Improper Prepositions.Air cheann;at [the] end, against a certain time.Air feadh, Air fad; throughout, during.Air muin;on the back, mounted on.Air sgàth; for the sake, on pretence.Air son; on account.Air tòir; in pursuit.Air beulaobh;on the fore side, before.Air culaobh;on the back side, behind.Am fochair;in presence.Am measg;in the mixture, amidst, among.An aghaidh;in the face, against, in opposition.An ceann;in the end, at the expiration.An comhail, An coinnimh;in meeting, to meet.An cois, A chois;at the foot, near to, hard by.An dàil;in the rencounter, to meet.An diaigh, An deigh, An deaghaidh, An déis; probably for an deireadh; in the end, after.An eiric; in return, in requital.Am fianuis, An lathair; in presence.An lorg;in the track, in consequence.As eugais, As easbhuidh;in want, without.As leth; in behalf, for the sake.A los; in order to, with the intention of.Car; during.Do bhrigh, a bhrigh;by virtue, because.Do chòir, a chòir;to the presence, near, implying motion.Do chum, a chum[84]; to, towards, in order to.Do dhìth, a dhìth, Dh' easbhuidh; for want.Dh' fhios;to the knowledge, to.Dh' ionnsuidh;to the approach, oronset, toward.Do réir, a réir; according to.Do thaobh, a thaobh;on the side, with respect, concerning.Fa chùis; by reason, because.Fa chomhair; opposite.Mu choinnimh; opposite, over against.Mu thimchoill, timchioll;by the circuit, around.O bharr, bharr;from the top, off.Os ceann;on the top, above, atop.Ré;duration, during.Taréis;after[85].Trid; through, by means.
Improper Prepositions.
Improper Prepositions.
Air cheann;at [the] end, against a certain time.Air feadh, Air fad; throughout, during.Air muin;on the back, mounted on.Air sgàth; for the sake, on pretence.Air son; on account.Air tòir; in pursuit.Air beulaobh;on the fore side, before.Air culaobh;on the back side, behind.Am fochair;in presence.Am measg;in the mixture, amidst, among.An aghaidh;in the face, against, in opposition.An ceann;in the end, at the expiration.An comhail, An coinnimh;in meeting, to meet.An cois, A chois;at the foot, near to, hard by.An dàil;in the rencounter, to meet.An diaigh, An deigh, An deaghaidh, An déis; probably for an deireadh; in the end, after.An eiric; in return, in requital.Am fianuis, An lathair; in presence.An lorg;in the track, in consequence.As eugais, As easbhuidh;in want, without.As leth; in behalf, for the sake.A los; in order to, with the intention of.Car; during.Do bhrigh, a bhrigh;by virtue, because.Do chòir, a chòir;to the presence, near, implying motion.Do chum, a chum[84]; to, towards, in order to.Do dhìth, a dhìth, Dh' easbhuidh; for want.Dh' fhios;to the knowledge, to.Dh' ionnsuidh;to the approach, oronset, toward.Do réir, a réir; according to.Do thaobh, a thaobh;on the side, with respect, concerning.Fa chùis; by reason, because.Fa chomhair; opposite.Mu choinnimh; opposite, over against.Mu thimchoill, timchioll;by the circuit, around.O bharr, bharr;from the top, off.Os ceann;on the top, above, atop.Ré;duration, during.Taréis;after[85].Trid; through, by means.
Air cheann;at [the] end, against a certain time.
Air feadh, Air fad; throughout, during.
Air muin;on the back, mounted on.
Air sgàth; for the sake, on pretence.
Air son; on account.
Air tòir; in pursuit.
Air beulaobh;on the fore side, before.
Air culaobh;on the back side, behind.
Am fochair;in presence.
Am measg;in the mixture, amidst, among.
An aghaidh;in the face, against, in opposition.
An ceann;in the end, at the expiration.
An comhail, An coinnimh;in meeting, to meet.
An cois, A chois;at the foot, near to, hard by.
An dàil;in the rencounter, to meet.
An diaigh, An deigh, An deaghaidh, An déis; probably for an deireadh; in the end, after.
An eiric; in return, in requital.
Am fianuis, An lathair; in presence.
An lorg;in the track, in consequence.
As eugais, As easbhuidh;in want, without.
As leth; in behalf, for the sake.
A los; in order to, with the intention of.
Car; during.
Do bhrigh, a bhrigh;by virtue, because.
Do chòir, a chòir;to the presence, near, implying motion.
Do chum, a chum[84]; to, towards, in order to.
Do dhìth, a dhìth, Dh' easbhuidh; for want.
Dh' fhios;to the knowledge, to.
Dh' ionnsuidh;to the approach, oronset, toward.
Do réir, a réir; according to.
Do thaobh, a thaobh;on the side, with respect, concerning.
Fa chùis; by reason, because.
Fa chomhair; opposite.
Mu choinnimh; opposite, over against.
Mu thimchoill, timchioll;by the circuit, around.
O bharr, bharr;from the top, off.
