Chapter 16
OF CONCORD.
Under Concord is to be considered the agreement of the Article with its Noun;--of an Adjective with its Noun;--of a Pronoun with its Antecedent;--of a Verb with its Nominative;--and of one Noun with another.
SECTION I.
OF THE AGREEMENT OF THE ARTICLE WITH A NOUN.
_Collocation._
The article is always placed before its Noun, and next to it, unless when an Adjective intervenes.
_Form._
The article agrees with its Noun in Gender, Number, and Case. Final _n_ is changed into _m_ before a plain Labial; as, am baile _the town_, am fear _the man_. It is usually cut off before an aspirated Palatal, or Labial, excepting _fh_; as, a' chaora _the sheep_, a' mhuc _the sow_, a' choin _of the dog_. In the Dat. Sing. initial _a_ is cut off after a Preposition ending in a Vowel; as, do 'n chloich _to the stone_[94].
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A Noun, when immediately preceded by the Article, suffers some changes in Initial Form:--1. With regard to Nouns beginning with a Consonant, the _aspirated_ form is assumed by a mas. Noun in the gen. and dat. singular; by a fem. noun in the nom. and dat. singular. If the Noun begins with _s_ followed by a vowel or by a Liquid, instead of having the _s_ aspirated, _t_ is inserted between the Article and the Noun, in the foresaid cases; and the _s_ becomes entirely quiescent[95]. 2. With regard to Nouns beginning with a Vowel, _t_ or _h_ is inserted between the Article and the Noun in certain Cases, viz. _t_ in the Nom. sing. of mas. Nouns, _h_ in the gen. sing. of fem. Nouns, and _h_ in the nom. and dat. plur. of Nouns of either gender. Throughout the other sing. and plur. Cases, all Nouns retain their Primary form.
The following examples show all the varieties that take place in declining a Noun with the Article.
_Nouns beginning with a Labial or a Palatal._
Bard, mas. _a Poet_.
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ am Bard, na Baird, _G._ a' Bhaird, nam Bard, _D._ a', 'n Bhard[96]. na Bardaibh.
Cluas, fem. _an Ear_.
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ a' Chluas, na Cluasan, _G._ na Cluaise, nan Cluas, _D._ a', 'n Chluais. na Cluasaibh.
{139} _Nouns beginning with f._
Fleasgach, m. _a Bachelor._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ am Fleasgach, na Fleasgaich, _G._ an Fhleasgaich, nam Fleasgach, _D._ an, 'n Fhleasgach. na Fleasgaich.
F[`o]id, f. a _Turf._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an Fh[`o]id, na Foidean, _G._ na F[`o]ide, nam F[`o]id, _D._ an, 'n Fh[`o]id. na Foidibh.
_Nouns beginning with a Lingual._
Dorus, m. _a Door._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an Dorus, na Dorsan, _G._ an Doruis, nan Dorsa, _D._ an, 'n Dorus, na Dorsaibh.
Teasach, f. _a Fever._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an Teasach, na Teasaichean, _G._ na Teasaich, nan Teasach, _D._ an, 'n Teasaich. na Teasaichibh.
_Nouns beginning with s._
Sloc, mas. _a Pit._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an Sloc, na Sluic, _G._ an t-Sluic, nan Sloc, _D._ an, 'n t-Sloc. na Slocaibh.
{140} S[`u]il, fem. _an Eye._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an t-S[`u]il, na Suilean, _G._ na S[`u]la nan S[`u]l, _D._ an, 'n t-S[`u]il. na Suilibh.
_Nouns beginning with a Vowel._
Iasg, m. _a Fish._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an t-Iasg, na h-Iasga, _G._ an Eisg, nan Iasg, _D._ an, 'n Iasg. na h-Iasgaibh.
Adharc, f. _a Horn._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an Adharc, na h-Adhaircean, _G._ na h-Adhairc, nan Adharc, _D._ an, 'n Adhairc. na h-Adhaircibh.
The initial Form of Adjectives immediately preceded by the Article, follows the same rules with the initial Form of Nouns.
