Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1871 to 1900 > Elements of Gaelic grammar

OF THE PARTS
[Part II.
116
CHAPTER VII.
OF PREPOSITIONS.
The Prepositions, strictly so called, are single words,
most of them monosyllables, employed to mark relation.
Relation is also expressed by combinations of words which
often correspond to simple prepositions in other languages.
These combinations are, not improperly, ranked among the
prepositions. The following lists contain first the Prepo¬
sitions properly so called, which are all simple; secondly,
improper Prepositions, which, with one or two exceptions,
seem all to be made up of a simple Preposition and a Noun.
Aig, Ag, at.
Air, on.
Ann, in.
As, A, out of.
De, of.
Do, to.
Eadar, between.
Fa, upon.
Fuidh, Fo, under.
Proper Prepositions.
Gu, Gus, to. Roimh, before.
Gun, without. Tar, Thar, over, accross.
far, after. Tre, 1
Le, Leis, with, by. Troimh, V through.
Mar, like to. Throimh, )
Mu, about. Seach, past, in compari-
0, Ua, from. \son with.
Os, above.
Re, Ri, Ris, to.
The Preposition ann is often written double, ann an
eolas, in knowledge; ann an gliocas, in wisdom. The final n
or nn is changed into m before a labial j as, am measg,
among; ann am meadhon, in midst. Before the Article or the
Relative, this Preposition is written arms; as, anns an toiseach,
in the beginning; an cor anns am bheil e, the condition in ivhich
he is; and in this situation the letters ann are often dropped,
and the s alone retained, ’s an toiseach, in the beginning.
De, so far as I know, is found in no Scottish publications.
The reasons which have induced me to assign it a place among
the prepositions will be mentioned in treating of the combina¬
tions of the Proper Prepositions with the Personal Pronouns.
The Preposition do, like the verbal particle, and the Pos¬
sessive Pronoun of the same sound, loses the o before a vowel,
and the consonant is aspirated; thus, dh’ Albainn, to Scot-