Os ceann;on the top, above, atop.
Ré;duration, during.
Taréis;after[85].
Trid; through, by means.
It is evident, from inspection, that almost all these improper Prepositions are compounded; and comprehend, as one of their component parts, a Noun, which is preceded by a simple or Proper Preposition; like the English,on account, with respect, &c. The words ceann, aghaidh, lorg, barr, taobh, &c., are known to be real Nouns, because they are employed in that capacity in other connections, as well as in the phrases here enumerated. The case is not so clear with regard to son, cum, or cun, reir, which occur only in the above phrases; but it is probable that these are nouns likewise, and that, when combined with simple Prepositions, they constitute phrases of precisely the same structure with the rest of the foregoing list[86]. Comhair is probably comh-airemutual attention. Dàil and còir, in the sense of proximity, are found in their compounds comh-dhail and fochair [fa chòir.] Tòir, in like manner, in its derivative tòireachd,the act of pursuing. Dh' fhios,to the knowledge, must have been originally applied to persons only. So it is used in many Gaelic songs: beir mo shoiridh le dùrachd dh' fhios na cailinn, &c.,bear my good wishes with cordiality to the knowledge of the maid, &c., i.e.,present my affectionate regards, &c. This appropriate meaning and use of the phrase came by degrees to be overlooked; and it was employed, promiscuously with do chum and dh' ionnsuidh, to signifyuntoin a more general sense. If this analysis of the expression be just, then ghios[87]must be deemed only a different, and a corrupt manner of writing dh' fhios.
In the improper preposition os ceann, the noun has almostalways been written cionn. Yet in all other situations, the same noun is uniformly written ceann. Whence has arisen this diversity in the orthography of a simple monosyllable? And is it maintained upon just grounds? It must have proceeded either from a persuasion that there are two distinct nouns signifyingtop, one of which is to be written ceann, and the other cionn[88]; or from an opinion that, granting the two words to be the same individual noun, yet it is proper to distinguish its meaning when used in the capacity of a preposition, from its meaning in other situations, by spelling it in different ways. I know of no good argument in support of the former of these two opinions; nor has it probably been ever maintained. The latter opinion, which seems to be the real one, is founded on a principle subversive of the analogy and stability of written language, namely, that the various significations of the same word are to be distinguished in writing, by changing its letters, the constituent elements of the word. The variation in question, instead of serving to point out the meaning of a word or phrase in one place, from its known meaning in another connection, tends directly to disguise it; and to mislead the reader into a belief that the words, which are thus presented to him under different forms, are themselves radically and essentially different. If the same word has been employed to denote several things somewhat different from each other, that does by no means appear a sufficient reason why the writers of the language should make as many words of one[89].
The use of theproper Prepositionshas been already shown in the composition of adverbial phrases, and of theimproper Prepositions. The following examples show the further use of them in connection with Nouns and Verbs, and in some idiomatic expressions which do not always admit of being literally rendered in English.
Ag, aig.
At: aig an dorus,at the door; aig an tigh,at the house, at home.
By reason of: aig ro mheud aighir 's a shòlais,by reason of his great joy and satisfaction, Smith'sSeann dàna, p. 9; ag meud a mhiannthrough intense desire, Psal. lxxxiv. 2, metr. vers.; ag lionmhoireachd, Psal. xl. 5.
Signifying possession: tha tuill aig na sionnaich,the foxes have holes; bha aig duine araidh dithis mhac,a certain man had two sons; cha n'eil fhios agam,I have not the knowledge of it, I do not know it.
Chaidh agam air,I have prevailed over him, Psal. xiii. 4, metr. vers.
Joined to the Infinitive of Verbs: ag imeachd,a-walking, walking.
Air.
On, upon: air an làr,on the ground; air an là sin,on that day; air an adhbhar sin,on that account, for that reason.
Denoting claim of debt: ioc dhomh na bheil agam ort,pay me what thou owest me, Matt. xviii. 28; cia meud ata aig mo thighearn ortsa?how much owest thou unto my lord?Luke xvi. 57.[90]
Denoting an oath: air m' fhocal,upon my word; air làimh d' athar 's do sheanathar,by the hand of your father and grandfather.
Tha eagal, mulad, sgìos, ocras, &c., air,he is afraid, sad, fatigued, hungry, &c.
Thig mo bheul air do cheartas, is air do chliù,my mouth shall speak of thy justice and thy praise, Psal. xxxv. 28. metr.; thig mo bheul air gliocas,my mouth shall speak of wisdom, Psal. xlix. 3, metr. v.; sin cùis air am bheil mi nis a' teachd,that is the matter of which I am now to treat.
Tog ort,rouse thyself, bestir thyself, Psal lxxiv. 22, metr. v.
Chaidh agam air,I prevailed over him, Psal. xiii. 4.; metr.; 'S ann ormsa chaidh,it was I that was worsted.
Thug e am monadh air,he betook himself to the mountain.
In respect of: cha 'n fhaca mi an samhuil air olcas,I never saw their like for badness, Gen. xli. 19; air a lughad,however small it be.