Besides the common use of the Article as a Definitive to ascertain individual objects, it is used in Gaelic--
1. Before a Noun followed by the Pronouns _so_, _sin_, or _ud_; as, am fear so, _this man_; an tigh ud, _yon house_.
2. Before a Noun preceded by the Verb _is_ and an Adjective; as, is maith an sealgair e, _he is a good huntsman_; bu luath an coisiche e, _he was a swift footman_.
3. Before some names of countries; as, righ na Spainne, _the king of Spain_; chaidh e do 'n Fhrainc, _he went to France_; but righ Bhreatain, _the king of Britain_; chaidh e dh' Eirin, _he went to Ireland_, without the Article. {141}
SECTION II.
OF THE AGREEMENT OF AN ADJECTIVE WITH A NOUN.
_Collocation._
When an Adjective and the Noun which it qualifies are in the same clause or member of a sentence, the Adjective is usually placed after its Noun; as, ceann liath, _a hoary head_; duine ro ghlic, _a very wise man_. If they be in different clauses, or if the one be in the subject, and the other in the predicate of a proposition, this rule does not apply; as, is glic an duine sin, _that is a wise man_; cha truagh leam do chor, _I do not think your case unfortunate_.
1. Numerals, whether Cardinal or Ordinal, to which add, iomadh _many_, gach _every_, are placed before their Nouns; as, tri lathan, _three days_; an treas latha, _the third day_; iomadh duine, _many a man_; gach eun g' a nead, _every bird to its nest_.--Except such instances as the following : Righ Tearlach a h-Aon, _King Charles the First_; Righ Seumas a Cuig, _King James the Fifth_.
2. The possessive pronouns mo, do, &c., are always placed before their nouns; as, mo lamh, _my hand_. The interrogatives co, cia, &c., are placed before their nouns, with the article intervening; as, cia am fear? _which man?_
3. Some adjectives of one syllable are usually placed before their Nouns; as, deadh dhuine, _a good man_; droch ghniomh, _a bad action_; seann sluagh, _old people_. Such Adjectives, placed before their Nouns, often combine with them, so as to represent one complex idea, rather than two distinct ones; and the adjective and noun, in that situation, may rather be considered as one complex term, than as two distinct words, and written accordingly; as, oigfhear, _a young man_; ogbhean, _a young woman_; garbhchriochan, _rude regions_[97].
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_Form._
Though a Gaelic Adjective possesses a variety of Forms, yet its Form is not always determined by the Noun whose signification it modifies. The Form of the Adjective depends on its Noun, when it immediately follows the Noun, or only with the intervention of an intensitive Particle, ro, gle, &c., and when both the Noun and the Adjective are in the Subject, or both in the Predicate, or in the same clause or member of a sentence. In all other situations, the form of the Adjective does in no respect depend on the Noun; or, in other words, the Adjective does not agree with the Noun[98].
To illustrate this rule, let the following examples be attentively considered:--Is beag orm a' ghaoth fhuar, _I dislike the cold wind_; is beag orm fuaim na gaoithe fuaire, _I dislike the sound of the cold wind_; is beag orm seasamh anns a' ghaoith fhuair, _I dislike standing in the cold wind_. In these examples, the Adjective and the Noun are both in the same clause or member of a sentence, and therefore they must agree together. In the following examples the Adjective and the Noun do not necessarily agree together:--Is fuar a' ghaoth ['a] tuath, _cold is the wind from the north_; is tric leis a' ghaoith ['a] tuath bhi fuar, _it is usual for the wind from the north to be cold_. In these examples, the Noun is in the Subject, and the Adjective in the Predicate of the proposition.
