Matheson Collection > Gaelic grammar, containing the parts of speech and the general principles of phonology and etymology, with a chapter on proper and place names

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Ma if, (O.G. ma, ma) aspirates a following consonant, is used
with pres. and past of subst. verb (ma tha, ma bha), with
the rel. form, the fut. uncompounded, and the perf. §21, cf.
§ 155, 6
Mas righ no mas diùc thu fein — If thyself be a king or a duke :
— An Claig. 33
Ma tharras mise thu, is tu gheibh e — // / get hold of you,
you will catch it : — Munro 123
Is beannaichte sibh ma ni sibh iad — Happy are ye tf ye do
them : — John xiii. 17
Ma rinn mi so — // / have done this : — Ps. vii. 3
Ma chaidh tu 'nan sealbhaidh —
If you took to do with them : — S.O. 155''37
Mur, mura if not, unless (neg. of ma, O.G. ma-ni, main ; with
pres. subj. of is, ma-ni-p : M.G. ma-ni, manip, mi-na,
mi-ne, mo-na ; man, men, mun).
In G. the -n- is pronounced -r- § 18, and the final -ni- still
projects h- before vowels § 48, 2 :
Mur h-e Bran, is e bhrathair- — // it he not Bran it is his
brother:— N.G.F. 321
Mur robh thusa fior — // thou wert not true : — An Claig. 67
Mur bhuin e dh' an bhuidhinn no dh'an bheachd acasan, cha
n-fhiach e fhein no obair — Unless he belongs to their
party or way of thinking, neither he nor his work matters :
—Cos. 139
Mur tig an righ nach fhuirich e ? — If the king will not come
let him stay :— N.G.P. 321
Occasionally rel. an follows mur :
Muna ndiongantaoi an moireachd — // the great deed were
not done : — Eeliq. Celt. ii. 452
Compare this sentence with the following, where mur in-
troduces direct interrogative sentences :
Neo-air-thaing mur an robh companaich gu leòir aige — No
fear, hut he had plenty of companions : — Cos. 119
Mur an e an righ a tha ann, 'sea ghille a th'ann— // it be
not the king, it is his lad : — MacCor. 43