Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1841 to 1870 > Double grammar, of English and Gaelic, in which the principles of both languages are clearly explained

CO ETYMOLOGY.
FOCLACHADH.
Obs. 1.—In English, things
remarkable for power,greatness,
or sublimity, are spoken of as
masculine : as.
Seall 1.—’Sa Bheurla, tha
nithe comharraichte, airson
neirt, morachd, no airde, ainm-
ichte, mar gu’m bitheadh iad
firionn ; mar,
the sun, time, death, sleep, fear, anger, winter, war.
Obs. 2.—Things beautiful,
amiable, or prolific, are spoken
of as feminine ; as,
Seall. 2 Tha nithe maise-
ach, taitneach, agus siolmhor,
ainmichte mar gu’m bitheadh
iad boirionn; mar,
the moon, earth, nature, fortune, knowledge, hope, spring, peace.
Obs. 3 Creatures whose sex is unknown, or unnecessary to
be regarded, are generally spoken of as neuter ; thus, “ He fired
at the deer, and wounded it." “ If a man shall steal an ox, or
a sheep, and kill it, or sell it."—Ex. xxii. 1.
GENDER OF GAELIC NOUNS.
1. Nouns denoting male
animals are always mascu¬
line ; as, duine, each.
2. Nouns denoting fe¬
male animals are always
feminine ; as, bea?i, bo.
As there are only two sexes,
the male and the female, it
has been already said that there
ought to be only two genders.
This is the case in Gaelic, for
it personifies every object,
whether animate or inanimate ;
thus, tigh, house, and uisge,
water, are masculine ; cas, foot,
and clach, stone, are feminine.
GIN AINMEARAN GAELIG.
1. Tha ainmearan a
ciallachadh beo-chreutair-
ean lirionn, a ghna fear-
anta; mar, duine, each.
2. Tha ainmearan a
ciallachadh beo-chreutair-
ean boirionn, a ghna boir-
eanta; mar, bean, bo.
A chionn nach ’eil aim ach a
mhain da ghineal, am firionn
agus am boirionn, bha e iar a
radh cheana nach bu choir a
bhith arm ach a mhain da ghin.
Tha ’chuis mar so ’sa Ghaelig,
oir pearsaichidh i gach cuspair
co aca tha e beo, no neo-bhed ;
mar sin thn,tigh agus uisge, fear-
anta; cas agus clach, boireanta.
In a grammatical sense, the words boirionnach, or bainionnach,
a female, mart, a cow, capull, a mare, are masculine ; and sgalag,
a farm-servant, is feminine ;* cailin, a damsel, is sometimes used
as a mas. noun.
* Here nature and grammar are diametrically opposed.
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