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The grammatical distinction observable in the following examples is agreeable to the strictest philosophical propriety:--Rinn mis an scian gheur, _I made the sharp knife_: here the Adjective agrees with the Noun, for it modifies the Noun, distinguishing that knife from others. Rinn mis an scian geur, _I made the knife sharp_: here the Adjective does not agree with the Noun, for it modifies not the Noun but the Verb. It does not characterize the _object_ on which the operation is performed, hut it combines with the Verb in specifying the _nature of the operation_ performed. The expression is equivalent to gheuraich mi an scian, _I sharpened the knife_. So also, mhothaich mi a' ghaoth fhuar, _I felt the cold wind_; but mhothaich mi a' ghaoth fuar, _I felt the wind cold_. In the former of these examples the Adjective modifies the Noun, and agrees with it; in the latter it does not agree with the Noun, for its use is to modify the Verb, or to specify the nature of the sensation felt. In like manner, dh' fh[`a]g iad an obair criochnaichte, _they left the work finished_; fhuaradh an [`o]igh s[`i]nte, marbh, _the maid was found stretched out dead_. And so in other similar instances.
1. When an Adjective and Noun are so situated and related, that an agreement takes place between them, then the Adjective agrees with its noun in Gender, Number, and Case. A Noun preceded by the Numeral da _two_, though it be in the Singular Number, [see conclusion of Part II. Chap I.] takes an Adjective in the Plural; as, da iasg bheaga, _two small fishes_, John, vi. 9. The Initial Form of the Adjective depends partly on the Gender of the Noun, partly on its Termination, and partly on its being preceded by the Article.
The following examples of an Adjective declined along with its Noun, exhibit the varieties in the Initial Form, as well as in the Termination of the Adjective:--
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MONOSYLLABLES.
Fear m[`o]r, mas. _a Great Man_.
_Without the Article._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ Fear m[`o]r, Fir mh[`o]ra, _G._ Fir mh[`o]ir, Fheara m[`o]ra, _D._ Fear m[`o]r, Fearaibh m[`o]ra, _V._ Fhir mh[`o]ir. Fheara m[`o]ra.
_With the Article._
_N._ Am Fear m[`o]r, Na Fir mh[`o]ra, _G._ An Fhir mh[`o]ir, Nam Fear m[`o]ra, _D._ An Fhear mh[`o]r. Na Fearaibh m[`o]ra.
Slat gheal, fem. _a white rod_.
_Without the Article._
_N._ Slat gheal, Slatan geala, _G._ Slaite gile, Shlatan geala, _D._ Slait ghil, Slataibh geala, _V._ Shlat gheal. Shlata geala.
_With the Article._
_N._ An t-Slat gheal, Na Slatan geala, _G._ Na Slaite gile, Nan Slata geala, _D._ An t-Slait ghil. Na Slataibh geala.
POLYSYLLABLES.
Oglach dileas, m. _a Faithful Servant_.
_Without the Article._
_N._ Oglach dileas, Oglaich dhileas, _G._ Oglaich dhilis, Oglach dileas, _D._ Oglach dileas, Oglachaibh dileas, _V._ Oglaich dhilis. Oglacha dileas.
{145} _With the Article._
_N._ An t-Oglach dileas, Na h-Oglaich dhileas. _G._ An Oglaich dhilis, Nan Oglach dileas. _D._ An Oglach dhileas, Na h-Oglachaibh dileas.
Clarsach fhonnmhor, f. _a Tuneful Harp._
_Without the Article._
_N._ Clarsach fhonnmhor, Clarsaichean fonnmhor. _G._ Clarsaich fhonnmhoir, Chlarsach fonnmhor. _D._ Clarsaich fhonnmhoir, Clarsaichibh fonnmhor. _V._ Chlarsach fhonnmhor, Chlarsaiche fonnmhor.
_With the Article._
_N._ A' Chlarsach fhonnmhor, Na Clarsaichean fonnmhor. _G._ Na Clarsaich fonnmhoir, Nan Clarsach fonnmhor. _D._ A', 'n Chlarsaich fhonnmhoir, Na Clarsaichibh fonnmhor.
An Adjective, beginning with a Lingual, and preceded by a Noun terminating in a Lingual, retains its primary Form in all the Singular cases; for the sake, it would seem, of preserving the agreeable sound arising from the coalescence of the two Linguals; as, nighean donn _a brown maid_, instead of nighean dhonn; a' choin duibh _of the black dog_, instead of a' choin dhuibh; air a' chois deis _on his right foot_, instead of air a chois dheis.