Joined with, accompanied by: mòran iarruinn air bheag faobhar,much iron with little edge, McIntyre's Songs. Oidhche bha mi 'n a theach, air mhòran bìdh 's air bheagan eudaich,I was a night in his house, with plenty offood, but scanty clothing; air leth laimh,having but one hand.
Denoting measure or dimension: dà throidh air àirde,two feet in height.
Olc air mhath leat e,whether you take it well or ill.
Ann, ann an, anns.
In.:Anns an tigh,in the house; anns an oidhche,in the night; ann an dòchas,in hope; anns a' bharail sin,of that opinion.
Denoting existence: ta abhainn ann,there is a river, Psal. xlvi. 4, metr.; nach bithinn ann ni 's mò,that I should not be any more; b' fhearr a bhi marbh na ann,it were better to be dead than to be alive; ciod a th' ann?what is it?is mise th' ann,it is I; mar gu b' ann,as it were; tha e 'n a dhuine ionraic,he is a just man; tha i 'n a bantraich,she is a widow[91].
Marking emphasis: is ann air eigin a thàr e as,it was with difficulty he got off; an àite seasamh is ann a theich iad,instead of standing (keeping their ground) they fled; nach freagair thu? fhreagair mi ann,will you not answer? I have answered.
As.
Out of:as an dúthaich,out of the country.
Denoting extinction: tha an solus, no an teine, air dol as,the light, or the fire, is gone out.
As an alt,out of joint; as a' ghualainn, as a' chruachainn, as an uilinn, &c.,dislocated in the shoulder, hip, elbow-joint.
Chaidh e as,he escaped.
Cuir as da,destroy him, orit.
Chaidh as da,he is perished, undone.
Thug e na buinn as,he scampered off.
Dubh as,blot out.
De.
Of:Armailt mhòr de dhaoinibh agus a dh' eachaibh,a great army of men and horses.
Off:Bha na geugan air an sgathadh dheth,the branches were lopped off; thug iad an ceann deth,they beheaded him.
Dh' aon rùn,with one consent, with one purpose; dh' aon bharail,with one mind, judgment.
A là agus a dh' oidhche,i.e., de là agus de oidhche,by day and by night. Lat.de nocte, Hor.
Saidhbhreas mór d'a mheud,riches however great. Psal. cxix. 14, metr.
Do.
To:Tabhair dhomh,give to me, give me; thug sinn a bos mìn do Dhearg,we gave her soft hand to Dargo.
Dh' eirich sud dha gu h-obann,that befell him suddenly. Mar sin duinne gu latha,so it fared with us till day, so we passed the night; ma 's olc dhomh, cha n-fhearr dhoibh,if it goes ill with me, they fare no better.
Latha dhomhsa siubhal bheann,one day as I travelled the hills; latha dhuinn air machair Alba,one day when we were in the lowlands of Scotland; on Scotia's plains.
Eadar.
Between:eadar an dorus agus an ursainn,between the door and the post.
Dh' eirich eadar mi agus mo choimhearsnach,a quarrel arose betwixt me and my neighbour.
Eadar mhòr agus bheag,both great and small, Psal. xlix. 2, metr.; Rev. xix. 5, eadar bhochd agus nochd,both the poor and the naked.
Fa.
Upon:Fa 'n bhòrd,upon the board; leigeadar fa làr,was dropped on the ground, omitted, neglected. Carswel. Fa 'n adhbhar ud,on that account; creud fa 'n abradh iad?wherefore should they say?
Fa sheachd,seven times, Psal. vii. 6, metr.; fa cheud,a hundred times, Psal. lxii. 9, metr.
Fuidh, fo.
Under:Fuidh 'n bhòrd,under the board; fuidh bhlàthin blossom; tha an t-arbhar fo dhéis,the corn is in the ear; fuidh smuairean,under concern; fo ghruaim,gloomy; fo mhi-ghean,in bad humour; fuidh mhi-chliu,under bad report.
Denoting intention or purpose: air bhi fuidhe,it being his purpose, Acts xx. 7; tha tighinn fodham,it is my intention or inclination.
Gu, Gus.
To:O thigh gu tigh,from house to house; gu crìch mo shaoghail fein,to the end of my life; gus an crion gu luaithre a' chlach,until the stone shall crumble to dust. Sm. Seann dàna.
A' bhliadhna gus an àm so,this time twelvemonth, a year ago; a sheachduin gus an dé,yesterday se'ennight.
Mile gu leth,a mile and a half; bliadhna gu leth,a year and a half.
Gun.
Without:Gun amharus,without doubt; gun bhrogan,without shoes; gun fhios,without knowledge, unwittingly; gun fhios nach faic thu e,in case you may see him,if perhaps you may see him; gun fhios am faic thu e,if perhaps you may not see him. Gun chomas aig air,without his being able to prevent it, or avoid it;involuntarily. Gniomh gun chomain,an unmerited, or unprovoked deed. Dh' àithn e dha gun sin a dheanamh,he ordered him not to do that. Fhuair iad rabhadh gun iad a philltinn,they were warned not to return.
