verbal noun, 3rd pers. sing., dative
case, governed by the preposition 45.

Cum A noun (dative case, governed by t>o
understood) used as a preposition,
governing the genitive case.

An The definite article, gen. sing, maso ,
qualifying the noun Aon^ig.

A common noun, first declen., nom.
.AonAC, 3rd pers. sing., masc. gender,
and genitive case governed by cum.

988

D. Parse : Tli cOi|\ t>uic 6 T>O t>uAtAt>.

HI A negative adverb, causing aspiration,
modifying the suppressed verb if.

[if] The assertive verb, present tense, ab«
solute form.

c6i|\ A common adjective, positive degree,
comparative c6\i&, qualifying the
phrase 6 t>o ftuAUvo.

•6uic A prep, pronoun, 2nd pers. sing, com-
pound of -DO and cu.

3 A personal pronoun, 3rd pers. sing.,

nom. case, disjunctive form, being
the subject of the suppressed verb if.

•oo A preposition, causing aspiration, and
governing the dative case.

BuAlA-6. A verbal noun, genitive buAitce, 3rd
pers. sing., dative case, governed by
the preposition t>o.

N.B. — 6 -oo tkiAlA-o is the subject of the sentence.

E. Parse : t^mig f 6 te

An irreg. intrans. verb, indie, mood,
past tense, 3rd pers. sing, of the verb
cij;itn (verbal noun,

j'6 A pers. pron, 3rd pers. sing., masc. gen.,
conjunctive form, nom. case, being
the subject of £411115.

le A preposition governing the dative
case.

A common noun, first declens. gen.

CAPAIU, 3rd pers. sing., masc. gend.

and dative case governed by le.
The softened form of the preposition

•oo, which causes aspiration, and

governs the dative case.
A verbal noun, genitive ce^nnuigte,

3rd pors. sing., dative sase, governed

by the preposition A.

IDIOMS.

U£...A5Atn, I HAVE.

638. As already stated there is no verb " to hare "
in Irish. Its place is supplied by the verb C-A followed
by the preposition Ag. The direct object of the verb
"to have" in English becomes the subject of the verb
C«A in Irish : as, I have a book. C4 le^t)^ -A^m .
The literal translation of the Irish phrase is " a book
is at me."

This translation appears peculiar at first sight, but it is a mode oi
expression to be found in other languages. Most students are

I

290

familiar with the Latin phrase " Est mihi pater." I have a father
(.it. there is a father to me) ; and the French phrase Ce livre cst d
moi. 1 own this book (lit. This book is to me).

We give here a few sentences to exemplify the
idiom : —

He has the book. UA AH teAttAp

tli f.uit r«

An ftpuil mo peAnn AJ;AC ?
t)i An t»<3 AS An

til JVAlG An

I have not it.

Have you my pen ?

The woman had the cow.

The man had not the
horse.

Will you have a knife to-
morrow ?

He would not have the dog.

We used to have ten
horses.

-dn

1 tnbAjvAc ?

til t)1A"6 An

t)o t>iot)

A5 An

is Horn, I OWN.

639. As the verb " have" is translated by c£ and
the preposition AS, so in a similar manner the
verb "own" is translated by the verb 1S and the
preposition 16. Not only is the verb " to own," but
also all expressions conveying the idea of ownership,
such as : The book belongs to me : the book is mine,
&c. ; are translated by the same idiom.
I own the book.

The book is mine. }• 1r liom An

The book belongs to me.

291

The horse was John's. \

The horse belonged to

j hn I DA te SeA$An An

John owned the horse. J

Notice the position of the words. In translating
the verb "have" the verb CA is separated from the
preposition AS by the noun or pronoun ; but in the
case of "own" the verb ip and the preposition te
come together. (See par. 589, <fec.)

I have the book. CA An leAt»Ap

I own the book. If tiom ATI

In translating such a phrase as " I have only two
cows,'' the noun generally comes after the preposi-
tion AS : so that this is an exception to what has been
said above.
I have only two cows. Hi £uil AgAtn A£C T>A fttnn.

I KNOW.

640. There is no verb or phrase in Irish which can
cover the various shades of meaning of the English
verb " to know." First, we have the very commonly
used word peA-OAp (or ^eA-OAip me), I know; but this
verb is used only after negative or interrogative
particles, and has only a few forms. Again, we have
the verb Aitmgun, / know; but this verb can only be
used in the sense of recognising. Finally we have the
three very commonly used phrases, CA eoUxp

292

CA Aicne A^rAm, and CA A friop A^A™, all meaning
"I know;" but these three expressions have three
different meanings which must be carefully distin-
guished.

Whenever the English verb " know " means " to
know by heart," or "to knmv the character of a person"
" to know by ttvdy," &o., use the phrase CA

Whenever "knoiv" means "to recognise," "to know
by appearance" " to ATICM/; by sight" &c., use the phrase
CA Aicne A5...Aj\. This phrase is usually restricted
to persons.

When "know" means "to know by mere informa-
tion" "to happen to know" as in such a sentence aa
" Do you know did John come in yet?" use the phrase
CA A p:of Ag, e.g. t)puil A fnof AJAC An

H 1fC6AC

As a rule young students experience great difficulty
in selecting the phrases to be used in a given case.
This difficulty arises entirely from not striving to
grasp the real meaning of the English verb. For
those who have already learned French it may be
useful to stata that as a general rule CA eolAp AgAm
corresponds toje sais and CA Aitne AgAm to je connais

CA Aitne AgAtn AIJ\ ACc ni puit eolAf A5Atn Aijt.
Je le connais maisje ne le sais pas. I know him by
eight but I do not know his character. "Do you know

293

that man going down the road ?'* Here the verb
" know " simply means recognise, therefore the Irish
is : ttpuil Aitne A$AC Ap An ttpeAp pom ACA AS T>ul plop
An botAp.? If you say to a fellow- student " Do you
know your lessons to-day ?'' You mean " Do you know
them by rote?" or "Have you studied them?'*
Hence the Irish would be : " t)puit eotap AJAC Ap.
•QO CedCcAnnAiG int)iti ?"

Notice also the following translations of the verb
know.

ip nu\ic ip eoL "oom, 'Tis well I know.

ip p iopx.\c (pex.\fx.\c) -oom, I know.

II f UT> ACA A\\ I say what I know.

X LIKE, I PREFER.

651. "Hike" and "I prefer" are translated by the
expressions 1p mAit (<Ml, AIC) tiom and 1p peA|\|\ liotn
(it is good with me ; and, it is better with me).

I like milk. 1p mAit tiom bAinne.

He prefers milk to wine. 1f r-eAPP ^elr b^inne TIA

Does the man like meat? /An mAit leip An

peoit ?

Did you like that ? xty &*& te<*c 6 pn ?

I liked it. tXa mAit liom 6.

We did not like the water. THop rhAit linn An c-uipge.

642. If we change the preposition " le *' in the
above sentences, for the preposition "t>o," we get

294

another idiom. "It is really good for," "It is of
benefit to." 1f tn^vit t>om e. It is good for me ;
(whether I like it or not).

He does not like milk but it is good for him.
Hi mAit leif bAinne A£C if tn^it -66 e.

N.B. — In these and like idiomatic expressions the
preposition "le" conveys the person's own ideas and
feelings, whether these are in accordance with fact or
not. 1f piu liom -out 50 h-Alb-Ain. I think it is
worth my while to go to Scotland (whether it is really
the case or not). 1p m<5p liom ^n tu^C fom. I think
that a great price. 1f fUApAC tiom 6 fin. I think
that trifling (another person may not).

The word " think " in such phrases is not trans-
lated into Irish.

1f piu t>uic t)ul 50 ri-Att)Ain. It is really worth
your while to go to Scotland (whether you think so or
not).

C15 Uom, I CAN, I AM ABLE.
643. Although there is a regular verb
meaning I can, I am able, it is not always used.
The two other expressions often used to translate
the English verb "Jean," are ci$ liom and if f.eiT)ij\
Uom.

295

The following examples will illustrate the uses of
the verbs.

Present Tense.

tnj: tiom* or )

> I can, or am able.

llOtn,T )

•peut)-Ann cu, 05 leAC or

f Thou canst or art able.
if jrei-oi]\ le-AC.

&c., &c.

Negative.

Hi f?eut)Aim,ni tig Uorn; or)

tl cannot, I am not able.
ni peiT)i|\ Uorn. )

Interrogative.

An T>CIJ; leAC "? or)

} Can you ? or are you able ?

j

Negative Interrogative.

\A£ t)ci5 teif? or] Can he not? or is he not

r»xMi pei-Dip leif ? j able ? .

Past Tense.

tiom, or]

' 1 could, or was able.
•DO t> reiT)in liom.

Imperfect.

T)' f?euT)4inn, ttgeAX) liotn. I used to be able.

- Literally : It comes with me f It is possible with me.

liom.

296

Future.

oocpMt) Uom. I shall be able.
Conditional

I would be able.

tli trei-oip teif, (He thinks) he cannot.

tli peit>if\ -66, He cannot (It is absolutely

impossible for him).
I MUST.

644. The verb " must," when it means necessity or
duty, is usually translated by the phrase ni puu\ij\ or
CAitpt). This latter is really the third person singu-
lar, future tense of c-Aicim ; but the present and other
tenses are also frequently used. It may also be very
neatly rendered by the phrase, ip eige-An -oo (lit,
it is necessary for).

tli jruUAtp -Com, c-Aitpt) n\&, or)

hi must,
if eige-An -com.

tli puUkif Tjuic, CAiep-6 cu, or

-outc. • Y<

tli fut&if -66, CAitp* f6, or)

JHemust

&o., &c.

The English phrase "have to M usually means
" must" and is translated like the above : as, / have
to go home now. C.Aitp-6 m6 T)uL ^ fc^iie

297

The English verb "must," expressing duty or
necessity, has no past tense of its own. The English
past tense of it would be " had to :" as, "I had to go
away then" The Irish translation is as follows : —

Tlion ti'frutAip -born, C<Mt m6, orT

had to.

•oo t)'6isex\n -com.

{***?• rft nrl

You

-ouic.
&c., &c.

The English verb " must " may alto express a
supposition; as in the phrase " You must be tired."
The simplest translation of this is "Hi putAip 50
trpuil ctnppe Ofic," or, "Hi jrutAip ti6 CA cuipfe ope."
The phrase " if cof ^rhAil 50," meaning " It is pro-
bable that," may also be used : as, 1p copAriiAil 50
ope.

The English phrase " must have " always expresses
supposition, and is best translated by the above
phrase followed by a verb in the past tense, as, " You
must have been hungry," Hi £uUiip 50 PAID ocpx\f ope.
He must have gone out, Hi putdip 50 troe.ACAi-6 fe

ni pulAift 5«p 6uAr6 (or 50 ti-oeASAi-o) f4 AtnAd, is used in Munstel

I ESTEEM.

645. I esteem is translated by the phrase C4
. Literally, " / have esteem on.

298

I esteem John.

Did you esteem him ? TlAib me-Af A^A^ AI\\ ?

He says that he greatly t)eit\ re 5°
esteems you. mo\\

I DIE.

646. Although there is aregularverb, eu^,die, in Irish
it is not often used ; the phrase jeittim bAf , / find
death, is usually employed now. The following
examples will illustrate the construction : —
The old man died y ester- £u.Aip ^

day. itroe.

We all die. ^eititnix) uiLe

I shall die. 5e6t>xvo bAf.

They have just died. UAI-O CAJ\ ei

You must die. Caitpt) cu bxif -o'^

I OWE.

647. There is no verb " owe " in Irish, Its place is
supplied by saying " There is a debt on a person.
~CA p^C* ojAtn. / owe.

WThenever the amount of the debt is expressed the
word |?MC is usually omitted and the sum substituted.
He owes a pound. O punc -dip.

You owe a shilling. O fsillmg ope.

* The plural of this word, P.ACA, is very frequently used ia this
phrase.

