The Elements of Gaelic Grammar, Based on the Work of Alexander Stewart - Tapa blanda

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1896 edition. Excerpt: ...o nach tig thu since you will not come. These always introduce a subordinate clause. II.--1. Na is only applied to, and with, the Imperative, to form an Imperative prohibition; as na buail mi strike me not. It usually takes h-before Vowels; as, na h-ol sin drink not that, na h-abair sin say not tliat=do not say so. This however is not very essential; there is not much excuse for it in speaking except perhaps when an open a follows, and there is less excuse for it in writing. 2. Cha it will be observed aspirates initial Labials and Gutturals, but not Dentals. Cha simply negatives the signification of the Verb; (do) bhuail mi I struck, cha do bhuail mi / did not strike. It becomes cha'n before initial Vowels or f-pure; as, cha bhuail mi / will not strike, cha'n ol mi / shall not drink, cha'n fhosgail mi / shall not open. The fact that it does not aspirate Dentals (cha duin mi / shall not shut, cha seinn mi I will not sing) is interesting and important; for it shows the abiding influence of a lost Dental n--the n, doubtless, which reasserts itself before initial Vowels--and it shows further that it is wrong to separate the n of chan as is usually done in writing. Some write it cha'n, some cha-n and others cha n-, all of which shows uncertainty, is troublesome, inelegant and wrong. Mur, nach, and gu'n do not aspirate the following initial consonant. 3. Mur is said to take h-before Vowels, and in order to conform to this it becomes mura; as, mura h-ol mi if I shall not drink. But this again is manifestly not an important matter. Mur ol mi is quite easily spoken and is better in every way, even if the other were not so unreasonable as it seems to be. For, if h-is necessary with mur then is the change to mura not necessary, and not right; and if...