Chapter 17

OF GOVERNMENT.

Under this head is to be explained the Government of Nouns, of Adjectives, of Verbs, of Prepositions, and of Conjunctions.

SECTION I.

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF NOUNS.

One Noun governs another in the Genitive. The Noun governed is always placed after that which governs it; as, ceann tighe, _the head of a house or family_; solus na gr['e]ine, _light of the sun_; bainne ghabhar _milk of goats_.

The Infinitives of Transitive Verbs, being themselves Nouns, (See Part II. Chap. V. p. 86.) govern in like manner the Genitive of their object; as, ag cur s[`i]l, _sowing seed_; a dh' fhaicinn an t-sluaigh, _to see the people_; iar leughadh an t-soisgeil, _after reading the gospel_[105].

Although no good reason appears why this rule, which is common to the Gaelic with many other languages, should ever be set aside, yet it has been set aside in speaking, and sometimes in writing Gaelic.

1. When the Noun governed does in its turn govern another Noun in the Genitive, the former is often put in the Nominative instead of the Genitive case. The following instances of this anomaly occur in the Gaelic Scriptures:--Guth briathran an t-sluaigh, instead of, bhriathran, _the voice of the words of the people_, Deut. v. 28; do mheas craobhan a' gharaidh, instead of, chraobhan, _of the fruit of the trees of the garden_, {155} Gen. iii. 2; ag itheadh tighean bhantrach, for thighean, _devouring widows' houses_, Matt. xxiii. 14; ag nochdadh obair an lagha, for oibre, _showing the work of the law_, Rom. ii. 15; ag cuimhneachadh gun sgur obair bhur creidimh, agus saothair bhur graidh, for oibre, saoithreach, _remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love_, 1 Thess. i. 3; trid fuil is fearta Chriost, _through the blood and merits of Christ_, Gael. Paraph. 1787, p. 381, for trid fola Chriost, as in Eph. ii. 13; ag [`a]iteach sliabh Shioin, for sleibh, _inhabiting the hill of Zion_, Psal. ix. 11. metr; air son obair Chriosd, Phil. ii. 30, 1767, according to the usage of the language, but changed to oibre, in Edit. 1796, to suit the Grammatical Rule[106]. For the most part, however, the general rule, even in these circumstances, is followed; as, guth fola do bhrathar, _the voice of thy brother's blood_, Gen. iv. 10; amhainn duthcha cloinne a shluaigh _the river of the land of the children of his people_, Numb. xxii. 5; a' nigheadh chos sheirbhiseach mo thighearna, _to wash the feet of the servants of my lord_, 1 Sam. xxv. 41.

2. Such expressions as the following seem to be exceptions to the rule:--Dithis mac, 2 Sam. xv. 27, 36; ceathrar mac, 1 Chron. xxi. 20; leanabaibh mac, Matt. ii. 16. In the following similar instances, the rule is observed:--Dithis mhac, Gen. xli. 50; dithis fhear, 2 Sam. xii. 1; ceathrar fhear, Acts xxi. 23; ceathrar mhaighdiona, Acts xxi. 9.

The same anomaly takes place in the regimen of the infinitive, as in that of other Nouns. Though an Infinitive be in that grammatical relation to a preceding Noun which would require its being put in the Genitive, yet when itself also governs another noun in the Genitive, it often retains the form of the Nominative. The Infinitives naomhachadh, gnathachadh, briseadh, admit of a regular Genitive, naomhachaidh, gnathachaidh, brisidh. In the following examples, {156} these Infinitives, because they govern a subsequent Noun in the Genitive, are themselves in the Nominative, though their relation to the preceding word naturally requires their being put in the Genitive Case. Tha an treas [`a]ithne a' toirmeasg mi-naomhach_adh_ no mi-ghnathach_adh_ ni sam bith, &c., _the third commandment forbids the profaning or the abusing of any thing_, &c. Assem. Cat. Gael. Edin. 1792, Answer to Q. 55. Ged fheud luchdbris_eadh_ na h-aithne so dol as, &c., id. Q. 56., _though the transgressors of this commandment may escape_, &c. Cuis crath_adh_ cinn is cas_adh_ b['e]il, Psal. xxii. 7, as it is in the older edition of the Gaelic Psalms. An deigh leugh_adh_ an lagha, _after the reading of the Law_, Acts. xiii. 15; luchd cum_adh_ uilc, Rom. i. 30[107].