299

When the person to whom the money is due is
mentioned, the construction is a little more difficult :
as, I owe you a pound as, UA punc A$AC ofun, i.e.,
You have (the claim of) a pound on me — the words in

brackets being always omitted.

He owes me a crown. UA copdin A$Am Aift.

Here is the man to whom Seo 6 An peAf A (50)
you owe the money. Opuit An

0|xc.

I MEET.

648. The verb " meet" is usually translated by the
phrase "there is turned on," e.g., " / meet a man " is
translated by saying "A man is turned on me."
peAf\ opm (liom or t>om) ; but the phrase
(or tAplA) peAfi oj\m is also used. I met
the woman, T>O cAf At) An t>eAn opm (tiom or t>om).

They met two men on the "Do CAf A-O beipc p eA|\ O|ttA

road. Ap An mt>OtAf.

I met John. t)uAil SeA$An utnAm.

Physical Sensations.

649. All physical sensations, such as hanger, thirst^
weariness, pain, &c., are translated into Irish by say-
ing that ''hunger, thirst, &c., is on a person;" as, I

800

am hungry. "C& ocpAf opm. Literally, hunger is on
me. He is thirsty. UA cApc Aip. Literally, thirst is
on him.

The same idiom is used for emotions, such as
pride, joy, sorrow, shame, &c. The following ex-
amples will illustrate the construction : —
t)pwil ocpAf ope ? Are you hungry ?

Hi puil ocpAr- opm Atioir-. I am not hungry now.
t)i Ati-CApc opAinn itroe. 1 We were very thirsty
t)i AHA CApc opAinn itroe. ) yesterday.
t)puii riAipe optA ? Are they ashamed ?

t)i tiAipe AH cf AogAil uippi. She was very much

ashamed.

t)eit> bpd-o tn6p Aip. He will be very proud.

HAit» cuipfe ope ? Were you tired ?

m t>iot> eA^UA ope. Don't be afraid.

CA AHA Co-olA-6 opm. I am very sleepy.

CA fLA$-OAn ope. You have a cold.

Whenever there is a simple adjective in Irish cor-
responding to the English adjective of mental or
2)hysical sensation, we have a choice of two construc-
tions, as : —

I am cold.
You are sick.

I was weary.

C4 cu cinn
(or bpeoice)

or c^ £tiA<ic* opm.
„ CA cinneAf ope.

„ W cuipfe opm.

* Distinguish between ^LAJDATI a cold (a disease) and -pu^cc,
the cold, coldness (of the weather) and the adjective fu,\p, cold.

801

"CA me cinn and cA ninne^f opm have not quite the
same meaning, O m6 cmn means I feel sick ; but
TCA citine-Ap opm means / am in some sickness, such as
fever, &.Q.

I CANNOT HELP.

650. The English phrase " I cannot help that," is
translated by saying / have no help on that, tli fuil
ne^pc A^Am AIJA fin. The word teije^f, "cure," may
be used instead of neapc.

When " cannot help " is followed by a present parti-

ciple in English, use Hi /V<^™im \ SAn wfth vei'-
(pei-ojp UomJ

bal noun : as, / cannot help laughing, Hi JT:eA'OAim

Uom

I AM ALONE.

651. There are two expressions which translate the
English word "alone" in such sentences as lam
alone, He is alone, &c., i.e., Oim im AOIIAP, or U^tm
liotn p6m (I am in my oneship, or I am by (with)
myself). He is alone. UA f6 HA AonAft or UA f6 teif
f6m. She was alone. t)i fi 'nA n-AonAtx, or t)i fi
t6id pem. We shall be alone. t)eimvo 'tiA|\ n-Aon^.
or beimit) Unn p6m.

I ASK.

652. The English word "ask" has two distinct
meanings according as it means "beseech" or "in-
quire.'' In Irish there are two distinct verbs, viz.,

302

I ask (for a favour), and pA^ui^im, I ask
(for information). Before translating the word " ask "
we must always determine what is its real meaning,
and then use iApj\ or piAffuiig accordingly.

Ask your friend for money. IA^ AipgeA-o

CAftAlt).

Ask God for those graces. IA^ Ap T!)IA TIA

fO1H A tAtiA1f\C -OU1C.

Ask him what o'clock it is. popping -oe CAT) A 0105 e.

He asked us who was that X)' £u\£i\ui$ f6 -oinn cuv'p

at the door. t>'e pn AS An -oopAf .

They asked me a question. T)'f iApt\ui$eA-OAi\

653. I DO NOT CAKE.

I do not care. 1f cum A tiom.

It is no affair of mine. 1f cum A -com.

Is it not equal to you? tlAc cumA -6uic?

It is no affair of yours. 1f CUITIA t)uic.

You don't care. 1f cumA teAC.

He does not care. 1f CUTTIA teif.

It is no affair of his. 1p CUTTIA t)6.

We did not care. t>A cumA tmn.
It was no affair of ours. t)A cumA -oumn.

They did not care. t)A cumA leo.

(See what has been said about the prepositions te
and x>o in the Idiom "I prefer," par. 642.)

803

I OUGHT.

655. " I ought" is translated by the phrase if
(or ce-Apt) -OOTTI. You ought, if coi|\ t>uic, i
•OU1C. .We ought to go home, 1f c6ip *iJinn -out
A tiAite. We ought to have gone home, t)A C6i|\
Ouinn -out A tMite. As the word " aught " has no in-
flection for the past tense in English, it is necessary
to use the past infinitive in English to express past
time. But as the Irish expression, if coip, has a past
tense (t)A C6if\) the simple verbal noun is always used
in Irish in such expressions.

Ought you not have gone to HA^ C6ip t>uic t>til 50
Derry with them ? T)oij\e teo ?

He ought not have gone Tliop etfijv -66 imce^cc.
away.

English Dependent Phrases translated by the
Verbal Noun.

655. Instead of the usual construction, consisting
of a verb in a finite tense followed by its subject (a
noun or a pronoun), we very frequently meet in Irish
with the following construction. The English finite
verb is translated by the Irish verbal noun, and the
English subject is placed before the verbal noun. If
the subject be a noun it is in the nominative form,
but if a pronoun in the disjunctive form.

304

The following examples will exemplify the idiom: —
"Do t)'{?e<\i\t\ tiom 6 "oo

I'd prefer that he should be
there rather than my-
self.

Is it not better for us that
these should not be in
the boat.

I saw John when he was

coming home.
I knew him when I was a

boy.

Deit Ann nA mife.

fo *oo t>eit mp An mbAt).

e AS ceACc A

t)l Altne AgAtTJ Alfl AgUf

m6 mi

The clock struck just as f)o
he was coming in. 4

An ctog

805

Idiomatic Expressions.

cum.

Cuip Opmp.A 6.

Cuipimpe opcpA 6.
Cmp umAC (ope).
Cuip AH CApc 50 mop

Cuip

x\1p 6

A cuip opm -j ni
oj\c.

fe fpeic

opm.

Cuipe^f pCttiAtn
CA cup pop (cp^cc or

iomp^-6) ^p An 5005^-6.
Cuip pe culAi-6

Cuip pe 'r\A tuige opm.
Cuip i gc^p gup

mipe.

Cuip ^p bun.
Cuip (t>Airt) p

cup 'p

pe

Say it was I did it.

1 say it was you did it.

Dress yourself.
Aip. Thirst annoyed him

greatly,
ope I'll make you stop.

(A) Make him do it.

Don't interfere with me
and I will not interfere
with you.

Hetrackedhim (her, them).

He addressed me.

I resolved to do it.
There is talk about the

war.
He got a suit of clothes

made.

He convinced me of it.
Suppose me to be a soldier.

Established.

He settled down in Cork.

He is debating in lus mind.
r2

806

UA pe CAtK\pcA.
CA pe" tui Ailce pttAp.
CA pe CUJCA (cAttAp
•oo'n loCc pAn.

TDO -opium leip.
p6 TToeAp(A)

T)'A Ceile.

put) Af t)O
Hi -CSAnVA-o p6 put) opm.
tlAC rnAit nAC rcoeApnAip

p6m 6 !
tl AC triAit 11 A T)6<\nAiin cu

f 6in put) Ap T>O rhAtAip ?

IIUAlp tU156AT)Ap A fCAtDAp

•oo *6mip (pinnip) An

t)6ApC.

T)6An Aipe (t)o)
•oot) jn<5 pein.
T)eAn -oo gn6 pern.
Atpe T)OT)

Surrender.

He is played out.

He is addicted to that vice.

Turn your back to him.
I noticed the light.

He has been given up

for dead.
He gave in.
He has given in.
It is hard to reconcile,

truth and falsehood.
He is highly educated.

your mother.
He would not o&%e me.
How well you didn't do it

yourself !
Why don't you obey your

mother yourself ?
When they understood

hoiv well you had done

the trick.

Mind your own business.

807

nA bA t>o C«ut) Milk the cows.

An troe.Apn.Aip An -oonup Did you shut the door ?

•oo -ounA-6 ?
UA p6 AS -o6AnAm op,Amn. He is coming towards us.

Conup (cionnur) -o' imtij How did he get on ?
leip?

What became of him ?

CAT)

(What happened to him ?

CuiceAtin |\UT> mAfl When something like this
peo Am AC. happens.

CAT) imteoCAp onm ? ] ^T, .

} What will become of me ?
eipeoCAp -oom ?)j

T)ob' e An CPA-O -oume T>O The first person he met

t>UAiL uime HA SCA^AH was SeAgAn UAC.
UAC.

1p e f UT> -oob' peA|\p teip • What he wished most to

peipcinctlAiiASApAtiAij; see was the banishment

50 te"in T>'A n-oibipc Ap of the whole of the

6ip,mn.. English from Ireland.

1p e P.UT) T)o tug Anoip Cum What brought me to talk

CAince VCAC m6 11 A me with you now is the fact

t>eic i 5CfuiAt)-(iAp. that I am in difficulty.

1p e f UT> -oo finne (t)em) What the man did was to

An peAf 11 A CAiteAm leo. throw at them.

808

tlA i

If 6 put) A-oeipeA-o
emne tIA gup rh^it

What James did then was

to make him a present

of it.
What everyone used to say

was that it was a greaf

blessing for him.

rnOn.

1f m6p te
1f m6p le

Hiop tfiop le jure 6.

tli

Hi

Hi mOp Linn

tli m6|\ tiom "66 6.

tli mop nAC (HA 50) tipuit

fe •o^AticA.
tli m6p r\A 50 mbett) fe

tli

x>om, &c.

TO
(mo

cii !
-oe) 50

It is important.

It is a thing to be proud

of, or boast about.
It was not of muck

importance.
I must return.
I must take my departure.
We have no objection to

your doing so.
I don't grudge it to him.
It is almost done.

It will be nearly finished.

Wlnj shouldn't I, &c. ? lit.,
how is it too much for
me?

How grand you have got !

It is not likely that I shall
go.

309

Lioin e.
optn e.
e.

1f beAj; An

e.

tU.

-DA

t>eAj; nA

i-mcit) T>6 t>eic

IIA|\ tin i

triA

emne i

I consider it too small.

I don't like it at all.

I have no great opinion

of him.
It's no great harm. He

is not to be pitied.
You are not of much use.
'Tis little you know.
It is nearly time for him

to be going.
It was nearly time -for him

to be going.
It is a trifle.
There is liardly a person

in Ireland who could

doit.

Miscellaneous.

An eipeoiAni (pe) linn ?
t)I re AS eipge puAp.
tTlAic An AIC 50 fVAt>Air !

tTlAlt niAp CAftA.

11iof\ lAt>Ai^ fe piu AOM

pOCAt ArilAlfl.
^n lU nA tl-AtlAlA T)O

Shall we succeed ?
It was getting cold.
Well said ! or Well done !
It has happened luckily.
He did not speak a single

word.
Without even taking

breath.
Even our own people.

310

CA p6 Ag DuL

CA pe A$ T)uL i n-oLcAp.

-\XbAip. 6 !

