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

3 10 GAELIC CONSTRUCTION.
Are you a good boy ? Am beil thu ad* bhalachan math?
He is a blacksmith, Tha e 'na ghobhann.
We were strangers in the land, Bha sinn 'nar coigrich ’san tir.
They were wise men, Bha iad ’nan daoine glic.
*Ann is contracted and united thus, am, ad, 'na, 'nar, 'nur 'nan,
for ann mo, ann do, ann a, ann ar, ann bhur, ann am or and
9. The euphonic particle an
or am is placed between the
preposition ann and a singular
or plural noun used indefinitely;
as,
In a hole, Ann an toll.
In a hill, Ann am monadh.
9. Cuirear an smid bhinn an
no am, eadar an roimhear ann
agus ainmear aonar no iomadh
gnathaichte gu neo-chinnteach;
mar,
In rocks, Ann an creagan.
In bottles, Ann am botulan.
10. Ann becomes anns before
the article and the relatives a,
na, nach ; as,
In the woods,
In the morning.
The state in which I was.
There was sense in what he said,
A man in whom there is no guile.
10. Cuirear s ri ann roimh an
phungnr agus roi’ na daimhich
a, na, nach ; mar,
Anns na coilltibh.
Anns a! mhaduinn.
An staid anns an robh mi.
Bha ciall anns na labhair e.
Fear anns nach ’eil cealg.
11. Anns before the article is
often contracted into 's, and
sometimes a's; the latter form
requires t- before a vowel or f;
thus.
11. Giorraichear ann gu trie
gu 's, agus air uairibh gu a's;
gabhaidh an staid so (a’s) t-,
roimh fhuaimraig no/; mar so,
In the land,
In the field,
In the woods.
In summer,
In spring,
In autumn.
’San tir, (for, anns ann tir )
’Sa mhachair,—(anns a mhachair.)
’Sna coilltibh,—(anns na, &ce.)
’San t-samhradh,—(anns an t-, &ce.)
A’s t-earrach,—(anns an earrach.)
A’s t-fhoghar,—(anns an fhoghar.)
12. Ann is frequently elided 1 12. Gearrar as ann gu trie
before a noun ; as, | roimh ainmear; mar,
In the house of bondage, ’An tigh na daorsa, for, ann an tigh.
In Charlestown, ’Am baile Thearlaich,—ann am baile.
Note.—That am and an may not be mistaken in this ellipsis
for the article, the sign of contraction (’), which is often omitted,
should be written over them ; thus, ’am, ’an, as above.
1. See Gaelic Ar. R. 7.—4.