Blair Collection > Practical grammar of the antient Gaelic, or, Language of the Isle of Man, usually called Manks

EDITOR S INTRODUCTION. XI
As in Scotland and Ireland, so in tlie Isle of Man, the
patronymic is in common use : —
Mannanan - mac - y Lheirr.
Mannanan, the son of Lheirr (an ancient necromancer).
Dich Quayll Vessey.
Dick, the son of Quayle the son of Bess (which Bess was no doubt a notable in her
day, as Dick is in his).
Men are also designated from their domain : —
Veih-hen, to Ballacharnane Wooo/r cheet-
See, Ballacarnane the Great comes.
Or from their degree of society : —
Tan Bonaghey ny ghooinney ooasle
The Donaghey is a man honourable.
Or from some quality pertaining to them : —
Illiam Dlwne, Swarthy William.
Juan Gorrym, Purple John.
Among the idiomatic forms which render the language de-
serving of attention may be enumerated the following : —
The article has a plural number :
Yn Hoar. Ny lioaryn
The book. The books.
The adjective follows the noun (its natm-al and proper place),
except drogh, evil, and shenn, old, which go before the noun :
Yn dooimiey mie. Ben aalin.
The man good. A woman fair.
The adjective has a plural form :
Red beg. Reddyn leggey.
A thing little. Things little.
Magher glo.ss. Magheryn glassey.
A field green. Fields green.
Nouns have an emphatic form :
Bty ohhyr hene. Dty olhyrs hene.
Thy work own. Thy work (emphatic) own.