Hi cuirhm Liom A Leiceit).

0 tAp,LA ATI LeAbAp. AgAtn

Anoip.

CApegeALLLebeit poLLArh)
CA pe poLtAtii nA6 rndp. ]

til pint T)UL UAlt) AgAC.

CA An peAp. pAn A^ T)uL i

mbeo opin.
CA p6 i pioCc bAip.
CA pe Le h-utc bAip.
1p iniLLce(AC) An pgeAL e.
1p CAiLLce An LA e Le pLiCe.

(Leog) -oom pem Let)'

CAince.
CAT) e An Cum ACA AgACpA

•be?
An Cui-o ip Lu$At)e t)A UAip

pA mt>liAt>Ain.
Copp IIA ti-eA5c6t\A.
te copp -oiottiAOtnip.

C4 pmuc T»en

1p Le^rh An gn6 t>uic e.

He is getting better.
He is getting worse.
Hear ! hear ! Bravo !
I don't remember the like

of it.
As I liappen to have the

book now.

It is almost empty.

You cannot avoid it.
That man's conduct cuts
me to the quick.

He is at the point of death.

It is a terrible affair.
It is a terribly wet day.
A very unlikely story.
Don't annoy me with your

talk.
What right (call) have

you to it ?
At least twice a year.

The essence of wrong.

Through downright lazi-
ness.

He is partly right.

'Tis an absurd thing for
you to do.

311

CAT) 'HA tAot) n4 ce.Ati-
nuigeAnn cu bpojjA t>uic
pem?
DO beit

CA p6 Ap n<3p CUITIA Uom.

Ce CA Ap AP -oci ?

CA p6 Ap t)o Ci.

D^oine

me .

1f 'OUAt AtA|t -DO.

t)i mo tujVAp 1 n-
CA teigeAnn cu A le^p.
50.

t)eT6 PAH 'TIA m^piA •] 'HA

$UC Ap A gClU AH "OA lA
'p All p. AIT) A belt) SplAtl

p.\ ppeip.

CA pe bev\5Ati puAp.
UA pe poinnc bot>Ap.
CA p6 gAn beit Ap pognArh,
Tli puit An c-ubAll po

Aibit) i 5ceAf,c.
tli cuppATbe gAipi-oe e.
"Do $Aipp.A, mupA mbeAt)

nAC cuip $Aip.it>e e.

Why don't you buy boots
for yourself ? Because
I have not the money.

He is indifferent.

Who is intending us harm ?

He is bent on attacking

you. He intends to

harm you.

Others besides myselfi
He had permission to go.
He has it from his father.
My journey was in vain.
You need not.
A fool's errand ; a wild

goose chase.
That will be a reproach

and a blot on their

fame the longest day the

sun will be in the sky.
It is a little cold.
He is somewhat deaf.
He is a little unwell.
This apple is not quite

ripe.

It is nothing to laugh at.
You would laugh only

that it is not a matter

to laugh at.

312

Hi cupfAitie CAince e. It is nothing to talk about.

CAjifVAing cu$Acnut)ei5inc Find something else 10
eile mA|\ curvrAi'oe make fun about.

CAt>e An gn6 ACA A^AC T>e? What do you want it for ?

Do bAineAt) IAJ\PACC t)e He was slightly startled.

geic Af .

tli fruit Aon §A|\ AS "opeim There's no use trying to

leif An mbAllA. get up on the wall.

Hi pAitt Aon rhAiceAf 'HA In vain did he cry (talk,

5l<5p. speak).

Hi moi'oe gup fspiolj fe Perliaps he did not write

An ucif . the letter.

^AftAim lem' Aif pn -oo I propose to do that.

*ioc ( e ) l am thankful toy°u ^br>

>10 Aip. j ^^ you /or it.
buit>eACAr Le^c I

A1|\.

t)eit> cu -oeAnAC (t)6it)eA- You will be late for the

nA6) Ag An cpAen. train.

cu T)eAnAC AJ\ rsoit. You will be late for school.

i cuit) ACA £A jVAt) 50 Some of them were saying

HAIO t>ei|\ce (be^tA) AJ\ that the rascal was

An mbiceAttinAC. caught.

i^eoCAit) A cpoit>e A|\ It will break Dermot's

"OiApmui-o. heart.

313

gAipc PIAT> Ap
ITIunAb ope ACA An CAinc

tuig AH CAinc 50 leip Ap
An triACAlons A bi
imcigce Ap SADD.

Hiop imcij optA ACC An
put) A bi cuillce ACA.

Ceip opAinn ceACc
Leo.

UJl fe A5 T)eAnArh
Ap A CAinc.

CA fe Ap An opeAp if

fAlt)D|Ve fA ttlUttlAin.

1p T)6(!;A gup T>6iC teo.
CA fe biiAitce ifceAC im

Atgne.

toifgeAt) iAT)'nA mbeAtATo
CAD At)6Anf.AT) Cop Ap bit

t)i bjveif itidp -\ A

ACA X)A f AJA1L.

t)i cop6m f6'n bpunc ACA

T)A JTAgJlL.

t)i SAC mle t)ume Ag

They burst out laughing.

What talk you have \ If
it isn't you have the
talk.

The whole conversation
turned on the misfor-
tune which had befallen
Sive.

They only got what they
had deserved.

We failed to overtake
them.

He is mimicking his man-
ner of talking.

He is the richest man in
Munster.

Probably they imagine.

I am firmly convinced.

They wore burnt alive.

What will I do at all with
him ?

They were getting a great
deal more than their
right.

They were getting five
shillings in the pound.

Everyone was sympathis-
ing with her.

•01.

814

CoriinAOif T)O SeA$<\n An

ce bA fine ACA.
I)A t>6iC leAC Aip gup ieif

.<\n AIC.

Hi

Ann.

Com triAit A5«r T)A mbA nA
exxgcoip A]\ bit Ann.

I f uic.
Ce'p A mAC tu ?
tli ttiAitpeAtv pumn -ouic.
CA G'fMOf -ouic ?
A rS^At pem fS6^L 5

emne.

CufA pe n-oeA|\ fom.
UA n6 nAC e

Hi CAipe -Com pem.

The eldest of them was

the same age as John.
You (one) would imagine
by him that he owned
the place.
There wasn't a trace of

him there.
Just as if it were not

wrong.

He asked what was the
cause of the merriment.
Whose son are you ?
You will meet your match.
How did you know ?
Everyone is most inter-
ested in his own affairs.
You are the cause of that.
I have a different matter

to look after.

I am no exception; i.e., I
am the same as the
others.

815

The Autonomous Form of the Irish Yerb,

It is sometimes necessary or convenient to express
an action without mentioning the subject, either
because the latter is too general or not of sufficient im-
portance to be mentioned, or because there is some
other reason for suppressing it. Most languages have
felt this necessity, and various means have been adopted
to supply it. The use of the passive voice, or of
reflexive verbs, or of circumlocutions, is the method
generally adopted in other languages. In Irish there
is a special form of the verb for this purpose. As it
has no subject expressed it is sometimes called the
Indefinite form of the verb : as it forms a complete
sentence in itself it is also called the Autonomous or
Independent form.

An English verb cannot stand without its subject.
For example, "walks," "walked," etc., express nothing.
The English verbs cannot alone make complete
sense. The Autonomous form of Irish verbs can
stand alone. The word " tJuAilceAp " is a complete
sentence. It means that " the action of striking takes
place." The Autonomous form stands without a
subject; in fact it cannot be united to a subject,
because the moment we express a subject the ordinary
3rd person singular form of the particular tense and
mood must be substituted. thiAttcedft ATI bop-o.
Someone (they, people, we, etc.) strikes the table; but
bu.Aile.Arm An peAj\ (f6, fiAt), HA t>AOine, etc.) AM

We shall tahe the sentence : thiAilceAp -an
le ctoiC o IAIITI UAIT&S. The word ''buAilceAp" of itself
conveys a complete statement, viz., that the action of

816

striking takes place. The information given by the
single word " bu Alice A\\" is restricted to the action.
There are circumstances surrounding that action of
which we may wish to give information ; e.g. " What
is the object of the action ?" " xXti ^A-OA^." " What
is the instrument used?" "1e cloiC." " Where did
the stone come from ?" " (5 lAitfi CAit>5." We may
thus fill in any number of circumstances we please,
and fit them in their places by means of the proper
prepositions, but these circumstances do not change
the nature of the fundamental word " tniAit.ce.Ap."

It may be objected that the word " biiAilceAf\ " in the
last sentence is passive voice, present tense, and means
"is struck," and that "AH 5At>Ap " is the subject
of the verb. Granted for a moment that it is
passive voice. Now since " DuAiteAnn tuune eigin e,"
somebody strikes him, is active voice, as all admit, and
by supposition "btiAilceAp e," somebody strikes him, or,
he is struck, is passive, then comes the difficulty, what
voice is ''CACAJ\ tniAilce," somebody is stmrk? Surely
it is the passive of "buAilceAp" ; and if so " buAilceAf "
itself cannot be passive, though it may be rendered
by a passive in English. If we are to be guided
merely by the English equivalent, then "buAileAiin" in
the above phrase is as much a passive voice as
" bUAilceAn," because it can be correctly translated
into English by a passive verb : viz., He is struck.

When we come to consider this form in intransitive
verbs, our position becomes much stronger in favour
of the Autonomous verb. Let us consider the follow-
ing sentence : SIUO.AIC.AP AH An tnbOt-Ap nuAip bionn

317

An bflcAp cifiim, A£C nu<\ip tnonn An
fiut>AlcAf\ Ap An gctAi-Oe. People icalk on the road
when it is dry, but when the road is wet they walk on
the path. Where is the nominative case of the so
called passive verb here ? Evidently there is none
The verb stands alone and conveys complete sense.
If we wish to express the nominative, the Autonomous
form of the verb cannot be used. In the above
sentence we might correctly say: SiufttAnn re (rIA1°»
finn, r\A -OAome, etc.), but not fiuti.Atc.Ap 6 (IAT>, finn,
nA -oAoine, etc.)

Probably classical scholars will draw analogies from
Latin and quote such instances as, Concurritur ad
muros. Vcntum est ad Vestae. Sic itur ad astra.
Deinde venitur ad portam ; where we have intransitive
verbs in an undoubtedly passive construction, and
therefore, by analogy, the true signification of
fmrjAlcAf in the above sentence is "It is walked," and
it is simply an example of the impersonal passive con-
struction. Now, if conclusions of any worth are to be
drawn from analogies, the analogies themselves must
be complete. The classical form corresponding to the
Irish t)iceAp A$ f luGAt Aft An nibtitAp nuAip tMonn An
b6t<\p cipitn, etc., or CAC^P Ag fiutiAl A\\ An lYibotAp
Anoir- is wanting, and therefore the analogy is in-
complete and deductions from it are of little value.

One of the strongest arguments we have in favour
of the Autonomous verb is the fact that; the verb
"to be" in Irish possesses every one of the forms
possessed by transitive and intransitive verbs. The
analogy with Latin again fails here. C,\CAJ\ ^

818

Somebody is coming. t)en!>pAf\ AS ptutiAl, Somebody
will be walking. t1uAi}\ rhotui£ An C-ACAC 50 pAtitAp
45 ceAn^Aitc A Cop, When the giant perceived that they
were binding his legs.

The Irish Autonomous form cannot be literally
translated into English, because no exact counterpart
exists in English, hence the usual method of trans-
lating this form U to use the English passive voice,
but the Irish verb is not therefore passive. To give
an instance of the incapability of the English language
to express literally the force of the Autonomous verb,
notice the English translation of the subjoined
example of the continued use of the Autonomous verb
in an Irish sentence.