Iar.
After: Iar sin,after that; iar leughadh an t-Soisgeil,after the reading of the Gospel; iar tuiteam sios da aig a chosaibh,having fallen down at his feet; bha mi iar mo mhealladh,I was received.
Le, leis.
With: Chaidh mi leis a' chuideachd mhòir,I went with the multitude.
Denoting the instrument: mharbh e Eoin leis a' chlaidheamh,he killed John with the sword.
Denoting the agent: thomhaiseadh le Diarmid an torc,the boar was measured by Diarmid.
Denoting possession: is le Donull an leabhar,the book is Donald's; cha leis e,it is not his.
Denoting opinion or feeling: is fada leam an là gu h-oidhche,I think the day long, or tedious, till night come; is cruaidh leam do chor,I think your case a hard one; is dòcha leam,I think it probable; is doilich leam,I am sorry; is aithreach leis,he repents.
Along: leis an t-sruthalong the stream; leis an leathad,down the declivity.
Leig leam,let me alone; leig leis,let him alone.
Mu.
About: ag iadhadh mu a cheann,winding about his head; labhair e mu Iudas,he spoke about Judas; nuair smachduichear duine leat mu 'lochd,when thoucorrectest a man for his sin, Psal. xxxix. 11, metr.; sud am fàth mu'n goir a' chorr,that is the reason of the heron's cry. Seann dàna. Sud fàth mu 'n guidheann ort na naoimh,for this reason will the saints make supplication to Thee.
O.
From: O bhaile gu baile,from town to town; o mhadainn gu feasgar,from morning to evening; o 'n là thainig mi dhachaidh,from the day that I came home; o 'n là, is often abridged into la; as, la thainig mi dhachaidh,since I came home.
Since,because: thugamaid uil' oirnn a' bhanais, o fhuair sinn cuireadh dhol ann,let us all to the wedding, since we have been bidden to it.
Denoting want in opposition to possession, denoted byaig: na tha uainn 's a b' fheairrd sinn againn,what we want and should be the better for having.
Implying desire: ciod tha uait?what would you have?Tha claidheamh uam,I want a sword.
Os.
Above: Mar togam os m' uil' aoibhneas àrd cathair Ierusaleim,if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy, Psal. cxxxvii. 6, metr.; os mo cheann,above me,over me.
Ri, ris.
To: cosmhuil ri mac righ,like to the son of a king; chuir iad teine ris an tigh,they set fire to the house.
Maille ri,together with.
Laimh ris a' bhalla,nigh to the wall.
Ri là gaoithe,on a day of wind; ri fad mo ré 's mo là,during all the days of my life; ri lìnn Righ Uilliam,in the reign of King William.
Na bi rium,don't molest me.
Feuch ris,try it.
Cuir ris,ply your work,exert yourself; cuirear nanithe so ribh,these things shall be added unto you, Matt. vi. 33. Tha an Spiorad ag cur ruinn na saorsa,the Spirit applieth to us the redemption, Assemb. Sh. Catech.
Exposed: tha an craicionn ris,the skin is exposed, or bare; leig ris,expose or make manifest.
Roimh.
Before: roimh 'n charbad,before the chariot; roimh 'n chamhair,before the dawn; roimh na h-uile nithibh,before, in preference to, all things; chuir mi romham,I set before me, purposed, intended.
Imich romhad,go forward; dh' fhalbh e roimhe,he went his way,he went off.
Seach.
Past: chaidh e seach an dorus,he passed by the door.
In comparison with: is trom a' chlach seach a' chlòineag,the stone is heavy compared with the down.
Tar, thar.
Over,across: chaidh e thar an amhainn, thar a' mhonadh,he went over the river, over the mountain; tha sin thar m' eolas, thar mo bheachd, &c.,that is beyond my knowledge, beyond my comprehension, &c.
Tre, troimh, throimh.
Through: tre uisge is tre theine,through water and through fire.
Of Inseparable Prepositions.
The following initial syllables, used only in composition, are prefixed to nouns, adjectives, or verbs, to modify or alter their signification:—
An[92], Di, Ao, ea, eu, eas, Mi, Neo:—Privative syllables signifyingnot, or serving to change the signification of the words to which they are prefixed into its contrary; as, socairease, anshocairdistress,uneasiness; ciontachguilty, dichiontachinnocent; treabhto cultivate, dithreabhan uncultivated place,a desert; dionachtight,close, aodionachleaky; còirjustice, eucoirinjustice; slànwhole,in health, easlansick; caraida friend, eascaraidan enemy; buidheachasgratitude, mibhuidheachasingratitude; claonawry, neochlaonunbiassed,impartial; duinea man, neodhuinea worthless unnatural creature.
An, ain, intensitive, denoting an immoderate degree, or faulty excess; as, tighearnasdominion, aintighearnastyranny; tromaichto make heavy, antromaichto make very heavy,to aggravate; teasheat, ainteasexcessive heat; mianndesire, ainmhianninordinate desire,lust.
