Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1841 to 1870 > Stéidhean a' Ghràmair Ghaëlig

128 ETYMOLOGY.
FOCLACHADH.
Emphatic. — Arsa mise, arsa tusa. Ars' esan, arsa sinne. Arsa
sìbhse, ars' ìadsan, said they, or they said.
Theab, had almost, was well-nigh ; as,
Past. — Theab mì tuiteam, / had almost fallen. Theab thu ; theab
e ; theab sinn ; theab sìbh ; theab- ìad. An do theab ì &c, cha do
theab, &c, nach do theab ? &c.
Impersonal. — Theabadh, theabas ; as, theabas mo bhàthadh, / had
almost been drowned, — literally, my drowning had almost happened.
Theabas do bhàthadh. Theabas à bhathadh, à bàthadh. Theabas ar
bàthadh, &c. Cha do theabadh, theabas, &c.
The following defective verbs are used only in the second
person singular and plural of the Imperative ; thus,
Feuch, behold. Fèuchaibh, behold ye. Tiugainn, come thou
away. Tiugainnibh, come (ye) away. Siuthad, say away.
Siuthadaibh, say ye away. Trothad (trou-àd), come (thou)
here ; Trothadaibh, come ye here.
IMPERSONAL VERBS.
1. A Transitive or an In-
transitive verb is said to be
impersonal when it is used
in its third person singular
Passive, without a nomina-
tive expressed ; as,
GNIOMHARAN NEOPHEARSAN-
TAIL.
1. Theirear gu'm beil Gnì-
omhar Asdach no Anasdach,
neo-phearsantail, 'nuair a
ghnàthaichear è 'n à threas
pearsa aonar Fulangach gun
ainmeach leis ; mar,
Cluinnear, (one) hears, or may hear. Chlùinnteadh, (one)
might or could hear. Chithear, (one) sees. Chìteadh, (one)
might see. Am faicear ? shall or can (one) see ? Nach bithear ?
Cha robhas. — See page 91.
2. Verbs used impersonally are declined in both num-
bers with the Compound Pronoun leam, either expressed
or understood ; thus,
Buailear* leam, It shall be strucJc byme, or Istrilce. Buailear
leat, It shall be struck by thee, or thou strihest. Buailear leis,
It shall be struclc by him, or he striles. Buailear leinn, &c.
It shall be struch by us, or we striTce.
* Founded on the same principle as the Latin Impersonals ; as, Pugnatur a me,
a te, ab illo, SfC. ; it is fought by me, thee, him, &c. ; or, I fight, thou fightest, he
fights, &c. Cogar leam, leat, leis, Sfc. Flebatura me, ghuileadh leam, flebatur a
nobis, ghuileadh le'mn,flebitur a me, guilear leam, &c.