II. A Noun preceded by an Adjective assumes the aspirated Form; as, ard bheann _a high hill_, cruaidh dheuchainn _a hard trial_.
1. A Noun preceded by a Numeral is in the primary Form; as, tri meoir _three fingers_; to which add iomadh _many_, gach _every_; as, iomadh fear _many a man_; gach craobh _every tree_.--Except aon _one_, da _two_; ceud _first_; as, aon fhear _one man_, da chraoibh _two trees_.
2. A Noun preceded by any of the following Possessive Pronouns, a _her_, ar _our_, bhur _your_, an _their_, is in the primary {146} Form; as, a mathair _her mother_, ar brathair _our brother_. When the Possessive Pronoun a _her_, precedes a Noun or an Adjective beginning with a vowel, _h_ is inserted between them; as, a h-athair, _her father_, a h-aon mhac _her only son_. The Possessive Pronouns ar _our_, bhur _your_, usually take _n_ between them and the following Noun or Adjective beginning with a vowel; as, ar n-athair _our father_, bhur n-aran _your bread_. Perhaps a distinction ought to be made, by inserting _n_ only after ar, and not after bhur[99]. This would serve often to distinguish the one word from the other in speaking, where they are ready to be confounded by bhur being pronounced ur.
3. A Noun beginning with a Lingual, preceded by an Adjective ending in _n_, is in the primary Form; as, aon duine _one man_, seann sluagh _old people_.
SECTION III.
OF THE AGREEMENT OF A PRONOUN WITH ITS ANTECEDENT.
The Personal and Possessive Pronouns follow the _Number_ of their Antecedents, _i.e._ of the Nouns which they represent. Those of the 3d Pers. Sing. follow also the Gender of their antecedent; as, sheas a'bhean aig _a_ chosaibh, agus thoisich _i air am_ fliuchadh leis _a_ deuraibh, agus thiormaich _i iad_ le gruaig _a_ cinn, _the woman stood at his feet, and she began to wet them with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head_, Luke vii. 38. They follow, however, not the Gender of the Antecedent, but the sex of the creature signified by the Antecedent, in those words in which Sex and Gender disagree, as, an gobhlan-gaoithe mar an ceudn' do sholair nead dh'i fein _the swallow too hath provided a nest for herself_, Psal. lxxxiv. 3. Gobhlan-gaoithe _a swallow_, is a mas. Noun, as appears by the mas. Article: but as it is the dam that is spoken of, the reference is made by the Personal Pronoun of the fem. gender. Ta gliocas air a fireanachadh leis a cloinn _Wisdom {147} is justified by her children_, Matt. xi. 19. Gliocas is a mas. noun; but as Wisdom is here personified as a female, the regimen of the Possessive Pronoun is adapted to that idea[100]. See also Prov. ix. 1-3. In this sentence Och nach b' i mhaduinn e, Deut. xxviii. 67, the former pronoun _i_ is correctly put in the fem. gender, as referring to the fem. noun _maduinn_; while the latter pron. _e_ is put in the mas. gend. because referring to no expressed antecedent.
If the Antecedent be a sentence, or clause of a sentence, the Pronoun is of the 3d Pers. Sing. masculine; as, dh' ith na b[`a] caola suas na b[`a] reamhra, agus cha n-aithnichteadh orra _e_, _the lean cattle ate up the fat cattle, and could not be known by them_.
If the Antecedent be a collective Noun, the Pronoun is of the 3d Pers. Plur. as, thoir [`a]ithne do 'n t-sluagh, d' eagal gu m bris _iad_ asteach _charge the people lest they break in_, Exod. xix. 21.