Ais, ath,again,back; as, eirighrising, aiseirighresurrection; beachdview, ath-bheachdretrospect; fàsgrowth, ath-fhàsafter-growth.
Bith,continually; as, bithdheanamhdoing continually,busy; am bithdheantasincessantly.
Co, com, comh, con,together,equally,mutually; as, gleacadhfighting, co-ghleacadhfighting together; lionto fill, colionto fulfil,accomplish; ithto eat, comitheating together; radhsaying, comhradhconversation, speech; tromweight, cothromequal weight,equity; aoisage, comhaoisa contemporary.
Im,about,round,entire; as, lànfull, iomlanquite complete; gaothwind, iomghaotha whirlwind; slaintehealth, iom-shlainteperfect health.
In, or ion,worthy: as, ion-mholtaworthy to be praised: ion-roghnuidhworthy to be chosen, Psal. xxv. 12, metr. vers.
So,easily,gently: as, faicsinseeing, so-fhaicsineasily seen; sionweather, soinion [so-shion]calm weather; sgeula tale, soisgeula good tale,gospel.
Do,with difficulty,evil; as, tuigsinunderstanding, do-thuigsindifficult to be understood; doinionstormy weather; beartdeed, exploit. do-bheartevil deed.
OF CONJUNCTIONS.
Under this class of words, it is proper to enumerate not only those single Particles which are usually denominated Conjunctions; but also the most common phrases which are used as Conjunctions to connect either words or sentences.
Ach; but.Agus, is; and.A chionn gu; because that.A chum as gu; in order that.A chum as nach; that not.Air chor as gu; so that.Air eagal gu, D' eagal gu;for fear that, lest.Air son gu, Du bhrigh gu; by reason thatBheil fhios, 'lfhios?is there knowledge?is it known? an expression of curiosity, or desire to know.Co; as.Ged, giodh; although[93].Ged tha, ge ta;though it be, notwithstanding.Gidheadh; yet, nevertheless.Gu, gur; that.Gun fhios;without knowledge, it being uncertain whether or not, in case not.Ionnas gu; insomuch that, so that.Ma; if.Mar; as, like as.Mar sud agus; so also.Ma seadh, Ma ta;if so,if it be so,then.Mur; if not.Mur bhiodh gu; were it not that.Mus an, mu 'n; before that, lest.Na; than.Nach; that not.Na'n, na'm; if.No; or.O; since, because.Oir; for.Os barr; moreover.Sol, suil; before that.Tuille eile; further.Uime sin; therefore.
Ach; but.Agus, is; and.A chionn gu; because that.A chum as gu; in order that.A chum as nach; that not.Air chor as gu; so that.Air eagal gu, D' eagal gu;for fear that, lest.Air son gu, Du bhrigh gu; by reason thatBheil fhios, 'lfhios?is there knowledge?is it known? an expression of curiosity, or desire to know.Co; as.Ged, giodh; although[93].Ged tha, ge ta;though it be, notwithstanding.Gidheadh; yet, nevertheless.Gu, gur; that.Gun fhios;without knowledge, it being uncertain whether or not, in case not.Ionnas gu; insomuch that, so that.Ma; if.Mar; as, like as.Mar sud agus; so also.Ma seadh, Ma ta;if so,if it be so,then.Mur; if not.Mur bhiodh gu; were it not that.Mus an, mu 'n; before that, lest.Na; than.Nach; that not.Na'n, na'm; if.No; or.O; since, because.Oir; for.Os barr; moreover.Sol, suil; before that.Tuille eile; further.Uime sin; therefore.
Ach; but.
Agus, is; and.
A chionn gu; because that.
A chum as gu; in order that.
A chum as nach; that not.
Air chor as gu; so that.
Air eagal gu, D' eagal gu;for fear that, lest.
Air son gu, Du bhrigh gu; by reason that
Bheil fhios, 'lfhios?is there knowledge?is it known? an expression of curiosity, or desire to know.
Co; as.
Ged, giodh; although[93].
Ged tha, ge ta;though it be, notwithstanding.
Gidheadh; yet, nevertheless.
Gu, gur; that.
Gun fhios;without knowledge, it being uncertain whether or not, in case not.
Ionnas gu; insomuch that, so that.
Ma; if.
Mar; as, like as.
Mar sud agus; so also.
Ma seadh, Ma ta;if so,if it be so,then.
Mur; if not.
Mur bhiodh gu; were it not that.
Mus an, mu 'n; before that, lest.
Na; than.
Nach; that not.
Na'n, na'm; if.
No; or.
O; since, because.
Oir; for.
Os barr; moreover.
Sol, suil; before that.
Tuille eile; further.
Uime sin; therefore.
OF INTERJECTIONS.
The syllables or sounds, employed as expressions of various emotions or sensations, are numerous in Gaelic, but for the most part provincial, and arbitrary. Only one or two single vocables, and a few phrases, require to be noticed under this division.
