Blair Collection > Elements of Gaelic grammar

XVI INTRODUCTION.
fications which have been employed in the gram-
mar of the Latin, or of any other well-known
tongue, will suit the GaeHc also ; it is but a con-
venient kind of courtesy to adopt these, and
apply to them the same names which are already
familiar to us.
In stating the result of my researches into
Gaelic grammar, I have endeavoured to conform
to these general views. The field of investi-
gation was wide, and almost wholly untrodden.
My task was not to fill up or improve the plan of
any former writer, but to form a plan for myself.
In the several departments of my subject, that
distribution was adopted, which, after various
trials, appeared the most eligible. When there
were terms already in use in the grammars of
other languages, that suited tolerably well the
divisions which it was found requisite to make, I
chose to adopt these, rather than load the treatise
with novel or uncommon terms. If their import
was not sufficiently obvious already, it was ex-
plained, either by particular description, or by
reference to the use of these terms in other
grammars. In some instances it was found ne-
cessary to employ less common terms j but in
the choice of these I endeavoured to avoid the
affectation of technical nicety. I am far from
being persuaded that I am so fortunate as to
have hit on the best possible plan. I am certain
that it must be far from complete. To such
charges