Imatges de pàgina
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SYNTAX.

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, tiġ an bratair, Briain, the house of brother Brian.

4. When the article follows a particle ending in a vowel, it loses a; as, o, from, an, the; ón, from the; do an, to the ; don.

5. When the article precedes a word beginning with a consonant, then is scarcely heard in speaking; and in poetry it is sometimes altogether omitted; as, an tine, commonly pronounced a tine, the fire. (105)

6. When the article precedes f, or feminines beginning with vowels, the ŋ is often separated from 4, and prefixed to the following noun; as, an fir, written and pronounced a fin, of the `man; an uair, written and pronounced a nuair, the hour. (106)

7. When the article follows añ in, for better sound, † is inserted between it and añ; as, añ sa nuair, in the hour.

* This is frequently written ran, as, san dtir, in the country. Or, omitting ŋ, it is written sa; as sa dtis, 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 mait an fear corrán tu, you are a good reaper; tainic an fearsa go heiriñ, 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 loċrañ, the knight of the lamp; mac an duine, the son of man. (107)

But proper names admit no article; as, rig Eiriñ, 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 (añ) mo †aiġideoir, 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 se (añ) na reasam, he is standing; i. e. he is in his standing state.

* The preposition is almost entirely lost, except with a, his, hers, its, their; or, aɲ, our, with which ŋ only is used; as, ta se na duine majt, he is a good man; beid siñe nar daoine glice, we shall be wise men ; ta tu do seasaṁ, you are standing. The use of the article exemplified promiscuously.

Si an tsuil solus an cuirp.

Tabair póg don tslait.

The eye is the light of the body.
Give a kiss to the rod.

Thug na hogánaiz cuiread do The youths invited the damsels. na haindrib.

Thug na haindre cuiread do The damsels invited the youths.

na hogánaib.

Ceol na naingeal.
Ceileabar na néan.
Gair na naihdear.
Dúil na ndeaż-ban.
Luar na gcon.
Briatar na bfaid.
Fuaim na doй.
Grad ban óg na tíre.

Mac fir an tsleibe.

Uiṁir eunlait an aeir.

An macsa an fir sin.

An mian sin na mban óg ud.

Si an inġeanse an fir ud.

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'Tis this daughter of that man.

An cablaċsa an ríż ud na This fleet of yon king of the noileán.

Ta siri na cailín mijait.

isles.

She is a good girl.

Ta seisean na buacaill ṁait. He is a good boy.
Tamoidne nar ndaoinib boċċa We are poor men.
Tasibse bur ndaoinibsaidbre Ye are rich men.
Tasiadsan na ndaoinib móra. They are great men.

Thainic me on tíż.
Ca bfuil fear an tiż ?
Ta se sa ngairdín.
Torac a nożṁair.
Deiread an zeiṁrid.
An teaċ agus an fearran.
A gcluin tu fuaim a ngota?

Ta me mo codlad.
An bfuil tu do suide ?
Bhi sisi na seirbiseać.
Ta se na seanduine.
Beid siñe nar seasaṁ.
Bhi tu do seasaṁ.
Bhi me mo saiġideoir.
Thainic mac an duine ag ide
agus ag ól.
Chuajd se asteaċ zo tiż De.
Do tuit se on treas lota.
Lomfuid an nféasog.

I came from the house.

Where is the man of the house
He is in the garden.

The beginning of harvest.
The end of the winter.
The house and land.

Do you hear the sound of their

voices?
I am asleep.

Are you sitting?
She was a servant.
He is an old man.
We shall stand.
You were standing.
I was a soldier.

The Son of Man came eating
and drinking.

He went into the house of God.
He fell from the third story.
It shall consume the beard.

Do truida nuair liñ, agus The hour is at hand and the Son

ata mac an duine ag tabairt a laṁaib na bpeacać. Slize a nxir air an dtalaṁ. Maille le cuidead na grás. Eiseirige na gcorp.

of man is delivered into the
hands of sinners.

The way of a man on the earth.
With the assistance of grace.
The resurrection of the bodies.

NOUNS, SUBSTANTIVE, AND ADJECTIVE.

CONCORD.

1. Substantives signifying the same thing agree in case; as, epistil Phóil earbail, 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 eadon, or is é sin, is understood; as, mac Joseip an saor, the son of Joseph the carpenter. (109.)

2. An adjective agrees with the substantive before it, in gender, number, and case; as, an fir gil, of the fair man; na mna gile, of the fair woman; dona fearaib geala, to the fair

men.

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, ir geanaṁuil 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 lasair dearg.

* In this case, if the noun begins with a mutable consonant, that consonant is aspirated; ar oigfear, 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, is glic an duine rin, that man is wise. (110.)

7. Substantives signifying the same person or thing, require their adjectives between them; as, an cúraid croda Conlaoċ, the valiant hero Conloch.

8. Many synonymous adjectives are elegantly joined to the same substantive; as, a ndaižníb dorċa 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, riñe se an talaṁ tirim, 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, fear corráin, a reaper.

12. The active infinitive and participles govern the genitive, as nouns ; as, bi me dul ag iarraid mna, I was going to seek a wife; jar leażad an tsoisgeil, after reading the gospel.

*The object of the infinitive may come before it, in the accusative; as, ir maid an obair De do molad, it is good to praise God; for, is mait 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 żabair, the blood of goats. (113.)

ADJECTIVE.

14. Adjectives signifying profit, proximity, fitness, and their opposites, require the dative; as, ir mait out, it is good for you.

15. Adjectives signifying dimension require an before the measure; as, tri troiže air doiṁneaco, three feet deep.

16. Adjectives and nouns, signifying a part of any thing, require de an, or de na, of the, (commonly written on, and Dona,) with the ablative; as, 34ċ rañ don leabar, each part of the book; fear do na daoinib, one of the men; an fear is siñe do na braitib, the elder of the brothers; an fear is airde don triun, 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 lán don triobloj, full of the trouble.

17. Adjectives signifying likeness, or an emotion of the mind, require le with the ablative; as, is cosṁuil an duide le fear, tuarastail, a man is like an hireling; bi sad go maiż leat, they were good to you; cuaille com fada le crañ, a pole as long as a tree; bi cartanaċ liom, be friendly to me. (114.)

18. The comparative degree requires na 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.

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Heudżeal, dealbżaċ, meanm- White tooth'd graceful, mag

naċ, treoraċ.

nanimous, and active,

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