Blair Collection > Argyleshire pronouncing Gaelic dictionary

RUDIMENTS OF GAELIC GRAMMAR.
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Dual Number.— There is, to all intents
and purposes, a dual number in the Gaelic
as well as the Greek; thus, we say, aon
fhenT, one man; da (hear, two men, lite-
rally, TWO man; but when we arrive at
the number three, tri fir, three men—with
every thing else, aon each, une horse; da
each, two horses ; but tri eich, ceithir eich,
three horses, four horses.
Cardinals are formed by placing the ar-
ticle an before the numeral, and prefixing
-amh, or -eamh ; thus, an coigeamh salm
tharanfhichead ; an ochdamh salm thar an
fhichead; an iwoidheamh salm thar an
fhichead, the twenty-fifth psalm, the
twenty-eighth psalm, .the twenty.ninth
psalm, &c.— but the twentieth psalm, am
Jkheadamh salm, an deicheamh salm thar
an fhichead, an da f hicheainh salm, an tri
ficheadamh salm, an ceithir ficheadamh
salm, an ciadamh salm; the thirtieth, the
fortieth, sixtieth, eightieth, the hundredth
psalm, t^c. then, an deicheamh salm thar
a' chiad, an ficheadamh thar a chiad, &c.
the hundred and tenth, and hundred and
twentieth, psalms.
Verb is a word signifying to be, to do, or
to suffer. In Gaelic there are two conjuga-
tions, the first comprehending all the verbs
beginning with consonants except f ; the se-
cond all beginning with f, or a vowel. 2.
There are two voices, active and passive. 3.
There are in Gaelic only, in common with
the Hebrew and other Oriental languages,
two VOICES, the PAST and the future ;
however, by a stroke of Gaelic generalship
unknown in modern tactics, our Gaelic
grammarians have discovered a present
tense, but very wisely kept it a secret in
their own bosoms.*
• Since the author is not in possession of
this philosopher's stone, he will endeavour
to shew the substitute, used by unextraordi-
nary mortals for this tense,— want of at-
tention to which, he conceives to be the great
causeof all our English. Gaelic Dictionaries
not answering their legitimate purposes, no
more than an Esquimaux Almanack would.
The present tense is formed by means
of adjectives and nouns, and the verb to be.
2. By means of participles and the verb to be
(particularly the negative mood). 3. Often
by means of the compound pronouns, witli
the negative particles, without the aid of any
verb.
\st, Is toigh learn. Hike, I love; ma 's
toigh leat, if you like, if you love ; is fuath
le Dia, God hates ; eha 'n f huath le Dia,
God does not hate, or, is fuathach le Dia,
God hates, iie. Is fiosracli mi, / know ; am
First Conjugation.— Verb, PaL«g.—
Past Tense.
Sing, and Plur.
1. Phaisgmi, I did wrap, or wrapped.
2. Phaisg thu, thou didst wrap, or wrapped.
3. Phaisg e,\,heor she did xirap.ox wrapped
1. Phaisg sinn, we did wrap, or wrapped.
2. Phaisg sibh, ye or you did wap, or
5. Phaisg lad, they did wrap, or wrapped.
Future.
Sing, and Plur.
1. Phaisgidh mi, I shail or wiU wrap,
2. Paisgidh tu, thou shall or wilt wrap.
3. Paisgidh c,i, hear she shall or will wrap,
1. Paisgidh sinn, we shall or will wrap.
2. Paisgidh sibh, ye or you shall or wiU
0. Paisgidh iad, they shall or will wrap.
.Interrogative and Negative Mood.
Sing, and Plur.
1. Cha do phaisg mi, I did not wrap.
2. Cha do phaisg thu, thou didst not ivrap.
3. Cha do phaisg e, i, he or she did not
1. Cha do phaisg sinn, we did not wrap.
2. Cha do phaisg sibh, ye did not wrap.
3. Cha do phaisg iad, they did not wrap.
Sing, and Plur.
1. Nach do phaisg mi, did I not wrap ?
2. Nach do phaisg thu, didit thou not wrap
3. Nach do phaisg e, i, did he not wrap ?
1. Nach do phaisg sinn, did we 7iot wrap ?
2. Nach do phaisg sibh, did ye not wrap ?
3. Nach do phaisg iad, did they not wrap ?
Sing, and Plur..
1. Mar do phaisg mi, if I did not wrap.
2. .Mar do phaisg thu, if thou didst not wrap
3. Mar do phaisg e, i, if he did not wrap.
1. Mar do phaisg sinn, if we did not wrap.
2.. Mar do phaisg sibh, if ye did not wrap.
3. Mar do phaisg iad, if they did ?iot wrap.
Future Tense — Interrogative or
Negative Mood.
Singular.
1. Cha phaisg mi, / shall or will not wrap.
2. Cha phaisg thu, thou shall or wilt not
3. Cha phaisg e, i, he shall or will not wrap
fiosrach thu, do you know': are you aware?
cha 'n fhios domhsa ni sam bith ma dheibh-
inn, / know nothing about him. 'id, Tha
e iC fiosrachadh, he inquires ; am bheil e a'
faicinn, does he perceive ? tha e a' gradh,
or, ag ràdh, he says. 3d, Am math leat
raise a dh' fholbh, do you wish me to go ?
cha mhath learn, I do not wish , cha 'n aith.
ne dhomh, I do not know, I do not recog-
nise ; literally, no good along with me, no
knowledge to me. Thehmits of these out-
Imes of grammar do not admit of shewing
how the Hebrew and other languages form
their present tenses.