" Aic AnA-AepeAG if eAt> AH AIC fin : nuAi
AH cpeo pAin 1 n-Am niAij\t> tiA
coip-oe^Cc T)'A T>£AiiAm 7 pot]\om
Ag fit •) poctvom eite mAp fjei

t5uAilpit>e -j

This passage cannot be literally translated : the
following will give a fair idea of its meaning : " That
place is frequented by fairies : when one is walking
near it in the dead stillness of the night, footsteps
are heard and loud noises, as if people were running
and fleeing, and then other noises are heard as if
people were overtaking (those who were running
away), and were striking and being struck, and as if
they were being broken in pieces, and then are heard
noises as if they were in hot rout and pursuit."

819

The Autonomous form of the verb has a passive
voice of its own formed by the addition of the verbal
adjective (or past participle) of the verb to the Auto-
nomous forms of the verb to be ; e.g., UA£AP Du^ilce,
etc.

This form of the Irish verb has a full conjugation
through all the moods and tenses, active and passive
voices ; but has only one form for each tense. All
verbs in Irish, with the single exception of the asser-
tive verb if, have this form of conjugation. 1p can
have no Autonomous form, because iphas no meaning
by itself. It is as meaningless as the sign of equality
(=) until the terms are placed one on each side of it.

To sum up then, the Irish Autonomous form is not
passive, for —

(1) All verbs (except ir-), transitive and intransi-
tive, even the verb CA, have this form of conjugation.

(2) This form has a complete passive voice of its
own

(3) The disjunctive forms of the personal pronouns
are always used with it ; e.g., tniAilce^p 6.

(4) Very frequently w7hen a personal pronoun is
the object of the Autonomous form of the verb, it is
placed last in the sentence or clause to which it
belongs, thus giving a very close analogy with the
construction of the active verb, already explained in
par. 535. 1l;o,v CMn •OAtn...5Uf feolAt) i^ce^C fAti
5coill feo me... It was not long until I was driven into
this wood. T)o leige^pA-t) 6 II-A gcpe'.AdcAio i<vo. They
were healed of their wounds.

(5) Lastly, ar,;l the strongest point of all, in the

320

minds of native Irish speakers, without exception, the
word btiAHceAp in such sentences as " buAilceAjt AM
SXVOAH " is active, and gA'bAp is its object. Surely
those Irish speakers are the best judges of the true
shape of their own thoughts.

We will now give a synopsis of the various forms
of the Autonomous verb, beginning with the verb CA.

The Verb UA.

CACA|\.*

\

r is, are.

Hi ^uilceAp.t

is not, are not.

biceA|\ (biteAf\).

does be, do be.

til biC6<\f\.

does not be, do not be.

biteAf (GiteAp).

1

was, were.

til f At»CAf.

r^f

was not, were not.

bici.

§*

used to be.

be.W toei^f

, be,-6-

ft

will be.

beip(-oe), beit)pi(te)

03

would be.

beici.

biceAp

(Let).

fl

be.

ttlA CAC<\f\

(If).

1

is, are.

IDA biceAp

(If).

a

o

CQ

does be, do be.

etc.

•o^ mbeipi

(If).

were, would be.

50 ttAbtAf\ !

(May).

be (for once}.

50 mbiceA|\ !

(May)J

\ be (generallij).

t)ei|tim 50 b^tiil

,ceAfi, I say that someone, etc., is.

T)ei|vnrj tiA fuiU

;eA|\, „ „ ,, is not.

pf or

321

CACAfA A

A5

bici

beipAj\ A 5
piu'Jv\lpAoi
beipi Ag fi

etc.

TM

mbeipf A

An Intransitive Verb.

walks, walk,
is (are) walking,
does (do) be walking,
walked.

was (were) walking,
used to walk,
used to be walking,
will walk.
I will be walking,
would walk,
would be walking.
(Let) § walk.

Q

(Let). 3 be walking.
(If). ^ is (are) walking.

(If).

would be walking,
were walking.

A Transitive Verb.

A noun is placed after the active forms iu order to show the cas

n ctAji.
^ AS buAlA-6

Someone strikes the table.
. Someone is striking the

table.

AH ctAf -OA (§A) tniAlA-6. The table is being struck.
tAp ton Aitce. Someone is struck.

pe l>UAUv6, Someone is being struck.

buAlA-6 An ClAip. Someone usually strikes

the table.
"Do buAiteAt) An cL<if\. Someone struck the table.

922

t)iteAf 45 buAtAt) An tlAip

t)i An clAt\ t)A ($4) bUAlA-6
buAitce.

t)UAllci All ClA|\.

t)ici

t)ici biiAitce.
t)uAiLpAp (bU

ClAJ\.

tDu^.Lp! (l)UAilj:it)e) An

ClAfV.

t)eip AS t)UAlAt> An CtAifu

t)eii:i

An ctAfi.

V)iceAfi

1TI A bUAllCCAf An

ITlA biceAp AS buAlAt) An

etc.
inbiiAiLpi An

Someone was striking the

table.

The table was being struck.
Someone was struck.
Someone was being struck.
Someone used to strike

the table.

Someone used to be strik-
ing the table.

Someone used to be struck.
Someone will strike the

table.
Someone will be striking

the table.

Someone will be struck.
Someone would strike the

table.
Someone would be striking

the table.

Someone would be struck.
Let someone strike the

table.
Let someone be striking

Tae table.

If someone strikes the table.
If someone does be striking

the table.

If someone were to strike
the table.

823

DA mbeipi ^5 bu.AtA-6 An If someone were to be

CUij\. striking the table.

Before leaving this important subject it may not be
uninteresting to see what some Irish grammarians
have thought of the Autonomous form.

O'Donovan in his Irish Grammar (p. 183) wrote as
follows : —

" The passive voice has no synthetic form to denote
persons or numbers ; the personal pronouns, therefore,
must be always expressed, and placed after the verb ;
and, by a strange peculiarity of the language, they
are always ' in the accusative form.'

"For this reason some Irish scholars have con-
sidered the passive Irish verb to be a form of the
active verb, expressing the action in an indefinite
manner ; as, t)UAitceAji me, i.e., some person or persons,
thing or things, strikes or strike me ; DuAilexX* 6, some
person or thing (not specified) struck him. But it is
more convenient in a practical grammar to call this
fo:m by the name passive, as in other languages,
and to assume that tu, 6, i, and nvo, which follow it,
are ancient forms of the nominative case."

Molloy says in his Grammar, page 62 : —

" Verbs have a third form which may be properly
called deponent ; as t>UAiU;e,Af\ me, / am ( Usually )
beaten ; tnu\ilce<\j\ u, thou art (usually) beaten ;
t>iu\ilte<\p e", he is (usually) beaten. The agent of
this form of the verb is never known ; but although
verbs of this form always govern the objective case,
like active verbs, still they must be rendered in English

324

by the passive ; as, {mAite^T!) IAT>, they were beaten.
Here MT> is quite passive to the action ; for it suffers
the action which is performed by some unknown

Again at page 99, he says : —

"But there is another form of the verb which always
governs an objective case ; and although it must be
translated into the passive voice in English, still it is
a deponent, and not a passive, form in Irish ; as,
t>Uc\ilceA|\ me\ etc. The grammarians who maintain
that this form of the verb takes a nominative case
clearly show that fchey did not speak the language ;
for no Irish- speaking person would say tniAilceAp re,
fi, fiAt). It is equally ridiculous to say that 6, i, ixvo,
are nominatives in Irish, although they be found so
in Scotch Gaelic."

Further on, at page 143, he states again that
" deponent verbs govern an objective case."

Thus we plainly see that O'Donovan and Molloy
bear out the fact that the noun or pronoun after the
Autonomous form of the verb is in the accusative
case, though the former' says it is more convenient to
assume that it is in the nominative case !

APPENDICES.

Appendix I.

NOUNS OF THE FIRST DECLENSION

ADftAn, a song.
Ax>ApcAp, a halter.
A-65AJ1, a cause.

ATJIDAX), WOOd.

ArriA-OAn, a fool.

AITIA^C, a sight.

Aiii]u\|', doubt.

AoibneAp, delight.

AoilCAc, manure.

Aol, lime.

AjtAn, bread.

AtvoAn, hillock.

Aftm, an army : pi. Atftm, AfimA.

AC, swelling or tumour.

ACAf , gladness.

bA-o, boat.

bAtt>An, dummy, (stammerer).

bA|tp, top.

bAp. death.

be^Ati, a little.

biA-6, food ; gen. bi-6.

bio|\An, a pin.

biceAtiitiAc, rascal.

blAp, taste.

borm, sole, foundation.

bocAji, road ; noin. pi. boicfe.

bjiA-oAn, a salmon.

bjiox), joy, pride.

bjiotnAC, foal or colt.

bjion, sorrow.

bti«AC, brink; pi. b|i«A&A.

bui-oeACAf, thanks.

bun, bottom.

cAipeAl,,* ft stone fortress.
CAlA-6, harbour.

CAjtbA-o, chariot.

CAfin, heap.

CApAn, path.

CApu|i, hammer.

CAC, cat.

ceAnn, head or end.

ceot, music ; pi. ceoLCA.

ceii'otongA'Ojt breakfast.

cineAL, kind or sort.

cLeAtiinAf , marriage alliance

clemeAt, clerk

clog, bell, clock.

C05A-6, war ; pi. COSCA

cojAi-oe.
cop An, cup.

cjiei-oeAm, faith, religion.
cuAn, bay or haven ; pi. cuAr
cubAn, foam,
cut, back of the head.

•DAot, beetle.
•oeijiCA-o, end.
T>iAOAt, devil.
•Dinneu|i, dinner.
t)ocA]t, harm.
•ooiceAlL, grudge, reserve.
t>oriiAn, earth, world.
•ootiAr misfortune.
vopAp, door ; pi. •coijtr*.
iouA-6, difficulty.
x>uccAf, inherited instinct.

ataiL

i, Spring.
ei-oeAti, ivy.
eolAp, knowledge.
eut)AC, cloth, clothes.

This word also means a child's spinning " top. "

In spoken language bjieicpCAfCA, »i., is used for " breakfast."

82fi

pi AC, raven ; pi. peic or peij.
pocAl, a word; pi. pocAil or

poctA.

pojriiAfi, Autumn,
ponn, tone or air.

top ; pi. mutlAi je.

«Aom, a saint,
neapc, strength.
ocpAp, hunger.
671, gold.

goat.
, beagle.

jjAnn-oAl, guilder".
jAppun, a young boy.
jeAtTiAp, green corn.
jeAppcAC, young bird,
5tAp, lock.
Slop, voice,
job, beaK (of a bird).
SpeAtin, hi
SUAL, coal.

lApAmi, iron.
(p)ioLAn, eagle.
ionA-0, place.
ipLeAn, hollow.

LAOJ, cal1-

Uif , middle.

teAOA|t, a book ; pi.

teADtA.

, booklet,

er.

teun, misfortune,
li'on, a net ; pi UoncA.
ton, provision,
tojij, a track.

TTIA-OA* or TnA'opA, a dog; pi.

.

, mockery, ridicule.
mAOji, a steward.
mA|tc, steer or beeve.
me AC, failure.
milleAT?, blame.
mionnAn, kid.
mop An, mnch, many.

a pagan.
p A«pe«tt, paper.
piobAn, windpipe or aeok.
pope, tune or air.
pftetiCAti, crow.

fiAti, track ; gen.
pox), road.
tun, secret.

J-AC, a sack.

. a priest.
f AJAp, kind or sort.
fAlAnn, salt.
fAmpA-6, summer.
fAOJAl, life, world.
f Aop, craftsman, artisan.
f AocAp, exertion, work.
fCAOAC, hawk.
yeo-o, a precious thing,

pi. peot>A.
rseut, news : pi. p

pgeulcA, stories.
ftADfiA-6, cham; pi. plA
fop, wisp.

$gl kind or sort

ppiopA-o, a spirit.
1^0 op, a spur.
fpopc, sport.
fcop, treasure store.
, repose.

jewel

CAmAlt, a short space of time.
CAoipeAd, a captain, a leader,
ce, \LlAC, hearth.
cpopjAn, furniture,
cup, beginning

827

Appendix II.