Och! Ochan! alas!Ochan nan och!alasandwell-a-day!Fire faire! what a pother!Mo thruaighe!my misery!Mo chreachadh!my despoiling!woe's me!Mo nàire!my shame, for shame! fy!H-ugad,at you, take care of yourself,gardez-vous.Feuch! behold! lo!
Och! Ochan! alas!Ochan nan och!alasandwell-a-day!Fire faire! what a pother!Mo thruaighe!my misery!Mo chreachadh!my despoiling!woe's me!Mo nàire!my shame, for shame! fy!H-ugad,at you, take care of yourself,gardez-vous.Feuch! behold! lo!
Och! Ochan! alas!
Ochan nan och!alasandwell-a-day!
Fire faire! what a pother!
Mo thruaighe!my misery!Mo chreachadh!my despoiling!woe's me!
Mo nàire!my shame, for shame! fy!
H-ugad,at you, take care of yourself,gardez-vous.
Feuch! behold! lo!
OF SYNTAX.
Syntax treats of the connection of words with each other in a sentence; and teaches the proper method of expressing their connection by theCollectionand theFormof the words. Gaelic Syntax may be conveniently enough explained under the common divisions of Concord and Government.
OF CONCORD.
Under Concord is to be considered the agreement of the Article with its Noun;—of an Adjective with its Noun;—of a Pronoun with its Antecedent;—of a Verb with its Nominative;—and of one Noun with another.
Section I.
Of the Agreement of the Article with a Noun.
Collocation.
The article is always placed before its Noun, and next to it, unless when an Adjective intervenes.
Form.
The article agrees with its Noun in Gender, Number, and Case. Finalnis changed intombefore a plain Labial; as, am bailethe town, am fearthe man. It is usually cut off before an aspirated Palatal, or Labial, exceptingfh; as, a' chaorathe sheep, a' mhucthe sow, a' choinof the dog. In the Dat. Sing. initialais cut off after a Preposition ending in a Vowel; as, do 'n chloichto the stone[94].
A Noun, when immediately preceded by the Article, suffers some changes in Initial Form:—1. With regard to Nouns beginning with a Consonant, theaspiratedform is assumed by a mas. Noun in the gen. and dat. singular; by a fem. noun in the nom. and dat. singular. If the Noun begins withsfollowed by a vowel or by a Liquid, instead of having thesaspirated,tis inserted between the Article and the Noun, in the foresaid cases; and thesbecomes entirely quiescent[95]. 2. With regard to Nouns beginning with a Vowel,torhis inserted between the Article and the Noun in certain Cases, viz.tin the Nom. sing. of mas. Nouns,hin the gen. sing. of fem. Nouns, andhin the nom. and dat. plur. of Nouns of either gender. Throughout the other sing. and plur. Cases, all Nouns retain their Primary form.
The following examples show all the varieties that take place in declining a Noun with the Article.
Nouns beginning with a Labial or a Palatal.
The initial Form of Adjectives immediately preceded by the Article, follows the same rules with the initial Form of Nouns.
Besides the common use of the Article as a Definitive to ascertain individual objects, it is used in Gaelic—
1. Before a Noun followed by the Pronounsso,sin, orud; as, am fear so,this man; an tigh ud,yon house.
2. Before a Noun preceded by the Verbisand an Adjective; as, is maith an sealgair e,he is a good huntsman; bu luath an coisiche e,he was a swift footman.
3. Before some names of countries; as, righ na Spainne,the king of Spain; chaidh e do 'n Fhrainc,he went to France; but righ Bhreatain,the king of Britain; chaidh e dh' Eirin,he went to Ireland, without the Article.
Section II.
Of the Agreement of an Adjective with a Noun.
Collocation.
When an Adjective and the Noun which it qualifies are in the same clause or member of a sentence, the Adjective is usually placed after its Noun; as, ceann liath,a hoary head; duine ro ghlic,a very wise man. If they be in different clauses, or if the one be in the subject, and the other in the predicate of a proposition, this rule does not apply; as, is glic an duine sin,that is a wise man; cha truagh leam do chor,I do not think your case unfortunate.
1. Numerals, whether Cardinal or Ordinal, to which add, iomadhmany, gachevery, are placed before their Nouns; as, tri lathan,three days; an treas latha,the third day; iomadh duine,many a man; gach eun g' a nead,every bird to its nest.—Except such instances as the following : Righ Tearlach a h-Aon,King Charles the First; Righ Seumas a Cuig,King James the Fifth.
2. The possessive pronouns mo, do, &c., are always placed before their nouns; as, mo lamh,my hand. The interrogatives co, cia, &c., are placed before their nouns, with the article intervening; as, cia am fear?which man?
3. Some adjectives of one syllable are usually placed before their Nouns; as, deadh dhuine,a good man; droch ghniomh,a bad action; seann sluagh,old people. Such Adjectives, placed before their Nouns, often combine with them, so as to represent one complex idea, rather than two distinct ones; and the adjective and noun, in that situation, may rather be considered as one complex term, than as two distinct words, and written accordingly; as, oigfhear,a young man; ogbhean,a young woman; garbhchriochan,rude regions[97].