An Interrogative combined with a Personal Pronoun, asks a question without the intervention of the Substantive verb; as, co mise? _who [am] I?_ co iad na daoine sin? _who [are] those men?_ cia i a' cheud [`a]ithne? _which [is] the first commandment?_ In interrogations of this form, the noun is sometimes preceded by the Personal Pronoun, and sometimes not; as, co e am fear? _who [is] the man?_ co am fear? _what man?_ Co am fear? is evidently an incomplete sentence, like _what man?_ in English. The ellipsis may be supplied thus; co e am fear a ta thu ciallachadh? _who is the man whom you mean?_ This example may be abridged into another common interrogation, in which the Interrogative is immediately followed by the Relative; as, co a ta thu ciallachadh? _who [is he] whom you mean?_ ciod a ta thu faicinn? _what [is it] that you see?_
In an interrogative sentence including a Personal Pronoun and a Noun, as, co e am fear sin? if the Noun be restricted in {148} its signification by some other words connected with it, such as the Article, an Adjective, another Noun in the Genitive, or a relative clause, then the Pronoun usually follows the Gender of the Noun, or the Sex of the object signified by the Noun, if the Gender does not correspond to it; as, co _e_ am fear a theid a suas? _who is the man that shall ascend?_ co _i_ am boirionnach sin? _who is that woman?_ cia _i_ a' cheud [`a]ithne? _which is the first commandment?_ If the Noun be not _so restricted_, the Pronoun is of the masculine gender; as, ciod e uchdmhacachd? _what is adoption?_ ciod e urnuigh? _what is prayer?_[101]
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SECTION IV.
OF THE AGREEMENT OF A VERB WITH ITS NOMINATIVE.
As the Verb has no variation of _form_ corresponding to the Person or Number of its Nominative, the connection between a Verb and its Nominative can be marked only by its _collocation_. Little variety therefore is allowed in this respect. The Nominative, whether Noun or Pronoun, is ordinarily placed after the Verb; as, ta mi _I am_, rugadh duine-cloinne _a man-child is born_[102]. The Article or an Adjective, is frequently {150} placed between the Verb and its Nominative; as, thainig an uair, _the hour is come_; aithrisear iomadh droch sgeul, _many an evil tale will be told_. Sometimes, but more rarely, circumstances are expressed beween the Verb and its Nominative; as, rugadh dhuinne, an diugh, ann am baile Dhaibhi, an Slanuighear, _there is born to us, this day, in David's town, the Saviour_.
The word denoting the object of the verbal action, can never, even in poetry, be placed between the Verb and its Nominative, without altering the sense. Hence the arrangement in the following passages is incorrect:--Ghabh domblas agus fiongeur iad, _they took gall and vinegar_. "Buch. Gael. Poems," Edin. 1767. p. 14. The collocation should have been ghabh iad domblas, &c. Do chual e 'n cruinne-c['e], _the world heard it_, id. p. 15, ought to have been, do chual an cruinne-c['e] e. So also, do ghabh truaighe, Iosa dhoibh, _Jesus took pity {151} on them_. Matt. xx. 34, Irish vers. It ought to have been, do ghabh Iosa truaighe, &c.[103].
The Relatives a _who_, nach _who not_, are always put before the verb; as, am fear a thuit, _the man who fell_; am fear nach dean beud, _the man who will not commit a fault_.
In poetry, or poetical style, where inversion is allowed, the Nominative is sometimes placed before the Verb; as doimhneachd na talmhain ta 'n a laimh, _in his hand is the depth of the earth_. Psal. xcv. 4.
Oigh cha tig le cl[`a]r 'n an comhdhail, _No virgin with harp will come to meet them._ Smith's "Ant. Gal. Poems," p. 285.
Gach doire, gach coire, 's gach eas, Bheir a' m' chuimhne cneas mo Ghraidh.
_Each grove, each dell, and each water-fall, will bring to my remembrance the form of my love._ Id. p. 30.
An la sin cha tigh gu br[`a]th, A bheir dearrsa mo ghraidh gu tuath.
_That day shall never come, which shall bring the sun-beam of my love to the North._ Fingal II. 192.
Am focail geilleam do Mhorlamh; Mo lann do neach beo cha gheill.
_In words I yield to Morla; my sword to no living man shall yield._ Fing. II. 203. This inversion is never admitted into plain discourse or unimpassioned narrative.
