Page:Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge vols 5+6.djvu/171

This page has been proofread.


No. 11.—Vol. V.] DUBLIN, FEBRUARY 1st, 1895. [Price 6d., post free.
[No. 59 of the New Series.]

TO OUR READERS.

Until further notice, all business communications are to be sent to Gaelic Journal manager, Dollard’s, Wellington-quay, Dublin. All editorial matter to be sent to Mr. John MacNeill, Hazelbrook, Malahide. Postal Orders sent to the manager, as directed above, are to be made payable to Joseph Dollard, at Post Office, Dublin.

EASY LESSONS IN IRISH.

(The First Part is now issued in book form: see advertisements.)

EXERCISE LXXI.

§ 433. A sentence is a saying which conveys some complete meaning; as atá Tomás tinn; ní raiḃ Briġiḋ ag an tobar indiu; fuair an fear bás.

§ 434. Every sentence may be divided into two parts; (1) the thing spoken about, or the subject of the sentence, as Tomás, Brigiḋ, an fear, above; and (2) what is said about the subject, as atá tinn, is sick; ní raiḃ ag an tobar, was not at the well; fuair bás, died.

§ 435 In the sentences above, the words Tomás, Briġid, an fear, are said to be in the nominative case.

§ 436. In the sentences “Hugh burned the boat,” “Art struck the horse,” “the King killed the Druid,” the words “boat,” “horse,” “Druid,” are said to be in the objective case. For further illustration of the meaning of sentence, subject, case, &c., see any English Grammar. The objective case in Irish is commonly called the accusative.

§ 437. In modern Irish, as in English, the nominative and objective cases of words are the same in form.

§ 438. The article an aspirates the first consonant of feminine nouns in the nominative and accusative cases.

An ḃean (van), the woman.
„ ḃó (Wo), the cow.
„ ċaora (CHaer′-ă), the sheep.
„ ċarraig (CHor′-ĕg), the rock.
„ ċaṫaoir (CHoh′-eer), the chair.
„ ḟeoil (yōl), the meat.
„ ṗáirc (fau′-irk), the field.

The student should here look back at what has been said about the effect of aspiration on the sounds of the letters, especially at the beginning of words.

§ 439. Taḃair ḋom an ċaṫaoir. Taḃair an ḟeoil do Nóra. Ní’l an ṗáirc glas anois. Ḃí an capall agus an ḃó ag an tobar. Ní’l an ċarraig ag an dún anois, atá sí briste suas. Cuir an ċaora agus an ḃó in do ṗáirc. Ná fág an ḃean ag an doras.

§ 440. The tall man and the young woman. The woman died; the man did not die. Do not leave the chair at the door. Do not give the hay to the ass. Do not give the meat to me; give bread to me. The meat is scarce. I did not see your cow on the road (ród). He did not see the cow and the calf.

EXERCISE LXXII.

§ 441. Feminine words beginning with d and t are not aspirated by the article in the nominative and accusative.

An diallaid, the saddle.
An tír, the country, land.