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

298
GAELIC CONSTRUCTION.
sanntach, deidheil, cronail, iarrtach, cairdeil,
rach, miannach
iochdail.
Of Profit—math, feumail, buannachail, tarbhach, coromach,
sgileil, eolach, teoma, seolta, tapaidh, baigheil, buailteacb.
Of Likeness—amhuil, coslach, cosmhal, ionann, co-ionann, &c.
Of Proximity—fagus, fogus, dliith.
Of Kindness—baigheil, blath, cairdeil, caomh, caomhail, caoin-
eil, daimheil, fabharach, fiughantacb, math, tlusail, &c.
Rule 23. — Adjectives
signifying volition or readi¬
ness, and their opposites,
govern the infinitive ; as,
Willing to learn.
Ready to strike thee.
Rule 24.—The Compa¬
rative degree of adjectives,
with the Verb Bi, requires
na’s or ms* immediately
before it, and na after it
whenobjects are compared;
as.
My knife is sharper than your
knife.
They are sweeter than the
honey.
Rialt. 23.—Spreigeadh
buadharan a’ ciallaehadh
toile no deise, agusan luchd-
aghaidhamFeartach; mar,
Toileaeh ionnsachadh.
Ullamh gu do bhualadh.
Rialt. 24. — Gabhaidh
ceum coimeasach bhuadh-
aran leis a’ Ghuiomhar Bi,
n as no ni's* din roimhe,
agus na din ’na dheigh
’nuair a choimeasar cusp-
airean ; mar,
Tha mo sgian-sa na’s geire
na do sgian-sa.
Ni's milse na a’ mhil a ta
iad
1. The Comparative, with the Verb Is, takes only na after the
first object; as, Is fearr gliocas na ’n t-or, wisdom is better than,
gold. Bu luaithe iad na iolairean, they were swifter than eagles.
2. The English Comparative preceded by the definite article,
is rendered in Gaelic by mar, is, and ann; thus, mar is luaithe
’s aim is feair, the sooner the better ; mar is sine’s aim is miosa.
Rule 25.—Both tho com¬
parative and superlative are
followed by de, when selec¬
tion is implied ; as,
Rialt. 25.—Cuirear de
an deigh a’ choimeasaich
agus an Anardaich, ’nuair
a dh-ainmichear roghann ;
mar,
* Contracted lor na is and ni is, and pronounced nas, nis; na's is most com¬
monly used in the spoken, and ni's in the written language.
Na's and ni's drop the’s before bu or b'; as, Bha iad na bu ghile, they trei'e
■whiter. Bha e ni b’ eolaiche,'/^? was more skilful; hence there is reason to con¬
clude that 's after na and ni is from the verb is, seeing bu, its past rejects it.