In those Persons of the Verb in which the terminations supply the place of the Personal Pronouns, no Nominative is expressed along with the Verb. In all the other Persons of the Verb, a Noun or a Pronoun is commonly expressed as its Nominative. In sentences of a poetical structure, the Nominative is sometimes, though rarely, omitted; as, am fear nach {152} gabh 'nuair gheibh, cha 'n fhaigh 'nuair 's aill, _the man who will not take when [he] can get, will not get when [he] wishes_.
A Gharna, cuim a sheas? a Ghuill, cuim a thuit? _Garno, why stoodst? Gaul, why didst fall?_ Smith's "Ant. Gal. Poems," p. 153.
The Infinitive often takes before it the Nominative of the Agent; in which case the Preposition _do_ is either expressed or understood before the Infinitive; as, feuch, cia meud a mhaith, braithre do bhi 'n an comhnuidh ann sith! _behold how great a good it is, that brethren dwell in peace!_ Psal. cxxxiii, 1. Is e mi dh' fhantuinn 's an fheoil, a 's feumaile dhuibhse, _my abiding in the flesh is more needful for you_, Phil. i. 24, Cha n'eil e iomchuidh sinne dh' fhagail focail D['e], agus a fhrithealadh do bhordaibh, _it is not meet that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables_, Acts vi. 2. The Preposition _do_, being softened as usual into _a_, readily disappears after a Vowel; as, air son mi bhi a r[`i]s a lath[`a]ir maille ribh, _by my being again present with you_, Phil. i. 26[104].
SECTION V.
OF THE AGREEMENT OF ONE NOUN WITH ANOTHER.
When in the same sentence two or more Nouns, applied as names to the same object, stand in the same grammatical relation to other words, it should naturally be expected that their Form, in so far as it depends on that relation, should be the same; in other words, that Nouns denoting the same object, and related alike to the governing word, should agree in Case. This accordingly happens in Greek and Latin. In Gaelic, where a variety of form gives room for the application of the same rule, it has been followed in some instances; as, Doncha mac Chailain mhic Dhonuil, _Duncan the son of {153} Colin the son of Donald_; where the words Chailain and mhic denoting the same person, and being alike related to the preceding Noun mac are on that account both in the same Case. It must be acknowledged, however, that this rule, obvious and natural as it is, has not been uniformly observed by the speakers of Gaelic. For example; instead of mac Ioseiph an t-saoir, _the son of Joseph the carpenter_, many would more readily say, mac Ioseiph an saor; instead of thuit e le laimh Oscair an laoich chruadalaich, _he fell by the hand of Oscar the bold hero_, it would rather be said, thuit e le laimh Oscair an laoch cruadalach. The latter of these two modes of expression may perhaps be defended on the ground of its being elliptical; and the ellipsis may be supplied thus: mac Ioseiph [is e sin] an saor; laimh Oscair [neach is e] an laoch cruadalach. Still it must be allowed, in favour of the rule in question, that the observance of it serves to mark the relation of the Nouns to each other, which would otherwise remain, in many instances, doubtful. Thus in one of the foregoing examples, if we should reject the rule, and write mac Ioseiph an saor; it would be impossible to know, from the form of the words, whether Joseph or his son were the carpenter.
The translators of the Scriptures into Gaelic, induced probably by the reasonableness and utility of the rule under consideration, by the example of the most polished Tongues, and by the usage of the Gaelic itself in some phrases, have uniformly adhered to this rule when the leading Noun was in the Genitive; as, do mhacaibh Bharsillai a' Ghileadaich, 1 Kings ii. 7; righ-chathair Dhaibhi athar, 1 Kings ii. 12; do thaobh Bheniamin am brathar, Judg. xxi. 6; ag gabhail nan clar chloiche, eadhon chlar a' cho-cheangail, Deut. ix. 9. The rule seems to have been disregarded when the leading Noun was in the Dative. See 1 Kings i. 25, Ruth iv. 5, Acts xiii. 33. {154}