Form.
Though a Gaelic Adjective possesses a variety of Forms, yet its Form is not always determined by the Noun whose signification it modifies. The Form of the Adjective depends on its Noun, when it immediately follows the Noun, or only with the intervention of an intensitive Particle, ro, gle, &c., and when both the Noun and the Adjective are in the Subject, or both in the Predicate, or in the same clause or member of a sentence. In all other situations, the form of the Adjective does in no respect depend on the Noun; or, in other words, the Adjective does not agree with the Noun[98].
To illustrate this rule, let the following examples be attentively considered:—Is beag orm a' ghaoth fhuar,I dislike the cold wind; is beag orm fuaim na gaoithe fuaire,I dislike the sound of the cold wind; is beag orm seasamh anns a' ghaoith fhuair,I dislike standing in the cold wind. In these examples, the Adjective and the Noun are both in the same clause or member of a sentence, and therefore they must agree together. In the following examples the Adjective and the Noun do not necessarily agree together:—Is fuar a' ghaoth á tuath,cold is the wind from the north; is tric leis a' ghaoith á tuath bhi fuar,it is usual for the wind from the north to be cold. In these examples, the Noun is in the Subject, and the Adjective in the Predicate of the proposition.
The grammatical distinction observable in the following examples is agreeable to the strictest philosophical propriety:—Rinn mis an scian gheur,I made the sharp knife: here the Adjective agrees with the Noun, for it modifies the Noun, distinguishing that knife from others. Rinn mis an scian geur,I made the knife sharp: here the Adjective does not agree with the Noun, for it modifies not the Noun but the Verb. It does not characterize theobjecton which the operation is performed, hut it combines with the Verb in specifying thenature of the operationperformed. The expression is equivalent to gheuraich mi an scian,I sharpened the knife. So also, mhothaich mi a' ghaoth fhuar,I felt the cold wind; but mhothaich mi a' ghaoth fuar,I felt the wind cold. In the former of these examples the Adjective modifies the Noun, and agrees with it; in the latter it does not agree with the Noun, for its use is to modify the Verb, or to specify the nature of the sensation felt. In like manner, dh' fhàg iad an obair criochnaichte,they left the work finished; fhuaradh an òigh sìnte, marbh,the maid was found stretched out dead. And so in other similar instances.
1. When an Adjective and Noun are so situated and related, that an agreement takes place between them, then the Adjective agrees with its noun in Gender, Number, and Case. A Noun preceded by the Numeral datwo, though it be in the Singular Number, [see conclusion of Part II. Chap I.] takes an Adjective in the Plural; as, da iasg bheaga,two small fishes, John, vi. 9. The Initial Form of the Adjective depends partly on the Gender of the Noun, partly on its Termination, and partly on its being preceded by the Article.
The following examples of an Adjective declined along with its Noun, exhibit the varieties in the Initial Form, as well as in the Termination of the Adjective:—
An Adjective, beginning with a Lingual, and preceded by a Noun terminating in a Lingual, retains its primary Form in all the Singular cases; for the sake, it would seem, of preserving the agreeable sound arising from the coalescence of the two Linguals; as, nighean donna brown maid, instead of nighean dhonn; a' choin duibhof the black dog, instead of a' choin dhuibh; air a' chois deison his right foot, instead of air a chois dheis.
II. A Noun preceded by an Adjective assumes the aspirated Form; as, ard bheanna high hill, cruaidh dheuchainna hard trial.
1. A Noun preceded by a Numeral is in the primary Form; as, tri meoirthree fingers; to which add iomadhmany, gachevery; as, iomadh fearmany a man; gach craobhevery tree.—Except aonone, datwo; ceudfirst; as, aon fhearone man, da chraoibhtwo trees.
2. A Noun preceded by any of the following Possessive Pronouns, aher, arour, bhuryour, antheir, is in the primaryForm; as, a mathairher mother, ar brathairour brother. When the Possessive Pronoun aher, precedes a Noun or an Adjective beginning with a vowel,his inserted between them; as, a h-athair,her father, a h-aon mhacher only son. The Possessive Pronouns arour, bhuryour, usually takenbetween them and the following Noun or Adjective beginning with a vowel; as, ar n-athairour father, bhur n-aranyour bread. Perhaps a distinction ought tobemade, by insertingnonly after ar, and not after bhur[99]. This would serve often to distinguish the one word from the other in speaking, where they are ready to be confounded by bhur being pronounced ur.
3. A Noun beginning with a Lingual, preceded by an Adjective ending inn, is in the primary Form; as, aon duineone man, seann sluaghold people.
Section III.
Of the Agreement of a Pronoun with its Antecedent.
