Blair Collection > Elements of Gaelic grammar

Chap. II.] OF SYNTAX. 167
SECTION I.
OF THE GOVERKMEKT OF NOUNS.
One Noun governs another in the Genitive. The
Noun governed is always placed after that which governs
it; as 'ceann tighe' the head of a houfe or family ; *folus na
' grehie' light of the fun ; 'balnne ghabhar"' tuilk of goats.
The Infinitives or Tranfitive Verbs, being themfelves
Nouns, (See Part I. Chap. V. p. — .) govern in like manner
the Genitive of their objeftj as 'ag cur sil' foivwg feed^ 'a
' dlV fhaicinn an t-fluaigh' to fee the people, 'iar leughadh
* an t-foifgeil after reading the go/pel (k).
Although no good realbn appears why this rule, which is
common to the Gaelic with many other languages, fhould
ever be fet afide; yet it has been fet afide in fpeaking, and
fomctimes in writing Gaelic.
] . When the Noun governed does in Its turn govern
another Noun in the Genitive, the former is often put in
the Nominative inftead of the Genitive cafe. The follow-
ing inftances of this anomaly occur in the Gaelic Scriptures .
'gutli briathran an t-fluaigh' inftead ef 'bhriathran' the voice
cf the nvords of the people, Deut. v. 28. 'do mheas craobhan
* a' gharaidh' inftead of 'chraobhan' of the fruit cf the trees of
the garden^ Gen. iii. 2. 'ag itheadh tighean bhantrach' for
*thlghean' devcuring widows^ houfes, Matt, xxiii, 1 4. *ag
* nochdadh obair an lagha' for ^ oibrc* Jhoiving the nvork of
the
(k) So in English, the Infinitive of a Transitive Verb is
sometimes used instead of the Present Participle, and followed
by the Preposition of; as, * the woman was there gathering of
* sticks,' 1 Kings xvli. 10.
■ some sad drops
Wept at completing of the mortal sin.
Parad. Lost.
See more examples, Num. xiil. 25. 2 Sam, ii. 21. 2 Chron. xx.
55. — XXXV. 14. Ezck. xxxix. 12,