PRACTICAL GRAMMAR OF THE SCOTTISH GAELIC. IN EIGHT PARTS. VIZ., I. ORTHOGBAPHY. II. PKONUNCIATION. III. ETYMOLOGY'. IV. FOKMATION OF DERIVATIVES. V. SYNTAX. vi. PRACTICAL EXERCISES VII. PARSING. VIII. PROSODY. ILLUSTRATED THROUGHOUT WITH NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS, CRITICAL, PHILOLOGICAL, AND EXPLANATORY. BY JAMES MUNRO, AUTHOR OF THB GAELIC FRIMEF, &C. SECOND EDITION. EDINBURGH: MACLACHLAN, STEWART, & CO.; LONDON, SIMPKIN & MARSHALL ; GLASGOW, DAVID ROBERTSON ; INVERNESS, J. SMITH J OBAN, J. MILLER ; PERTH, J. DEWAR. MDCCCXLIII. PRINTED BY J, THOMSON, MILNB SQUaHE -C 1258 , GENERAL SIR JAMES MACDONELL, K.C.B. K.M.T. &c. &c. &c. COLONEL OF THE 79tH HIGHLANDERS, THIS GRAMMAR or THE ANCIENT LANGUAGE OF HIS BRAVE COUNTRYMEN, THE SCOTTISH GAEL,—A RACE DISTINGUISHED FOR ^' PROWESS AND MILITARY GLORT, SUCH AS HE HAS IN HIS OWN PERSON OFTEN SO ILLUSTRIOUSLY EXHIBITED, IS, (with permissiox) MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED. BY HIS VERY HUMBLE SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. The following Grammar is intended for the use of Schools.* In matter and plan it differs a little from those Gaelic Grammars already published. It exhibits the principles not only of the written^ but also of the spoken language. The materials are arranged in the simplest order, and the definitions expressed in the plainest words. In exhibiting the declension of nouns, a new classification, deduced from the nature of their changes, has been adopted. The conjugation of verbs has, in part, been remodelled : along with each example the verbal particles are given in their proper places, in order at once to shew their government and application. The de- partment of Syntax has been minutely investigated ; and such an outhne of Prosody f is presented as was deemed sufiicient for schools. * It was written for the use of the General Assem 'Jy's Highland Schools. The late venerable Principal Baird, and the Secretary of the Committee, encouraged the author to pro- ceed with the work, but the patronage of the Committee it never obtained. •j- The Prosody has been remodelled and enlarged for this edition. VI PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. As the success of the work depends greatly upon the support of the English reader, a considerable portion of it is, on his account, devoted to the subject of pronunciation ; and under this head is introduced a figured spelling, indi- cating the powers of the Gaelic combinations by means of single characters. The vocables which exemplify the or- thography are so arranged, as also to illustrate the depart- ment of composition and derivation. To elucidate all the rules, especially those of Syntax, and to familiarize the student with their application, co- pious exercises, drawn from various sources, have been provided. Several other improvements will be found in perusing the volume. As errors must inevitably creep into a work of this kind, if the candid critic should discover any, and kindly point them out, the author will feel pleasure in correcting them when an opportunity occurs. In conclusion, the author begs leave to acknowledge his obligations to those ladies and gentlemen who encouraged him to proceed with his work, by so liberally patronizing it themselves,* and by obtaining the patronage of the many distinguished names which adorn the list of Subscribers. * To the family of Glengarry, deep gratitude is due for their liberal patronage, and successful support of this work. To R. Campbell, Esq. of Aclinambrec, and to 3Irs. Campbell, the author is also glad thus publicly to acknowledge his best thanks, for their disinterested generosity and friendship to- wards him on all occasions. PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDlTlOxX. The favourable reception given by the Public to the first edition, has induced the publishers to offer ^^em a new- impression of the Gaelic Grammar. The author has carefully revised the whole ; and though, in doing so, he saw no occasion to disturb the general plan of the work, yet he has here and there made a few altera- tions, by way of "retrenchment or improvement; so that, it is hoped, this edition will be found no less deserving of public patronage than the one now exhausted. Blaroar, Sept. 1843. ABBREVFATIONS EXPLAINED. a. adj. adjective, ahs. abstr. ab- Cor Cornish, stract. co^. column, collec. coWee- D. M'l. Duncan M'lntyre, a poet, tion. contr. contracted, contrac- Gram, -rammar. tion, com. compar. comparative. H. R. ». ^brew Rudiments. cor. Con-Mi?, corrupted, ed. edition. Ir. Die. Irish Dictionary. g. s. genitive singular, ohs. obsolete. M'Lach. M'Lachlan. pron. pronounce, q. d. as if you N. T. New Testament, should say. q. v. which see. tit. Ps. Psalm, title. 