A list of feminine nouna ending in a broad consonant, belonging
to the Second Declension.

KOM.

bor

h,,eic
bpeug

GEM. MitAtraa.

VAipce a horn

a doll

rain

bAptiAije tow

beice bee

bemne a mountain peak

be^juMJe a heifer

bUitceorbUtAise buttermilk
boipc palm (of the hand)

bfteice judgment

btteise a lie

bjujitj-.e word of honour

bfio»5e ft shoe

biunjne palace, fort

b«it>ne ft troop

ClAtl

ciAn

clAtin
cLoc

CluAf

clum

COf

ceilje

an aid woman
deceit,
hen
a trade
sense
distance
beetle
a comb
a harp
ctoinne^or clAtnne children

cei)voc
ce.Ue
c6ine (pi. ciAtiCA)

cipe

clotce

CtUAIfO

ctuima
c»ief«S«

CJ11C9

choice

cutleos

cuAice
cuiteoi se

a stone

an car

plumage

a wound

a heifer

afoot

a branch

a spear

plunder

crag

end

pibbet

croaa

cuckoo

a fly

Nov.

t>AO<\C

•oeAlo
tjeAlg
t>eoc
•oion

tKMneA
•OJICAC

GBN.

fuiti 11005

•ocitje
T>ije
•uiiie
•Doininne

pcciLLe

puinneoise
puinnpeoije

MEANTNO.
a vat
a form
a thorn
a drink
protection
bad weather
face, visage

a weasel

time, occasion

anger

beard

chess

a feast

wreath

a root

window

a lark

JAOlOS

5Abloi5e

a little fork

5AOC

5Aotte

wind

56^1,^6

XG A LAI 50

moon

3fu5

5^'5e

branch

S'5e

squeak

jeipj-eAft

5ei1T'Se \

cirl

r|ot1TA6

-rioitrAiTro I

giri

Stun

jtume

knee

XJ1HATI

CtlGlflB

sun

5PUA5

SttuAige

hair

!£„

•nstne

thong
daughter

lAril

Unhe

hand

lAf05

Varo'S6

match (light)

lACAC

U&jcce, LACAI^S
ieice

mud, mire
a stone flag

ICAC

leite

half, side

L0tl5

lub

luitije
tiiibe

ship
loop

tuc

lutce

mouse

tn 'up

meir«

finger

mue

tnuice

Pig

heaven

NOM,
61 n re AC

piob
pluc

r-st

GBX.

fion
rpeAl

pe"irce

ptbe

pltnce

poi5e

feipce
r5e.ce

TSP
ine

fine
f ominne
rpl^. ice

MEANTHO.
fool (f.)
thumb

reptile
worm

musical pipe
cheek
kisa

order, regulation

heei

hunt

love

plough

hawthorn bush

knife

corn el i ness

shield

throat

scrape

weather

rod

fine weather

scythe

spark, thunderbolt-

CAOft

cetjx*

conn

u5

nitte

Bide

string
wave
tribe

Appendix III.

NOUNS BELONGING TO THE THIRD DECLENSION.

(a) All personal nouns ending in otjt, uip,
(6) AD abstract nouns ending in A£C.

(c) Verbal nouns in Acr, Ail, and Aihd'ii.

(d) The following list :—

No». GENITIVB MCANIKO

Af-.-c ACC A cecr^)

NOM.

GKSiny».

MEANTWa.

AlffoC

Atpcte, AipeAjtA

repayment, restitution

AtcOHI

AlCGflA

altar

AT) At

AHAtA

breath

ATlAm

AnmA

soul

Ao-6

AO-6A

Hugh

AOp

AOfA

folk, people

AC

AtA

ford

beAntiAdc

b*AntiAte4

blessing

bAin-jifoJAfl

bAin-fito^iiA

queen

bioti

beAjtA

a (cooking) spit

bic (bioc)

bCACA

life

blAC

btACA

blossom

bLiA-OAin

btiA-onA

»year

blio£c

bleAccA

butter milk

bot

bOCA

tent, cot

bfiu§

brio JA

palace, mansion

bUACAltt.

bUACAlt*

boy

btiAfo

bnA-OA

victory

buAi-oific

bflATOBAtlCA

trouble.

C Aft A1H

CAOflA CAt>r<A6

help

CA1T)

CAT1A

tax

CAIfS

CAfSA

Easter

CAt

CACA

batth

C1OT)

CCADA

love, desire, affectin"

cior

ClOfA

rent

etc, in. (ciot)

CCACA

shower

CtCA)'

CtCAJ'A

ft trick

ctiAtiiAin, m.

c li Am n *

son-in-law

cnAth

CDAlhA

bone

COt)tA-6

COt)AtCA

sleep

c6i|t

c6flA

justice

connjtA-d

COnTlAflCA

compact, covenant

cofnAih

COfAPCA

defence

ct<A-6

CflA'OA

torture, destruction

Cfl)0f

CtlCAfA

belt

CftUC

CfOCA

form

cnAife

ctiAticA (or cttAtrice)

visit

CUITJ

CODA

part, shara

X>Alt

T>AU

account, meeting

t)AT)

t>AHA

destiny

•OAC

TWCA

colour

•oeAtiAih

T>eAnrr,A

make or shape

T)i.\t mtiit)

VlAlttDUT)*

Derinot

•oorruiri

•OOCCUflA

doctor

•ojincT;

•OJ1UCCA

dew

T>pu>Tn, m.

•OfiotnA

a back

NOM.

eu-o
eulo-6

MEANING.

tax, tribute

jealousy

escape, elopement

fAt

penim
feoiL

flACAlL

pon

fUACC, TO.
F«AC

Fuil

yiiom
501 n
5tiA-6

5«L
5«c

iomA»r

tionn
toe

mAforn
rneAf

peolA
piAcUA
FiortA

pUACCA

joriA

5J10CA
5«t A
JOCA

IBACCA

tCATiriA

lOCA

lOCCA

tOfA

TTIAXUDA
mAttce
tneAfA

cause, reason
a grave, tomb
rain

service, use
flesh, meat
a tooth
wine

knowledge
prince

a sudden attack
learning
(decree

(announcement
cold

ransom, redemption
hatred
blood

valley
act, deed
wound
love
a piece
curds
weeping
a voice

a desire, request
land, country
hurling (a gamo)
report, notice

abed
a grave
beer, ale
a fort
lake

reproach
an herb

defeat, rout
forgiveness

3??.

No*.

GBNITIVB.

MBA*!**

miAn

miAnA

desire

mil

meAtA

honey

mo-6

TTIO^A

manner

m6m

m6nA

bog

mui«i

mA,,A

sea

65

65A

a young person

olAflti

OltlA

wool

ollAmAtn

OllAITinA

instruction

onoip

onojin

honour

OfgiA'D

orgA.Ue

admission, openii

flAC

tt*CA

took

tlCACC, W.

fCAtCA

law

HIOCC

fCACCA

a form

Jilt

t«AtA

running

fAniAtl.

pAI7ll4

HAmtiA

an equal, like
November

f5At

fJACA

shadow

rcot

fCOCA

flower

pJAtA

a space of time

rjoc

fCACA

frort

p'ocdAin

p'occ-AnA

pence

ftlOCC

flCACCA

posterity

PTIACC, M.

plAITI

plAITIA

a curb
a swim

r°j>

r°sA

pleasure

f|1A1t

fftitA

a layer

p^on

pftOTIA

nose

,Tuc

rrotA

stream

CAlUlU.|,

CAltllU^A

tailor

CAin

CAtlA

a drove

cionpjAm
coiL

co LA

purpose, project
a will

C^A^A

a strand

ClieAT)

C|t6AT)A

flock, drove

cpeosji

CfieopA

guide, troop
battle

CJ<O1TI

CflO-OA

fipht, quarrel

CuAim

CUATTIA

Tuam

CUAC

CUACA

tribe

O&I'O

UATTIA

cave

uct

OCCA

breast

Appendix IY.

THE NOUNS OF THE FIFTH DECLENSION.

The letters in brackets give the termination of the genitive singular.

06 or A&A, gen. AbAtm, a river ;

pi. Aibne or AiBneAda.
AoncA(-ti>), license, permission.
•A|uv(-n),Isle of Arran; pL

The Arran Isles.
(-TI), kidney.

(-ATI), m., philosopher
[An), 7/1., debtor,
c), The Nore.
Mi), a sign, mark.
, twenty.

plunder.

beoip (beopAc), beer. jAt>A(-n), m., a smith ; pi. jAibne

'j|tA§A(t>;, m,, the upper part of st1^111 <5T<AT1Ac). hatred.

the breast, 5«AlA(-n), a shoulder ; pL

bpeiieArh(An), m,, a judge, 5«Ailne, guAilleACA.

bpo(-r), a quern, handmill pL ton^.n^ a naU (of the finger) ;

pi. mgne.
tACA(-n), a duck
IAIH (IAJIAC), a mare.
tAnAriiA(-n), a married couple.
ATMIAC), a flame.
ACJIAC), a level plain.

bjioince.
CAO|iA(6), a sheep ; pi. CAOIJIIJ;.

CAfiA(x>), a friend ; pi.
CACAitt(-tttAc), a city, fortress.
cACAOifi(-fteAc), a chair.
ceAjvo6A(-n), ft forge, smithy.
ceAcjtAtriA(-n), a quarter.
ct<Mr(-rAc), a furrow.
coifm(-f]ieAc), a feast.
coriiupfA(-n), neighbour ; pi.

m., a cheek; pi.

AineACA-

-n), the shin ; pL Unpgne.
mAinirci^'-CfieAc), a monastery.
meATimA(-tiX the mind.

^ Christmas.

ottArii(-An), a doctor, professor.
peAfij*A(-n), a person.
uAAit (fiiArtAc), a rule.

-n), a choice ; pi. JIO^HACA

coriilA(-6), a gate, door.
. compA(-n), a coffer, cupboard, m'le(-A-o), a soldier, warrior.

coffin. TiAihA(-T)), an enemy ; pi. nAirr

cop6in(-nAd), a crown.
c}t<iin(-nA6), a sow.
co, gen. con, a hound ; pi.

coin, cotiA, hounds.
cuit(-Ac), a corru'.
cuipie(-Anrv), a pulse, vein.
T)AiteArii(-An), a cup-bearer. t'°5AineAeA-

•oAip(-A6), an oak. TA1^ (fAlA<::). a beam.

•oeApnA(-n), palm of the hand. fe,Mi5A(-n^a cormorant.

x)Ue(-Ann), flood, deluge; pi. fCAil (rcAtAc), a stallion.

MnACA CAt(-Ac), a wedge,

(-n), science, learning. t&l&m, gen. cAtmAn Jand.

), disagreement, dis

obedience.

CAfcu (compound of cu), an eel
eipi|t(-f peAc), an oyster.
eocAi-p (eoc^iAC), a key.

(CeAtTi|(Ac i Tara.
ceAti5A(-n or -6), tongue ; pi.

CCAnj^CA.

ceojiA(-n), boundary, limit.
uille(-Atin), an elbow.

eopnA(-n) [or gen. same as noun.], «lcA(-n), a beard,
barley. «nrA(-n), » door- jamb.

Appendix ¥

A LIST OF IKREGULAB VERBAL NOUNS

VEBB

MEANING.

VBBBAL Nora

Ab.MJl

say

^1AT)

confess

A-oriiAit

bAin

snatch, take*

bAinc

beip

bear, c:irry

bf.eic

btij

milk

bit 51 ATI

bttuic

oook

b^uic

buAin

reap,

buAinc

CAlU.

lose

CAilleAiiiAin

CAIC

throw, open, consume

CAICCAth, CA1C6A-6

CCAHTlUlj

ceil

buy
conceal

CCATinAC

ceiLc

ceim

step

ceim

cinti

determine

cmtieAtiiAin

ClAOIt*

defeat

CtAOl

coimeuT)

watch, guard

coimeux)

coipjtij

bless

{coirpe^

coifs

prevent

c°rs

comjtAic

fight

COTTlflAC

COJAIjl

whisv«i?

