SYNTAАХ. ARTICLE. 1. The article agrees with its substantive, in gender, number and case; as, an fear, the man; na mna. of the women. 2. For the influence of the article, in aspirating, eclipsing, &c., the noun with which it is declined, see pages, 27, 28, 29. 3. When two nouns come together, signifying the same person or thing, that one only is eclipsed or aspirated which is immediately joined with the article; as, tig an bratain, Briain, the house of brother Brian. 4. When the article follows a particle ending in a vowel, it loses 4; as, o, from, an, the; ón, from the; do an, to the; d01. 5. When the article precedes a word beginning with a consonant, the n is scarcely heard in speaking; and in poetry it is sometimes altogether omitted; as, an tine, commonly pronounced a time, the fire. (105) 6. When the article precedes †, or feminines beginning with vowels, the n is often separated from 4, and prefixed to the following noun; as, an fir, written and pronounced a nip, of the man; an uair, written and pronounced a nuain, the hour. (106) 7. When the article follows an in, for better sound, r is inserted between it and an; as, an sa nuair, in the hour. * This is frequently written san, as, san dair, in the country. Or, omitting n, it is written sa; as sa doi, in the house. 8. Although the primary use of the article be to speak definitively, as the in English, yet the use of it does not exactly correspond to that of the English article: for, First. When a person's state or office is expressed; or when this, that, yon, occur in English, although the be not used, yet an is used in Irish; as, is majt an fear comán tu, you are a good reaper; tajnic an fearsa 30 hespin, this man came to Ireland. The same may be observed after 30 de; as, 30 de a nuair ? what o'clock is it? Secondly. When the precedes a noun which governs another in the genitive, the article, in Irish, is used with the genitive only; as, ridire an locran, the knight of the lamp; mac an duine, the son of man. (107) But proper names admit no article; as, pig Cirin, the king of Ireland. 9. The Irish language has no article corresponding to the English a or an; but when the office, or state of being is expressed, a possessive pronoun is used, having an expressed or understood before it; as, by me (an) mo jasjideoir, I was a soldier; i.e. I was in my soldier state. (108.) 10. Present participles, which are also nouns expressing a state of being, are used in the same manner; as, ta re (an) na jearam, he is standing; i. e. he is in his standing state. * The preposition is almost entirely lost, except with 4, his, hers, its, their; or, ar, our, with which only is used; as, ta re na duine majt, he is a good man; bejo siñe nar daoine 3lice, we shall be wise men; ta tu do jeasam, you are standing. The use of the article exemplified promiscuously. Si an truil solus an cuirp. The eye is the light of the body. Tabair póz don trlait. Give a kiss to the rod. Thug na hozánaig cuiread do The youths invited the damsels. na haindrib. Thug na haindre cuiread do The damsels invited the youths. na hozánaib. Ceol na naingeal. Ceileabar na néan. Jair na naindear. Dúil na ndeaj-ban. Luar na gcon. Briatar na braid. Mac fir an tsleibe. Si an ingeanse an fir ud. "Tis this daughter of that man. noileán. Ta sisi na cailin majt. An cablacra an rig ud na This fleet of yon king of the Ta reisean na buacaill jait. He is a good boy. η Tariadsan na ndaoinib móra. They are great men. isles. She is a good girl. SYNTAX. Thainic me on τίζ. Ta me mo codlad. I came from the house. Do you hear the sound of their voices ? I am asleep. Are you sitting ? The Son of Man came eating Chuajo re arteaċ 30 tij De. He went into the house of God. Do trud a nuair lin, agus ada mac an duine az tabairt a lamaib na bpeacad. Slige a yfir air an dalam. Maille le cusdead na zrás. Ciseirije na zсорр. It shall consume the beard. The way of a man on the earth. NOUNS, SUBSTANTIVE, AND ADJECTIVE. CONCORD. 