1. s. 1. p. first person singu- R. M'D. Ronald M' Donald, lar, or plural. S. S. Sacred Scriptures. A. B. Ar. Br. Archaelogia Britan- W. Welsh, nica. W. Ross, William Ross, a poet. A. M'D. Alexander M'Donald, a = equivalent to. poet. ERRATA. Page 7, note, for euphonia read euphoniae. 39, for refix es, read Prefixes. 109, dele mood after infinitive, at note 5. 211,bot./or CÙ Ina, read cùl na. 216 top, /or Thu read Thà. PRACTICAL GAELIC GRAMMAR. PART I. ORTHOGRAPHY. Orthography treats of the division and powers of the {iii)habet, and of the proper spelling of words. The Gaelic alphabet has only eighteen letters, viz., a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, 1, ra, n, o, p, r, s, t, n. These 'nre divided into vowels and consonants:^ The vowels are a, o, u ; e, i. A, o, u, are called broad vowels ; e, i, small. The consonants are either plain or aspirated. The plain consonants are b, c, d, f, g, 1, m, n, p, r, s, t. When followed by an h^ these are called aspirate ; as bh, ch, dh, fh, gh, mh, ph, sh, th. L, n, r, have each two qualities of sound, a /i«r^ and a liquid; but h is not used after them to indicate either of these qualities. • A voivel is a sound that can be pronounced alone ; as a, t. A consonant is an articulation that cannot be formed without uttering' a vowel before or after it ; as f, h, (ef, be.) A broad vowel is one that has a full, open expression ; as a, o, u. A small vowel is one that has a slender, squeezed expression ; as e in ceo, i in cir. Letters a,re the signs or pictures of the elemen- tary sounds of a language. L' ORTHOGRAPHY. Some pairs of the consonants are formed by means of the same organs of speech : but are uttered with a greater or less degree oi force' Letters of the same organ are called kindred letters. Those pronounced with the greater force are termed sharp, and those with the lesser force Jiat. KINDRED PLAIN CONSONANTS. Sharp p, c, t. Flat b, g, d. KINDRED ASPIRATES. Sharp ph, ch.* Flat bh, mh, gh, dh. The aspirate or secondary powers of the plaia consonants may at one view be exhibited as follows : 1. 2. 3 . Primary sounds..nds...b,.b, f, m, p;— c, d, g;—s, t; —1, n, r. Ì 1st. Derivative or y, \ ^, ^'—X, y, y ;—h, h ;_1, n, r. j 2d secondary do.o^ I The single characters by which the secondary or aspirate sounds are above represented, are not employed in Gaelic ortho- graphy, because they are obviously too few to prevent ambigu- ity. The primary letter is therefore always preserved in the spelling, and its secondary power or sound is denoted by writ- ing h after it ; so that instead of V ', V, f, ^ y, y, h, h, we use bh, fh, mh, ph, ch, dh, gh, sh, th, giving these double letters the pronunciation usually denoted * S and t aspirate lose their plain power entirely, and instead of acquiring a kindred power, they usurp that of h ; so that these are really the only letters that are aspirated in Gaelic, The rest more properly reciprocate their kindred articulations, as hi (6e) mo (mo).pòs (pòs). car (ear), dos (c?os). gar (^rar). bhi (ve) mho (uo). phòs(/òs). char {x^v). dhos (yos). ghar (z/ar). F aspirate becomes quiescent. — ORTHOGRAPHY. bv the single letters which are place.1 over them respective- • ly. B, f, ni, p, are named labials ; c, g, gutturals ; c, d, g, ], n, r_, s, t, Unguals ; m, n, nasals. SPELLING Is the writing of words with the proper and esta- blished letters. RULES FOR SPELLING. I. In words of more than one syllable, the first vowel of each succeeding syllable must be of the same class * An example will illustrate this further. The following sentence— B/ia mo m/2uime fo p^àidheadh tAall aig a' cAòir- nealair D^ònullach ìiine f/^ada, gus an do g/iabh i galar à bàìs 's an do i^iubhail i, —might be written thus— Fa mo ruime fo /aidheadh /iall aig a' ;^oirnealair i'onullach ùine 'ada, gus an do ^abh i galar à bais, 'san do /liubhail i,...But were we to adopt the latter mode of spelling, it is evident that, in every instance where an initial consonant underwent mutation, we should, under this system, entirely lose sight of such consonant, and consequently be in doubt whether a v related to a 6 or m ; a. yto?t. d OT g ; an h to an 5 or t. The orthography of the Welsh is founded on a principle pretty similar to that last in- stanced above ; but the superiority of ours over it in point of perspicuity will be readily acknowledged by considering the following contrast. JVelsk. Gaelic. j«erch, marc, ahorse. dwy /erch, da mAarc, 2 horses.