CO^A^t

keip

conjOAiL

cojijiuij;

stL-: K>^t,

coptiu'je

Cop AID

defend

corr>Arii, cof-Ainc

cjieiT>

believe

cpei-oeAriiAtnc

CUIJt

put, send

CUf

•OeAjtttlA'O

forget

WAttniA-o

t)iot

sell

•oiol

•otiuro

shut (M. move towards)

•ofiui-oinf

•OUIftj

awake

•OUIJ^ACC, -our5AO

6A5

die

^*S

claim

eite^tri, eitita^A'o

ei^tij

rise, rvriaa

einije

etpc

listen

FAJ

find, get

W6f*l

Y An

wait

r^A,r,r

To take a thing not offered is " bAin ;" but when offered, "

335

7»WBAL HOPS.

I'Af grow fAf

veAt> whistle

JTBAJI pour out, shower

fete see

reu 6 behold, look

p.Apjmi J aek, enquire

fosluim learn

foitl suit, fit

poifi help, succoor p6ijittm

FjieAf-oAit attend, serve pji CA^OA

PUA1J B8W fUAJAlt

announce, proclaim
suffer

5Aft take, go jAfcAil

5Ai|i call, shout S^'t1"1

jeAtt promise jjeAllAihAin

^6itn bellow, low jeiinneAcor's^imeA-o

^LAO-Q call

jLuAtp journey, go

501 1 weep jol

Sui* pray gui-oe

i.Ajit» ti7. ask, entreat

imtieAf contend, wrestla

imtij go away itnteACi

innir tell innpnc

iomcAij< carry . lOmcAp

lompui't turn totiipo'O

(oc pay <oc

lonAt wash icnlAC

lOTinpui^ approach lonnr'in]

it eat ire

tcij knock down leAjAtt

t,eAf» follow V£ATiATTl<

leij let, allow teijeAn

tinj leap Ling

UrniAHl strip, pull off lomAiju

Ltns lie (down) twije

mAin live, exist |Ln..«,,,

mAic forgive niAiteAiV

meAr think meAf

33G

Oil

61

fieic
•jtei'OT
ftinnc

fiomn

fAOlt

pjmn

rs^i'

ft.,*

ce,t5

cutg
cuttL
eui jilt 115

nourish
drink*

sell

arrange

dance

run

divide

think

stand

play (an instrument)

separate

destroy, erase

cease

walk

swim

2

give

oner

draw

teach, instruct

fling

wind

lift

search for, pursue

forsaken, abandon

understand

earn, deserve
alight, descend

VERBAL NOTJK.

OtlCAITlAinC

61
retc

fttnnce
ftit

fiotnnc

fAOllptl

pUJDAi
f-l.A-0

fCA-0

fume

roijtijeAdr

Appendix YI.

A LIST OF VERBS BELONGING TO FIRST CONJUGATION.

DAC, stop, hinder, meddle.
bAin, snatch, take.
DAIC, drown,
bete, bawl
bog. soften.

bits, milk,
bjtip, break,
bttuij, bruise.
buAtL, beat.
buAi-6, give success.

• Drunk, meaning intoxicated, is not olcA, but

etf g«

887

CAiU, lose.

CAom, lament.

CAIC, waste, spend, eat or cast.

CAtn, bend, make crooked.

can, sing.

CAOC, blind.

CAf , twist, turn, wind, wry.

ce-\p, think

ceA-o, allow, leave, permit

ceil, hide, conceal.

cmn, resolve.

ciojt, comb.

cl/AOix), defeat.

ctAon, bend, crook.

COT5> stoP' hm(ler-

C^AIC, shake.

cj'.oc , hang.

cnei-o, believe, trust.

epic, tremble, quake.

cjiom, bend stoop,.

cjtorn A]t, set about.

cum, form, shape.

cuijt, put, semi.

cui|t A-n bun, establish.

cuijt CADI AIJI, mend.

L, return, come back

I can.

, wet, moisten, drench.
L, suit, fit.
pSip, help, !f;lieve, succour.
pogtutm, learn.

jiif, shoot, call.
jeAtl, promise.

5CAt1|1, CUt

56111, obey, submit.

gtAC, take, reserve,

glAn, cleanse.

gtAoxi, call.

jluAif, journey, travei, go.

joitj, steal

5011, weep, lament.

join, wound.

5f\AiF, sign, mark.

jut*, pray.

lAfiji, aak, seek, request, be

seech.

foe, pay, atone,
ic, eat

•OAOJI, condemn, blame.
•oeAjitt, ascertain, assure.
•oeAjic, look, observe, remark.

lAf, light, kindle, blaze.
IcAj, throw down.
ICAII, follow, pursue.

•01115, press, stuff, push,
x>iot, sell.
•0615, burn, consume.
•ooi]tc, spill, shed.

Lets, read,
teig, grant, suffer, permit.
'v,eim, leap,
tins, leap, bounce, start.
tion, fill, surfeit, cram.

T>fvuit>, shut. move.
T>UAI, plait, fold.

toifs, singe, scorch, burn,
tub, bend, crook.

•oun, close

t«i5, lie.

6ipc, listen.

mAi|t, last, exist, remain.

^Aip, watch, guard.

mAftfc, kill, murder.

pAifS, squeeze, crush.
PAD, stay, wait, stop.

mAiu, forgive.
mAot, wet, steep.
mcAll, deceive, defraud.

iv\t\ grow.
veAt), whistle.

meAf , estimate, think.

^ eAtt, deceive, cheat
peAnn, flay, strip.

meAC, fade, wither,
mill, spoil, destroy.

yCA|i, pour out, shower,
peuc, behold, look.

mot, praise,
mum, teach, instruct.

K2

S38

ni j, wash.

oil, nurse, cherish.
0171, suit, fit.
6t, drink.

pteAfs, crack.
p65, kiss.

pott, pierce, penetrate,
ptie-ab, spring, leap.

peic, sell.
pet>b, tear, burst.
H«f. run, flee,
potim, diviiij.
1*UA'5. pursue, rout

f Air, thrust, stab.
fAOit, rit, reflect, think.
fAojt, deliver.
fjAOit, loose, let go.
rsui|i, cease, deaia*.
fCAf, stand.
r««>, blow.

reot, teach, drive, sail,
feinn, play (music).

separate, divide.

, write.

sweep, scrape, destroy,
fit, drop, let fall, sink,
fin, stretch, extend,
ftnei-o, beckon, wink,
ftuig, swallow.
fnAtn, swim, float
f-CAT>, stop.
fCAT) "oe, dentil*
foi-6, sit.

CAIJIJ;, offer.
CACC, choke,
ceit. flee.
coj, choose, select.
CO5, take up, lift.

, plough, till.

forsake, abandon,

, fight, quarrel.-
cui5, understand,
cuitt, earn, deserve.
cute, fail.

^JAIJI, entreat (avenge).
Aictn, recognize.

bAjAip, threaten.

c^rS*1!1. slaughter.
ceATi5Ait, bind.
051 1, tickle,
coigit, spare.
cor>Ait, sleep.
copMti, defend,
ctiiimt, rub.

i, banish.

Appendix Y1I.

LIST OF SYNCOPATED VERBS,
eicit, fly.

, serve.

in, answer.

Ait, attend,
A'l-, open,
n, proclaim.
g, suffer.

, relieve.

innif, tell,
ingit, graze,
imiji, play.
tomcAiji, carry.
io-obAtn, offer.

339

lAbAiji, speak.
lornAifi, strip, bare.

peACAin, a

comAiL, consume, eat
COCA: I, root.
CAiifiAins, draw,
ctonoil, gather.
cocjiAif, wind,
cumlins, descend.

Appendix YIII.

ENDINGS OF THE REGULAR VERBS IN PRESENT-DAI
USAGE.

Broad Terminations.
Imperative.

8INQ. PL0.

f-AttiAOtf (-Amuif).
[root] -AIT*

-AT). -AITtif, -At>AO1p.

Present Tense.

-Aim. -AITIAOIT), -AmU1T>.

-Aifi. -Ann fib.

-Ann. -Ait).

Imperfect.

-Ainn. -AmAoif (-Amuip).

-CA. -AT) fib.

-ATI. -A1T)1f (-AT>AO1f).

Past.

-Af. -AtnAjt.

-Alf. -AbAJI.

[no ending] -AT»A|I.

Future.

•pAT>. -pAmAoiT) (-pArnvnx>)

Blender Terminations.
Imperative.

SING. PLTJ.

j f-imif (-eAmuif).

2. [root] -1-6.

3. -6AT).

-pA1](. -pA1T) fib

-pAIT). -pA1X».

Conditional.

-pAinn -pAmAOif (-pAnmif ).

-pA. -pAT) fib.

-fA« -pAITiif (-pAX>A01f).

Present Tense.

1. -im. -imix> (-imi-o).

2. -i)i. -CAnn fib.

3. -eAnn. -i-o.

Imperfect.

1. -inn. -imif (-itnip).

2. -CCA. -CAT) fib.

3. -CA-6. -i-oif.

Past.

1. -CAf. -eAOlA|l,

2. -if. -e AbAji.

3. [no ending] -eAT»A-p.

Future.

1. -pCA-o. -pi mix) (-pimi-o).

2. -piji. -piT> fib.

3. -piT). -pit).

Conditional.

1. -pmn. -pimi'f (-pimip).

2. -pCA. -pCAT) fib.

3. -pCAT). -plXJl'f.

340

Appendix IX.

EARLY MODERN FORMS OP THE VERBS.

We give only those forms which have not already been given in the
body of the Grammar.

Dependent Present: -\\&b ; (as in jujuxb, that it is, •oAjtAb, to
which or tchoni it is ; munAb, if it is not).

Obsolete Dependent Present: -ATJ ; (as in gotiA-o, that it is, TMHA-O,
to which or whom it is}. This form occurs frequently in early
modern writers. A remnant of it is found in the word 510-6 or
JIT*, thouijh it is.

Past: JM.

The form pA of the past though frequently found in early modern
writers is now obsolete.

Dependent Past: -]i t>A (sometimes written -ji t>o), as in 511 jt b,\,
that it was ; •OAJI t>A, to ichom or which it was ; tnunaji t>,\, ij it
was not; AJV BA, icas it? nioji t>A, it icas not.

The full form of the Dependent Past, though sometimes found in
early modern writers is now contracted to -jt&' before vowels, and to
-ji bef'.re consonants.

Subjunctive : 'OAniA-6 (-OA mbA-6), if it were ; jetriA-o (56 inbAT>),
though it were.

Imperative.

1. — bnnip, biorn.

2. bt. bi-6, bi-oi-6.

3. biox> bix)if.

Present Tense.

ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

1. ACAim ACAtnAOfo. fuil/im puiiin

2. ACA01 ACACA01. pUlLe (-If) fUllci.

3. ACA ACAI-0. f«lt |?UlllX».

Habitual Present.

1. bim bimm.

2. bif bici.
.3. bi(f>) bit).

Past Tense.
ABSOLUTE. DEPENDENT.

1. fcAT)A|* bAmAJI. flAbAf |1At)AtTIA|1

2. t»AX)Air t)A6A|t. t»At)Air vA6AftAiu

3. fcl fti'OAtt v&itte \\Ab&-OA^.

341

Future Tense.

1. biAX> biAmAon), biAm.

2. biAip biAi.\oi.

3. bidi'o, biA buM-o.

Relative: biAr.

Conditional— Secondary Future.

1. toeinn beimip.

2. t>eiceA biAX> fi5.

3. biAX>, beic beix>ij\

Subjunctive Mood.
Present Tense.

1. flADAt) JtAbmAOIt),

2. fAt>A1ft

3. f1Alt>e

ENDINGS OF THE REGULAE VERBS IN EARLY MODERN

IRISH.

The following is a table showing the various endings of the regular
verbs in Early Modern Irish. It is not intended that these forms
should be learned by the student ; they are given merely for
reference : —

Broad Terminations. *

Slender Terminations.