The Personal and Possessive Pronouns follow theNumberof their Antecedents,i.e.of the Nouns which they represent. Those of the 3d Pers. Sing. follow also the Gender of their antecedent; as, sheas a'bhean aigachosaibh, agus thoisichi air amfliuchadh leisadeuraibh, agus thiormaichi iadle gruaigacinn,the woman stood at his feet, and she began to wet them with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, Luke vii. 38. They follow, however, not the Gender of the Antecedent, but the sex of the creature signified by the Antecedent, in those words in which Sex and Gender disagree, as, an gobhlan-gaoithe mar an ceudn' do sholair nead dh'i feinthe swallow too hath provided a nest for herself, Psal. lxxxiv. 3. Gobhlan-gaoithea swallow, is a mas. Noun, as appears by the mas. Article: but as it is the dam that is spoken of, the reference is made by the Personal Pronoun of the fem. gender. Ta gliocas air a fireanachadh leis a cloinnWisdomis justified by her children, Matt. xi. 19. Gliocas is a mas. noun; but as Wisdom is here personified as a female, the regimen of the Possessive Pronoun is adapted to that idea[100]. See also Prov. ix. 1-3. In this sentence Och nach b' i mhaduinn e, Deut. xxviii. 67, the former pronouniis correctly put in the fem. gender, as referring to the fem. nounmaduinn; while the latter pron.eis put in the mas. gend. because referring to no expressed antecedent.
If the Antecedent be a sentence, or clause of a sentence, the Pronoun is of the 3d Pers. Sing. masculine; as, dh' ith na bà caola suas na bà reamhra, agus cha n-aithnichteadh orrae,the lean cattle ate up the fat cattle, and could not be known by them.
If the Antecedent be a collective Noun, the Pronoun is of the 3d Pers. Plur. as, thoir àithne do 'n t-sluagh, d' eagal gu m brisiadasteachcharge the people lest they break in, Exod. xix. 21.
An Interrogative combined with a Personal Pronoun, asks a question without the intervention of the Substantive verb; as, co mise?who [am] I?co iad na daoine sin?who [are] those men?cia i a' cheud àithne?which [is] the first commandment?In interrogations of this form, the noun is sometimes preceded by the Personal Pronoun, and sometimes not; as, co e am fear?who [is] the man?co am fear?what man?Co am fear? is evidently an incomplete sentence, likewhat man?in English. The ellipsis may be supplied thus; co e am fear a ta thu ciallachadh?who is the man whom you mean?This example may be abridged into another common interrogation, in which the Interrogative is immediately followed by the Relative; as, co a ta thu ciallachadh?who [is he] whom you mean?ciod a ta thu faicinn?what [is it] that you see?
In an interrogative sentence including a Personal Pronoun and a Noun, as, co e am fear sin? if the Noun be restricted inits signification by some other words connected with it, such as the Article, an Adjective, another Noun in the Genitive, or a relative clause, then the Pronoun usually follows the Gender of the Noun, or the Sex of the object signified by the Noun, if the Gender does not correspond to it; as, coeam fear a theid a suas?who is the man that shall ascend?coiam boirionnach sin?who is that woman?ciaia' cheud àithne?which is the first commandment?If the Noun be notso restricted, the Pronoun is of the masculine gender; as, ciod e uchdmhacachd?what is adoption?ciod e urnuigh?what is prayer?[101]
SectionIV.
Of the Agreement of a Verb with its Nominative.
As the Verb has no variation offormcorresponding to the Person or Number of its Nominative, the connection between a Verb and its Nominative can be marked only by itscollocation. Little variety therefore is allowed in this respect. The Nominative, whether Noun or Pronoun, is ordinarily placed after the Verb; as, ta miI am, rugadh duine-cloinnea man-child is born[102]. The Article or an Adjective, is frequentlyplaced between the Verb and its Nominative; as, thainig an uair,the hour is come; aithrisear iomadh droch sgeul,many an evil tale will be told. Sometimes, but more rarely, circumstances are expressed beween the Verb and its Nominative; as, rugadh dhuinne, an diugh, ann am baile Dhaibhi, an Slanuighear,there is born to us, this day, in David's town, the Saviour.
The word denoting the object of the verbal action, can never, even in poetry, be placed between the Verb and its Nominative, without altering the sense. Hence the arrangement in the following passages is incorrect:—Ghabh domblas agus fiongeur iad,they took gall and vinegar. "Buch. Gael. Poems," Edin. 1767. p. 14. The collocation should have been ghabh iad domblas, &c. Do chual e 'n cruinne-cé,the world heard it, id. p. 15, ought to have been, do chual an cruinne-cé e. So also, do ghabh truaighe, Iosa dhoibh,Jesus took pityon them. Matt. xx. 34, Irish vers. It ought to have been, do ghabh Iosa truaighe, &c.[103].
The Relatives awho, nachwho not, are always put before the verb; as, am fear a thuit,the man who fell; am fear nach dean beud,the man who will not commit a fault.
In poetry, or poetical style, where inversion is allowed, the Nominative is sometimes placed before the Verb; as doimhneachd na talmhain ta 'n a laimh,in his hand is the depth of the earth. Psal. xcv. 4.