Elements of Gaelic Grammar Part 11

_Dative._--_General rule._ Uasal _n.o.ble_, d. s. m. uasal f. uasail; bodhar _deaf_, d. s. m. bodhar, f. bhuidhir.

_Particular rule._ 1. Trom _heavy_, d. s. m. trom, f. thruim.

_Vocative._ Beag _small_, v. s. m. bhig, f. bheag.

_Plural._

In Monosyllables the plural, through all its cases, is formed by adding _a_ to the nom. sing.; in Polysyllables, it is like the nom. sing.; as, crom _crooked_, pl. croma; tuirseach _melancholy_, pl. tuirseach.

A few Dissyllables form their Plural like Monosyllables, and suffer a contraction; as, reamhar _fat_, pl. reamhra, contracted for reamhara. Gen.

xli. 20.

_Adjectives of the Second Declension._

All the Cases of Adjectives of the Second Declension are formed according to the general rules for nouns of the second declension; that is, Monosyllables add _e_ for the gen. sing. fem. and for the plural cases; Polysyllables are like the nom. sing. throughout.

In the Second Declension, as in the First, Dissyllables sometimes suffer a contraction in the plural; as, milis _sweet_, pl. milse contracted for milise. {58}

_Of the Initial Form of Adjectives._

Adjectives admit the _aspirated form_ through all the Numbers and Cases. In Adjectives beginning with a l.a.b.i.al or a Palatal, the aspirated form alone is used in the gen. and voc. sing. masc. the nom. dat. and voc. sing.

feminine.

_Comparison of Adjectives._

There are in Gaelic two forms of Comparison, which may be called the _First_ and the _Second Comparative_.

The _First Comparative_ is formed from the gen. sing. mas. by adding _e_; as, geal _white_, g. s. m. gil, comp. gile, ghile; ciontach _guilty_, g. s.

m. ciontaich, comp. ciontaiche. Some Adjectives suffer a contraction in the Comparative; as, bodhar _deaf_, comp. buidhre for buidhire; boidheach _pretty_, comp. boidhche for boidhiche.

If the last letter of the gen. be _a_, it is changed into _e_, and _i_ inserted before the last consonant; as, fada _long_, g. s. m. fada, comp.

faide; tana _thin_, g. s. m. tana, comp. taine.

_The Second Comparative_ is formed from the first, by changing final _e_ into _id_; as, trom _heavy_, 1. comp. truime, 2. comp. truimid; tiugh _thick_, 1. comp. tiuighe, 2. comp. tiuighid. Many Adjectives, especially Polysyllables, do not admit of the Second Comparative.

Both these forms of Comparison have an _aspirated_ as well as a _primary form_, but are otherwise indeclinable.

The following Adjectives are compared irregularly.

_Positive._ _1. Comp._ _2. Comp._ Math, maith, _good_, fearr, feaird.

Olc, _bad, evil_, miosa, misd.

Mr, _great_, m, mid.

Beag, _small_, lugha, lughaid.

Goirid, gearr, _short_, giorra, giorraid.

Duilich, _difficult_, dorra.

Teath, _hot_, teoithe, teoithid.

Leathan, _broad_, leatha, leithne.

Fogus, _near_, foisge.

{59} Cairdeach, _akin_, cara.

Furas, _easy_, fhusa, Toigh, _dear_, docha.

Ionmhuinn, _beloved_, annsa, ionnsa.

To these may be added the nouns--

Moran _a great number_ or _quant.i.ty_, and Tuilleadh _more_.

The _Superlative_, which is but a particular mode of expressing comparison, is the same in form with the First Comparative.

An eminent degree of any quality is expressed by putting one of the particles ro, gle, before the Positive; as, ro ghlic _very wise_, gle gheal _very white_. The same effect is produced by prefixing fior _true_, sar _exceeding_, &c., which words are, in that case, used adverbially; as, fior mhaiseach _truly beautiful_, sar mhaith _exceedingly good_.

_Cardinal Numbers._

1 Aon, a h-aon, _one_. 40 Da fhichead.

2 Da, a dha 50 Deich is da fhichead.

3 Tri. 60 Tri fichead.

4 Ceithir. 100 Ceud.

5 Cuig. 200 Da cheud.

6 Se, sia. 300 Tri ceud.

7 Seachd. 400 Ceithir cheud.

8 Ochd. 500 Cuig ceud.

9 Naoi. 1,000 Mle.

10 Deich. 2,000 Da mhle.

11 Aon deug. 3,000 Tri mle.

12 A dha dheug. 10,000 Deich mle.

13 Tri deug. 20,000 Fichead mle.

20 Fichead. 100,000 Ceud mle.

21 Aon thar fhichead. 200,000 Da cheud mle.

22 Dha 'ar fhichead. 1,000,000 Deich ceud mle, 23 Tri 'ar fhichead. Mle de mhltibh.

30 Deich 'ar fhichead. &c. &c.

31 Aon deug thar fhichead.

{60}

_Cardinal Numbers joined to a Noun._

Of the mas. gender. Of the fem. gender.

1 Aon fhear, _one man_. Aon chlach, _one stone_.

2 Da fhear. Da chloich.

3 Tri fir. Tri clachan.

10 Deich fir. Deich clachan.

11 Aon fhear deug. Aon chlach dheug.

12 Da fhear dheug. Da chloich dheug.

13 Tri fir dheug. Tri clachan deug.

20 Fichead fear. Fichead clach.

21 Aon fhear thar fhichead. Aon chlach thar fhichead.

22 Da fhear thar fhichead. Da chloich thar fhichead.

23 Tri fir fhichead. Tri clacha fichead.

30 Deich fir fhichead. Deich clacha fichead.