The Infinitive is not put in the Genitive, when preceded {157} by a Possessive Pronoun, because it is in the same limited state as if it governed a Noun in the Genitive Case; as, a chum am marbh_a_dh 's na beanntaibh, _to kill them in the mountains_, Exod. xxxii., not marbh_ai_dh, which is the Case regularly governed by chum. Co tha 'g iarraidh do mharbh_a_dh? John vii. 20, not do mharbh_ai_dh. Thug iad leo e chum a cheus_adh_. Matt. xxvii. 31. Chum an cruinneach_adh_ gu cath. Rev. xx. 8[108].

This coincidence in the Regimen of the Infinitive in two similar situations, viz., when limited by a Possessive Pronoun, and when limited by a subsequent Noun, furnishes no slight argument in support of the construction defended above, of putting the Infin. in the Nom. case when itself governs a Noun in the Genitive; for we find the Infin. is invariably put in the Nom. when limited in its signification by a Possess. Pronoun.

When one Noun governs another in the Genitive, the Article is never joined to both, even though each be limited in its signification, as, mac an righ, _the son of the king_, not am mac an righ; taobh deas a' bhaile, _the south side of the town_, not an taobh deas a' bhaile[109]. For the most part, the Article is thus joined to the latter Noun. Sometimes it is joined to the former Noun; as, an ceann tighe, _the head of the family_; an ceann iuil, _the pilot_; but in such instances the two Nouns figure as one complex term, like _paterfamilias_, rather than as two terms. The following examples, in which the Article is joined to both Nouns, seem to be totally repugnant to the Gaelic idiom: cuimhneachadh _nan_ c[`u]ig aran _nan_ c[`u]ig m[`i]le, Matt. xvi. 9; _nan_ seachd aran _nan_ ceithir m[`i]le, Matt. xvi. 10[110].

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A Possessive Pronoun joined to the Noun governed excludes, in like manner, the Article from the Noun governing; as, barr-iall a bhr[`o]ige, _the latchet of his shoe_, not am barr-iall a bhr[`o]ige; obair bhur lamh, _the work of your hands_, not an obair bhur lamh.

The Noun governed is sometimes in the Primary, sometimes in the Aspirated Form.

Proper Names of the Masculine Gender are in the Aspirated Form; as, br[`a]thair Dhonuill, _Donald's brother_; uaigh Choluim, _Columba's grave_. Except when a final and an initial Lingual meet; as, clann Donuill, _Donald's descendants_; beinn Deirg _Dargo's hill_.

When both Nouns are Appellatives, and no word intervenes between them, the initial Form of the latter Noun follows, for the most part, that of an Adjective agreeing with the former Noun. See p. 144.

Thus, d' a gh[`a]radh _f_iona, g' a gh[`a]radh _f_iona, without the Article, Matt, xx. 1, 2, like do dhuine _m_aith; but do 'n gh[`a]radh _fh_iona, with the Article _v._ 4, 7, like do 'n duine _mh_aith. So we should say do 'n ard fhear-_ch_iuil, rather than do 'n ard fhear-_c_iuil, as in the title of many of the Psalms.

EXCEPT.--If the latter Noun denote an individual of a species, that is, if it take the Article _a_ before it in English, it is put in the _primary form_, although the former Noun be feminine; as, s[`u]il caraid, _the eye of a friend_, not s[`u]il _ch_araid, like s[`u]il _mh_or, duais _f_[`a]idh, _a prophet's reward_, Matt. x. 4, not duais _fh_[`a]idh, like duais _mh_[`o]r. Chum maitheanais _p_eacaidh, Acts, ii. 38, signifies _for the remission of a sin_; rather chum maitheanais _ph_eacaidh _for the remission of sin_.

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SECTION II.

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ADJECTIVES.

Adjectives of fulness govern the Genitive; as, l[`a]n uamhainn _full of dread_, Acts, ix. 6, buidheach beidh, _satisfied with meat_.