Imperative.

Imperative.

1.

2.

a.

SING.

[root]
-&o.

PLU.

-Am.

-(A)-OAOIf.

2.'
3.

SING.

[root]

PLU.

-1-6. '
-(i)-oip.

Present

Tense.

Present Tense.

i.
2.

0.

-Aim.

-A1J1.
-A1X).

-CAOI.
-Alt).

I.

2.
3.

-im.
-1-6.

-(Omix>.

•tl.
-I'D.

Imperfect Imperfect.

1. -Ainn. -AmAOip. 1. -inn. -(i)mij»,

2. -CA. -CAOI. 2. -CCA. -ci.

3. -A-6. -(A>OAoir. 3. -eA'o. -(i)-oif.

Past. Past.

2. -A1f. -AbAJI. 2. -If. -CAbAJl.

3. (no ending) -At>A|i. 3. (no ending). -eAT>A]t.

342
Future. Future.

1. -pAT). -pAHl (A01X>) 1. -pCAXX -pCAHl (pimvo).

2. -pAiji. -PAOI. 2. -pip. -pi.

3. -pAI'O. -pAIXk 3. -p1X>. -pit).

Conditional. Conditional.

1. -pAinn. -pATOAOip. 1. -pinn. -pitnip.

2. -pA. -pA01. 2. -pCA. -pi.

8. -pAX> -pAX>A01f. 3. -pCAX). -p1X>tp.

Irregular Verbs.

It is principally in the future tense that the inflexions of the irregu-
lar verbs in Early Modern Usage differ from the forms now generally
uart.

Future Tense.

1. (no termination) Atn (-ITIAOIX>).

2. A1|1 CAO1.

3. A AIX>.

The following verbs took no inflexion in the 3rd person singular
of the present time. The forms in brackets are the dependent
forms : —

"Oo-bei|t (cAt>Aif\), x>et|i (AbAtjO, x>o-3eib (pAjAift, pAJtJAnn), x>o-
jni, x>o-ci (pAic), (ctuin), cij, ceix>.

The following had no inflexion in ttfe 1st person singular past
tense i —

At)«DA|tc, lx>ut>A}tc), AtconnAc (PACA) CAHAS, CUAIA, jiArAg.

INDEX.

The numbers refer to the paragraphs.

A, roc. part, 21d.

An, interrog. part., 26e.

A, poss. adj., 522.

AnAU, 438.

A, rel., 26e, 233, &c., 546, 554.

An Am, 104.

&, part., 169.

An-cuix>, 198.

A, prep., 605(1').

AmaeAp, 441.

Ab, 3;!9,

AIITDIU, 434.

At)A, 119.

AniA-ji, 441.

AbAijt, 35c, 355.

Aniof, 436.

AbftAim, 357*

Ann, 39, 604, 627.

At)«f, 436.

AnnpA, 166.

-AC, 467a.

Anocc, 434.

ACC 50, 550.

Anoift, 441.

At>einim, 'J57.

Anonn, 438.

AiocuAfo, 441.

AntiAr*, 436.

At>ut>Aitir:, 359.

AOibmn, 356, 144

A5> 191, 2i7, 617.

AOit>neA|', 131.

.VJA, 544.

Aome, 447.

AJAi-6, 86, 89.

AOUI tie, 64.

A5om, 191.

AOinneAC, 64, 241.

A5ur, 154, fi28(2).

AOtti-oe, 166.

AICVO, 88.

Aon, numer., 172, 505, 509.

Aijce, 86.

Aon, indef. adj., 197, 200.

Aitne, 10, 43d.

AonAc, 58.

Aiji-oe, 166.

AonA|i, 177.

Aif.t>eocA-o, 297.

AonriiA-6, 173, 504.

Ain^eAt, 65.

AH, poss. adj., 14, 26fl, 522.

Atnm, 43(4), 104.

Aft, pivn., 267.

AIT;, 14, 84, 530(»ote).

A|t, interrog., 278.

AlbA, 129, 473(2).

Ajt; prep., 219, 578, 618.

Altiinn, 356, 144.

AH, verb, 423.

Am, 104.

Ati bir, 197.

AITI (Aim), prefix. 455.

Af VCAT., 613d.

Am, AriiAc, 433.

Afro, 166.

Am AC, 433.

Att"OAn 42d.

-AriiAil, 467c.

Atcouij, 297, 315d.

AtriAin, 172.

AfieiH, 4?4.

AmA-pAc, 434.

A«m, 69

Ariic<?.c 43^.

Atir, 423.

Attune, 433.

Af, 225, 919.

Amuij, 433.

A'f, 154

An, intens part., 161.

ACAifi, 43(3), 132.

An, def. art., 39, 40, 470, <frc.

Accim, 390-

344

t)A(bo), 132.

buAtlceAji, 251.

bA (verb), 158, 334, 338, 340, 341.

buAlA-6, .89.

bAt>6ifi, 42c, 100.

buiT)eAn 35a, 85,

bAile, 113.

buin (bo), 132.

bAttij, 293.

buji, 26a, 522.

bAti, 165.

bAf, 14.

CA, 2Gc, 278.

bAf, 14.

CA, 202.

beAc, 79.

CA, COO.

beAi;, 166.

CAOAIJI, 35o.

beA5An, 198, 241.

CAC, 241.

beAlAc, 58.

CA-O, 243.

beAn, 132.
beAf, 326.

CAT) cuige, 4^5.

bCACA, 131.

CAT) pAt, 435.

beit,FCA|t, 326.

CAi-oe, 243.

bei-op, 327.

CAilin, 43e, 111.

beim, 87.

CAiLL, 3!6c.

beiti, 342, 618(7c).

CAilleAC, 77.

bei^ini, 347, 6:8(76)

CAin, 105, 131.

beipc, ;77, 481.

CAijiioe, 121.

beit, 327, 330.

CAit, 316c.

beiteAti, 326.

CAH, 600.

beiti, 327.

CA01, 114.

beitce, 284.

CAOITI, 3156.

beo, 148.

CAO|I, 66.

biAT>, 64.

CAOJ1A, 125.

bior, 322.

CAPAlL, 37, 69.

biteAfi, «19, 322, 329.

CA|t, v78.

biteAf, 324

CAJI, 600.

bici, 323.

CAjlA, 12 J.

bUitce, 86.

CAri.A.5> 35a.

blACAC, 86.

CAf>oin, 433.

bo, 132.

CAtAin, 433, 435.

botAji, 65.

CAtAip, 35a.

bjiAOti, 199.

CACAOIfl, 115.

b)iAt, 163.

CAtAOIJI, 126.

btiAtAi|i, 132.

ce, 243, 435.

bpeAJ, 166.

CCACCA^, 242.

t>fiiAn, 64

C6ATJ, 11.

bpeiteAfh, 426, 131.

ceA-o, 14, 67, 175, 511

bplAHAC, 486.

ceA-o (first), 167, 505.

bjiiAtAti, 8tf. 131.

ceAtin, 2006, 513.

b no-o, 649.

ceAnnAC, 293.

bpuAC, 56, 66.

ceAnnuij, 293.

bptn-oeAn, 35o, 85.

ceAp, 67.

bjiuij, 31c6.

CBAJIC, 4 'a, 78.

buACAiU, 43(3), 105.

ceA|ic, 64, 654. -

buAix,, 43(4).

ceAtAiti, 171.

buAiL, 261, &c.

ceAtfiAtt, 177, 48 L

345

ceile, 246.

ceim, 87.

ceictie, 508.

ceo, 132.
/' ceocA(ceo), 132.

ceo^OAnA (ceo), 132,

ceol, 8, 67.

ceu-o, 167, 505.

Ceu-oAoin, 447.

cetiftt), 243.
CIA, 202, 243, 215.
ciAc(ceo), 13:'.
CIA mewo, 202.
ctbe, 237.
cfm, 389.
cinn, 513.
CIOCA, 243, 435.
cionnup, 435, 557.
cit, 104.
ciuriiAip, 88.

clAji, 68.
cleAp, 104.
cliArhAm, 105.
cotcti-oip, 88.
cloinne, 86.
clop, 398.
en Am (cnAim) 9f?.
cneAp, 64, 66.
cnoc, G3.

COT) Alt, H5c.

C05A-U, 67. '
coigil, 302, &c.
cc!5ilc, 313.
coiLeAc, 59.
coilL, 89, 131.
coimli'on, 32 (note),
coin, 119.
coiji, 14, H5, 654
coip5, 3166.
coipce, 14.
com, 154.
comnuijce, 5l!5.
comjiA, 131.
comuppAin, 119.
conA-o, 435.
connAC, 392.
ConnAccA, 130.
connAic, 39.'.

conntiA-6, 105.
con up, 435.
cojiom, 131.
cop, 76.

tupAiTi, 315c.

COCA, 110.

cue, l:\2.
cpei-o, 316c.
cpei-oeAnA (cfte), 132.

cjteu-o, 243.
criA.6 (cpe), 132.
C|iiop, 98.
cjioi-oe, 114.
cjionAC, 131.
CUAC, 131.

CUATJCAp, 411.

cuAi-6, 411.
cuAtA, 398.

CUAtACAp, 398.

CUATI, 67.

cui-o, 105, 198, 241, 524, &c

cuij, 508.

cuiSeAti, 177, 481.

'cuile, 242.

cumne, 113.

cuiji, 3166.

cutnim, 618(8).

cuip, 87.

cutple, 124.

cum, 223, 620.

cun, 603.

T)A, numeral, 514, &Q,
•o-i (-OO+A), 544.
•OA, coiij., 2CJ6, 552.
••OA, 467d

"OA6AC, 8t«.

•OAibce, 86.
•o At lie, 43d.

•OAlA, 603.

•o,\lcA, C03.

T)A01, 114.

•OAoine, 114.
•OAJI, 424.
•OAft, 278.

tKAflA, 508.

•DAjib, 542.
"OAji-OAOin, 447.

177, 481.

446

t>AC, 104.

•ouAif, 87.

T)e (-OIA), 132.

•oubAitc, 359.

•oe, 163, 227, 606(1), 621.

•o«bArtAr, 359,

•OeACA1|t, 145.

•ouine, 1 14.

•oeACAp, 411.

•out, 415.

•OCAJ, 493, 494(2>

^utcA, 415

•OCAJAr, 411.

•oun, 67, 315o,

xxJAti, 316e.

•oeAjibpACAifi, 132,

6, 211, 535.

•oetribfiAiri, 132.

6AC, 70.

oeiftopufi, 13.'.

eACjtA'O, 70.

•oeAttc, 387.

CATO, 213.

•oeAntiAr, 279, 381.

eA-ocpotnAf, 462.

x>eic, 507.

CAg, 646.

•oeil, 87.

CASCAIJTOCAr, 462.

•oem, 381.

CAjlA, 649.

•oeicneADAji, 177.

CAH, 61.

•oeifiim, 337.

CATllAIC, 70.

•oeipceAftc, 442.

CApnA, 114.

•oeoc, 86.

eijeAr, 65.

•oeoji, 66, 200.

- y- \ 1QT

•oeun, 377.

eiLe, 197.

•OIA (God), 132.

einin, 32, note.

•O.A (day}, 448.

einne, 64, 24 i.

•oiAf, 177, 481.

eijte, 127, 473(4).

•oibeAjicA, 314.

eo, 233.

loibiji, 315c.

eoptiA, 131.

•0156, 86.

euoAC, 58.

•oileAf, 141.

eun, 61.

•oijieAc, 139,

•oUoi, 114.

PA, 190, 228, 623.

•06, numeral, 14. 171.

FACA, 279, 392.

•oo, pass, adj., 182, 521.
•oo, prefix, '267, 455.

FACCA, 376.
FAccAti, 370.

t>o, before past tense, 276.

FACCAf, 392.

•oo, prep. 188, 220, 60o(l), 6.'2.

FA-O, 6v3.

•oobAiji, 427.

