Hew Morrison Collection > Adhamh agus Eubh, no Craobh Sheanachais nan Gàël

CELTIC LANGUAGE. 177
Tliis is the only true path to etymology ; the
vulgar path is to seek a radix in every syllable,
turning to account serviles, terminations, affixes,
and postfixes. The Celtic naturally puts the accent
always upon the root-syllahle.
Of the Power or Character A.
The first sound or sign of the Celtic alphabet is
A, and, with reason ; for it must have been the first
sound ever uttered by man, and, we are almost
tempted to say, still continues to be so. In pro-
nouncing it you require only to open your mouth
and breathe firmly, and audibly, from the throat.
It is a sound most natural in assenting or approving;
so much so that the very deaf and dumb employ it,
accompanied by a nod of the head in this sense :
hence, Celtic, à, aspirated h-a, corruptly tha, yes,
it is, it is so, am, art, is, are, &c. We said that to
pronounce a it is required only to breathe ; and,
hence it becomes the root of «ile, the fluid air ;
aile, smell, odour ; anail, breath ; analaich, to
expire, inspire, injlate, take rest; anam, Hfe, soul.
Numerically, a stands for one, first, foremost.
The sound a, roared with the highest pitch of the
voice, is a natural interjection or exclamation when
we want to awe or frighten, or in giving vent to
our fears when running away from horror ; as also
in narrating amazing, or marvellous events, great
H 2