1. Substantives signifying the same thing agree in case; as, epistil Phóil earball, the epistle of Paul the Apostle. * The latter substantive may be put in the nominative case, though the former is an oblique one'; but the article is then inserted; and some word, such as eason, or is é rin, is understood; as, mac Joseis an raon, the son of Joseph the carpenter. (109.) 2. An adjective agrees with the substantive before it, in gender, number, and case; as, an fir 311, of the fair man; 14 mna zile, of the fair woman; dona fearaib geala, to the fair men. a 3. For the aspiration of adjectives joined with nouns, see page 32. 4. When two or more substantives are joined to an adjective, the adjective is commonly referred to them separately; as, ۱۳ zeanamuil an fear agus an bean, the man and woman are lovely. 5. Adjectives of one syllable may be prefixed to their substantives, without undergoing any inflexion; forming, in this manner, compound terms; as, dearg lasair, red flame, for larain dearz. * In this case, if the noun begins with a mutable consonant, that consonant is aspirated; as 015fear, a young man. 6. When the adjective is asserted of, or concerning the noun, it is placed before the noun, and undergoes no inflexion; as, it zlhe an duine rin, that man is wise. (110.) 7. Substantives signifying the same person or thing, require their adjectives between them; as, an curajo croda Conlaod, the valiant hero Conloch. 8. Many synonymous adjectives are elegantly joined to the same substantive; as, a ndajgnib dorca dúnta, in dark, close fastnesses. 9. When the adjective is connected, in meaning and force, with the verb, it assumes an adverbial form, and undergoes no inflexion; as, niñe se an dalam dirim, he made the earth dry. (111.) GOVERNMENT. SUBSTANTIVE. 10. When two substantives comes together, signifying different things, the latter is put in the genitive; as, mac na mna, the woman's son. (112.) 11. The latter substantive is sometimes joined with the former, as an adjective, making one compound expression, but still inflected in the genitive; as, rear corpám, a reaper. 12. The active infinitive and participles govern the genitive, as nouns; as, by me dul ag iarraid mna, I was going to seek a wife; jar leagad an troisgeil, after reading the gospel. * The object of the infinitive may come before it, in the accusative; as, ۱۳ majt an obair De do molas, it is good to praise God; for, ir majt an obair molad De 13. When one substantive governs another in the genitive plural, without the article being joined with the genitive, the latter substantive may be aspirated; as, fuil jabain, the blood of goats. (113.) ADJECTIVE. 14. Adjectives signifying profit, proximity, fitness, and their opposites, require the dative; as, is majd dust, it is good for you. 15. Adjectives signifying dimension require air before the measure; as, thi troije air dojmneacd, three feet deep. 16. Adjectives and nouns, signifying a part of any thing, require de an, or de na, of the, (commonly written don, and dona,) with the ablative; as, zac ran don leabar, each part of the book; rear do na daoinib, one of the men; an fear in riñe do na brajtrib, the elder of the brothers; an fear is airde don drjup, the highest of the three. * But adjectives signifying fullness, and the like, may have a genitive; as, beata lán triobloide, a life full of trouble; but Lan don triobloid, full of the trouble. 17. Adjectives signifying likeness, or an emotion of the mind, require le with the ablative; as, ir cormuil an duide le fear, Tuarastail, a man is like an hireling; 61 814d 30 majt leat, they were good to you; cuaille com fada le cran, a pole as long as a tree; bi cartanać liom, be friendly to me. (114.) 18. The comparative degree requires ná or no than, before the following noun; as, is fearr Peadar ná Pól, Peter is better than Paul. (115.) THE CONSTRUCTION OF NOUNS, SUBSTANTIVE, AND ADJECTIVE PROMISCUOUSLY EXEMPLIFIED. Déan deod tejt dam. Make a warm drink for me. Ta cor fritin agam. Ta mo cor fμιτιμ. A ndearna du an deod test? Did you make the drink warm? An milio armac ainmhead eolaċ. Deudjeal, dealbtać, meanm- White tooth'd graceful, magnac, treoraċ. I have a sore foot. nanimous, and active. |