FAT) A, 166.

•o'FobAiti, 427.

FA5, 316/.

•oob e, 336.

FAS, 31 /, 368.

•0615, 315b.

FA^FA'O, a^°'

•ootjmin, 199o,

FAIC, 388.

•ooU, 415.

FAijci, 371.

•OothnAc, 447.

FAti, 14, 316ft

•oopnAti, !99o.

FAOI, 100, 228, 623.

TJOJIUF, 65.

FAf, 290, 31Go.

•ootAin, 198.

FCAC, 387.

•OpAOl, 114.

F6ACA, 392.

ojtoc, 493, 494(2).

FBA-O, 316/.

•ofttjim, 43'4), lul.

FeAX)Aim, 428.

"OUATJAp, 419.

FCAX)AmA|A, 425.

847

1, 425.

peA'OfiATnAn, 425.
peAfi, 62, 69.
peAtt, 14, 62.

peAflAtTlAtl, 147

pe^fi, 11, 166.
pete, 38C.
pete, 66.
pet CCA rii, 131.
petcfeAnA, 396.
pets, 60.
peile, 106.
petti, 20(J.
petp, 87.
peipctnc, 396.
pete, Site.
peott, 99.
piAc, <;6.
pee, 175, 511.
piceAt>, 16S.
pion, 14, 97.
pott, 161.
pipiti, 32 (note).
ptii, 433, 642.

plAlCCAtTIAlt, 356.

pocAl, 66.
poclotft, 43^4).
yotft, 259.
•poijitctn, 259.

166.
ror, 14.
•p-peurii, 83.

IT"3. 13^-
Fr,5^e, 132.
vrtt, 372.
VUACC, 94.

fTtlAJAIJI, 301.

87, 90.
•puAt^, 279.
j-'UAfiCAf, 372.
put-oe, 166.
p«ilceA|i, 321.
putAtfi, 644.
puiur, 16rt.
166.

SA, 132.
SA, 544.

5Ab, 318/, 364.
5AbA, 12*.
5Abi.il, 290.
rAt>pA-o, 367.

5AC, 201

SAC AOTI, 242.
5AC|te, 201.
SAC utle, 241.
5Aece (5A). 132.
5An, 580, 606(2), 624.
5Afi, 166.

gCAtlOfO, 115.

ge, 132.

5eAl, 132.

jeAntiA, 132.

jeAnii, 14 1, 166.

jeitum, 37- '. '

5eic, 43(4).

jeobA'o, 365.

5eo&AT), 373.

5e«5, SO.

5tbe, 235.

5ix>eA-6, 452.

51 le, 106.

StoppA, 166.

SlAf, 165.

5le, 161.

gLuAip, 87.

5tiim, 379.

gntoifi, 105.

jniop, 379.

5no, 10, 114.

30, conj., '2(ie, 2>5, 549

50, prep., 39, 625.

50 ceAtiti, 013<f.

50 x>e rr\A]\, 435.

join, 3155.

5ftAn-oA, 5|(iitroe, 10. IfiO.

jfAtnin, JV<9.

Stiettn, 43(4), 102, 200.

5|tiAn, 81.

5utl, 316&.

5«ti, 278.

gut, 104.

1,89, 186,226,604, 627
\,pron., 211.
i, noun. UA, 132.
iA|t, prep., 579.
lAf, 440.

8*8

tAfiiAfi, 442

teAn. 3ICc.

1-01 tt, ^29, C02(l), 628.

teAnb, 9, 64.

i mbAtiAC, 434.

teAtiAtTitiA, 290.

imeApcA, 314.

tCAfA, 105.

in, pronoun, 238.

teAf, 421.

in, prep., 39, 535,627.

teAfmuij, 438.

in (ion) prefix, 286.

teij, 3i6d.

1nx>e, 434.

te'5, 315a.

in-peicpeanA, 396.

tetm, 87.

i iroiAi-6, 449.

teme, 113.

innif, 35c.

te|i, 278.

ioniA-0, 198.

tejib, 542.

lorr.AftcA, 198.

tiA, 1G6.

lonroA, 16H, 493.

tit, 75.

lomtufA, 603.

tion, 67.

ionA, 15^'.

l/iciti, 88

ion-riiotCA, 285.

to (tA), 132.

lonriiutn, 166.

toe, 15.

ionnup, 452.

ton5, 10, 82.

lOfAT), 417.

tuAn, 447.

ip, conj., 170.

tuc, 87.

ip, verb, 156, 333, 584.

tucc, 115.

ipot, Hi.

tuJA, 160, 166.

ifceAc, 433, 436.

tuib, 87.

ircij, 433, 436.

ice, 416.

tTlA, 21 g.

iut>, pronoun, 238.

ITIAC, 64, 69, 487, etc

tnACtiA-6, 70.

U, 132.

TT1A-OA-6, 65.

tAbAitt, 35c, 315c.

mAiT>iTi, 35tt.

tACA, 123.

niAi-om, 104.

tAece (tA), 132.

m At tin, 82 (note).

tAeceAncA (tA) 132.

tTlAiitc, 447.

tAisin, 130.

mAtpeA-o, 452.

tAipcij, 438.

niAit, 143, 1«6.

tAlfCBAf, 441.

niAiteAr, 42d.

tAlfCIAjl, 41L

mAtA, 14, 110.

tAiirce, 86.

mAtUcx, 94.

tAn, 1^8.

IDAOfl, 55.

tAOC|1A-6, 70.

THAU, 21^, 453, 557.

tAfAitt, 35a.

-iriAti 4676.

tAfCAtt, 438.

mAjACAC, 57.

tApcoift, 441.

THAflCUl JCACC, 565.

tAfCUAIT), 441.

niAnsA-o, 9, 65.

tAtAC, 86.

m.\tAi|i, 132.

te, 89, 154, 187, 221, 613d, 629.

meACAn, Cl>.

tCAbA-6, 10.1.

meAp, 14.

teAbAji, 18, 69.

meAfA, 166.

teAC, 88.

mi, 132.

UA5, 316d.

mile, 113, 175, 176, 511.

849

mitif, 144.
mill, 315a.
mnnc, 166.
mini j, 315e.
mioncA, 166.
mionnA (mi), 132.
miorA (mi), 132.
mir-oe, 163.
mire, 205.

TYIT1A, 132.

mo, 179, 521.
mo, 166.
moi-oe, 163.
mom, 103, 131.
mot, 31na.
molA-6, 289.

mop, 137, 166.
mofiAti, 198.

mu-OA, 433.
mtnt>, 270.
mutUe, 113.
muitur, 115.
mult-Ac, 58.
munA, 26e, 550.
munA-ji, 278.
tnufi, 67.

nA, 14. 40/.

nA, 14, 156.
nA 50, 452.
tiAC, conj., 26e.
nAc, rel. pron., 235.
nACA|i, 278(6).
nAtriA, 119.

T1A01, 507.

HA«, 278(6). 5\9.

-ne, 184.

neAC, 64.

tieAm-, prefix, 455.

neAftt, €4, 198, G50.

neArA, 166.

tieim-, 455.

nenii-jeAnAmtAcc, 462.

neut, 07.

ni, 2Ip.

ni, noun., «87, &G.

me, 4(47. &C.

ni-6, 114, 157, 158
tiiop, 278.
nior, 157, 158.
tioc, 234.
no 50, 550.
n«A-6, 491(2).
n«Am, 557.

O, pronoun, 238.
6, noun, 132, 4;>7, &c.
6, prep., 189, 222.
obAiji, 35a, 88.
occ, 507.
6 t>eAr, 441.
e, 434.

O1|tGA"O, 198.

OIUCCAU, 442.
61, 316a.

Ot^AIIT), H5d,

olc, 166.

OIVOA/HS.

6|ilAC, 58.
6r, 632.

orsAii, 298 (note),
6 tuAi-6, 441.

TDA-otiAi^, 115.

'pe i 69.
peAiin, 66.
peAfirA, 120.
pi jinn, 3">o.
pinjinn, 35a, 199.

1, 329.
•}iAt>cAr, 325. .

flAJAT), 412.

fiAiiAj, 420.
•pAngAr, 420.
jiAit), 279, 325.
|iAi-6ce, 3o3.
tteAiiiAtt, 141.

tieub, 259.
«iAccAin, 421.

350

JtlACrAtlAr, 421.

fiiAti, 64.
•jitjim, 420.

•pinne, 381.
71105, 161.
Hi 05 A, 132.
jut, 2^0, 316o.
jio, 279.
tt6, 161.
ttoctAin, 421.
•poim, 224, 633
tioimir, 224.
tioinnc. 199.

SA(c)rAnA, 130, 473(2).
" M, 56.

rAin, 238,
rAU, 438.
rAti, 238.

pitt, 161.

SACAfin, 447.
rAOi, 114.
re, pronoun, 210.
re, numeral, 508.
-re, 184.
react. 507.
reAccA-p, 177, 481.
re Am ji 65, 152.

r^An,' 494(2).
reAn, 14.
reAr, 31 fie.

n, 205.

ji, 177, 481.
reo, lio, 238.
peo-o, 66.
reol, 67. .
rsAoil, 3156.

rseattA, 86.
rseuLui-oe, 42c.
rsiAti, 86.

a, 2fiO.

r5«if, 3166.
p, 210.
PA, 166.
pAti, 441.
p-oe, px.i, 239.
pn, adj., 14, 195
pn, pronoun, 238
pn, 14.
pne, p"i, 239.

L, 35c, 290.

i, 65.
/AH) 66.
88
>: 132.

113.
rmuAin, 3156.

rnArii, 316a.
ro, adj., 19".
ro, pron., 238.
ro, prefix. 286, 45j
rocAiji, 145.
rom, 195.
roifi, 441.
rpe«t1, 89.
rtiAi-o, 87.

n, 420.
rfioipm, 42 J.
rfoti, 131.
rtiuc, 104.

r«Ar, 436.

rut), 23LS.
ruil, 49(1), 90.
pa, 14, 5-5 L, 558.
r«t, 14, 49(1), 90.

CA5Aim, 400.
CAim,3!8.
rAin, 103.
tAinij, 270, :;

CAlATVl, 131,

tAll, 438.
TAnAg, 402.

851

tAn^AT, 403. cr-e, 39, 231, 604, 035.

CAJI, verb, 399. tue^r, 505.

cAr, prep., 230, 634. cpeApio, 603.

cAttlA, 426, cueife, 166.

CACAjt, 320. Cjieig, 316<2.

ce, 148, 166. cretin, 166.

ce, 237. ctnujt, 177, 481.

ceAc, 132. tfioij, 76 (note).

ceAcc, 406. Cf.otn, 162 462.

ceAjAim, 400. ctiuAill, 88.

CeamAip, 128. cu, 531.

ceAf, 440, 441. . CUAI-O, 440, 441.

ceig, 408. cuAifceAj\c, 442,

ceils, 316'L ttj^f, 436.

ceine, 113, 131. cu5, 279.

ceitiis. 4°9 c«i|t. 89.

ceo, 148, 166. cuir5e, 166.

CIAJI, 440, 441. cuilleA-6, 198.

ci-oeACC, 406. cufA, 205.

ci5, 132.

cijeApiA. 112. UA, 132.

cim, 390. tiAi|i, 87.

cimceAll, 603 u.VUc, 58.

cmneAf, 649. uAfAl, 35b, 14L

ciox)Acc, 406. «b, 88.

cip, 89. tibAU, C6.

cifiim, 166. u-o, 19G.

ciottniA, 166. tii, 132, 489.

cior, 436. ti'le, 197, 201.

ct«5|iA-o, 351. winge, 114.

cobAp, 68. UUi-6, 130

coil, 92. «tn, 232, (536

coifi, 440, 441. uji, 161.

coij*5, 603. «T»ur 166-

cwn&, 603. UPA. 166.

AJI ti-A cu|t i £c

V XlA CACAll AJUf -O'A

35 ;i6 u^up 37 s^Aix) rhofi