The first Comparative takes the Particle na _than_, before the following Noun; as, ni 's gile na an sneachdadh, _whiter than the snow_, b' fhaide gach mios na bliadhna, _each month seemed longer than a year_. Smith's "Ant. Poems," p. 9.

The second Comparative is construed thus: is feairrd mi so, _I am the better for this_; bu mhisd e am buille sin, _he was the worse for that blow_; cha truimid a' choluinn a ciall, _the body is not the heavier for its understanding_.

Superlatives are followed by the Preposition de or dhe _of_; as, am fear a 's [`a]irde dhe 'n triuir, _the man who is tallest of the three_, _the tallest man of the three_.

SECTION III.

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF VERBS.

A Transitive Verb governs its object in the Nominative or Objective Case; as, mharbh iad an righ, _they killed the king_; na buail mi, _do not strike me_. The object is commonly placed after the Verb, but never between the Verb and its Nominative. [See Part III. Chap. I., Sect. IV.] Sometimes the object is placed, by way of emphasis, before the Verb; as, mise chuir e r[`i]s ann am [`a]ite, agus esan chroch e, _me he put again in my place, and him he hanged_, Gen. xli. 13. An t-each agus a mharcach thilg e 's an fhairge, _the horse and his rider hath he cast into the sea_, Exod. xv. 1.

Many Transitive Verbs require a Preposition before their object; as, iarr air Donull, _desire Donald_; labhair ri Donull, _speak to Donald_; leig le Donull, _let Donald alone_; beannuich do Dhonull, _salute Donald_; fiosraich de Dhonull, _enquire of Donald_. {160}

Bu _was_, requires the following initial Consonant to be aspirated; as, bu mhaith dhuit, _it was good for you_; bu chruaidh an gnothuch, _it was a hard case_; except initial _d_, and _t_ which are not aspirated; as, bu dual duit, _it was natural for you_; bu trom an eallach, _the burden was heavy_; bu ghearr a lo, 's bu dubh a sgeul, _short was her course, and sad was her story_. Smith's "Ant. Poems."

SECTION IV.

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ADVERBS.

The collocation of Adverbs is for the most part arbitrary.

The Adverbs ro, gle, _very_, are placed before the Adjectives they modify, and require the following initial Consonant to be aspirated; as, ro bheag, _very little_; gle gheal, _very white_.

The Negative cha or cho _not_, when followed by a word beginning with a Labial or Palatal, requires the initial Consonant to be aspirated; as, cha mh[`o]r e, _it is not great_; cha bhuail mi, _I will not strike_; cha chuala mi, _I did not hear_; but an initial Lingual remains unaspirated; as, cha dean mi, _I will not do_; cha tog e, _he will not raise_; cha soirbhich iad, _they will not prosper_. _N_ is inserted between cha and an initial Vowel or an aspirated _f_; as, cha n-e, _it is not_; cha n-['e]igin, _it is not necessary_; cha n-fhaca mi, _I saw not_.

The Negative ni requires _h_ before an initial Vowel; as, ni h-iad, _they are not_; ni h-eudar, _it may not_.

SECTION V.

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF PREPOSITIONS.

The Proper Prepositions aig, air, &c., govern the Dative; as, aig mo chois, _at my foot_; air mo laimh, _on my hand_. They are always placed before the word they govern. The following Prepositions require the Noun governed to be put in the Aspirated Form, viz., de, do, fuidh, fo, fa, gun, mar, mu, o, tre. Air sometimes governs the Noun in the Aspirated Form; as, air bharraibh sgiath na gaoithe, _on the extremities of the {161} wings of the wind_, Psal. xviii. 10. Gun governs either the Nominative or Dative; as, gun chrioch, _without end_, Heb. vii. 16; gun ch['e]ill, _without understanding_, Psal. xxxii. 9; gun chloinn, Gen. xv. 2. Mar, and gus or gu, when prefixed to a Noun without the Article, usually govern the Dative case; as, mar nighin, _as a daughter_, 2 Sam. xii. 13; mar amhainn mh[`o]ir, _like a great river_, Psal. cv. 41; gu cr[`i]ch mo shaoghail fein, _to the end of my life-time_, Psal. cxix. 33, xlviii. 10. But if the Article be joined to the Noun, it is governed in the Nominative; as, mar a' ghrian, _like the sun_, Psal. lxxxix. 36, 37; gus an sruth, _to the stream_, Deut. iii. 16; gus a' chrioch, _to the end_, Heb. iii. 6, 14. Eadar governs the Nom.; as, eadar a' chraobh agus a' chlach, _between the tree and the stone_. Eadar, when signifying _between_, requires the Primary Form; as, eadar maighstir agus muinntireach, _between a master and a servant_; when it signifies _both_, it requires the Aspirated Form; as, eadar shean agus [`o]g, _both old and young_; eadar fheara agus mhnai, _both men and women_, Acts viii. 12.

The Prepositions as, gus, leis, ris, are used before the Monosyllables an, am, a'. The corresponding Prepositions a, gu, le, ri, often take an _h_ before an initial Vowel; as, a h-Eirin, _out of Ireland_; gu h-ealamh, _readily_; le h-eagal, _with fear_.

The Improper Prepositions govern the following Noun in the Genitive; as, air feadh na t[`i]re, _throughout the land_; an aghaidh an t-sluaigh, _against the people_; r['e] na h-[`u]ine, _during the time_. It is manifest that this Genitive is governed by the Noun feadh, aghaidh, r['e], &c., which is always included in the Preposition. See Part II. Chap. VII.

Prepositions are often prefixed to a Clause of a sentence; and then they have no regimen; as, gus am bord a ghiulan, _to carry the table_, Exod. xxv. 27; luath chum fuil a dhortadh, _swift to shed blood_, Rom. iii. 15. Edit. 1767; an d['e]igh an obair a chriochnachadh, _after finishing the work_. {162}

SECTION VI.

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CONJUNCTIONS.

The Conjunctions agus _and_, no _or_, couple the same Cases of Nouns; as, air feadh chreagan agus choilltean, _through rocks and woods_; ag reubadh nam bruach 's nan crann, _tearing the banks and the trees_. When two or more Nouns, coupled by a Conjunction, are governed in the Dative by a Preposition, it is usual to repeat the Preposition before each Noun; as, air fad agus air leud, _in length and in breadth_; 'n an cridhe, 'n an cainnt, agus 'n am beus, _in their heart, in their speech, and in their behaviour_.

Co _as_, prefixed to an Adjective, commonly requires the initial consonant of the Adj. to be aspirated; as, co mhaith, _as good_, co ghrinn, _as fine_. But sometimes we find co m[`o]r, _as great_, co buan, _as durable_, &c., without the aspirate. Sometimes the aspirate is transferred from the Adj. to the Conjunct. as, cho beag, _as little_, for co bheag. In the North Highlands, an adjective preceded by co is commonly put in the Comparative form; as, co miosa, _as bad_; co treise, _as strong_.

The Conjunctions mur _if not_, gu, gur _that_, are always joined to the Negative Mood; as, mur 'eil mi, _if I be not_; gu robh e, _that he was_. _M_ or _n_ is often inserted, _euphoniae causa_, between gu and an initial Consonant; viz., _m_ before a Labial, _n_ before a Palatal or Lingual; as, gu-m faca tu, _that you saw_; gu-n dubhairt iad, _that they said_[111].

The Conjunctions ma _if_, o, o'n _because, since_, are joined to the Pres. and Pret. Affirmative, and Fut. Subjunctive; as, ma ta e, _if he be_; o'n tha e, _since he is_; ma bhuail e, _if he struck_; o'n bhuail e, _because he struck_; ma bhuaileas tu, _if you strike_; o bhitheas sinn, _since we shall be_.

Na'm, na'n _if_, is joined only to the Pret. Subjunctive. {163} The initial Consonant of the Verb loses its aspiration after this Conjunction; as, na'm bithinn, _if I were_; nan tuiteadh a' chraobh, _if the tree should fall_.

Ged _although_, is used before the Present and Preterite Affirmative, the Fut. Negative, and the Pret. Subjunctive; as, ged tha e, _though he be_; ged bha mi, _though I was_; ge do bhuail thu mi, _though you struck me_; ged bhuail thu mi, _though you strike me_; ged bheireadh e dhomh, _though he should give me_[112].

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