Elements of Gaelic Grammar Part 13

The _Voices_ are two: Active and Pa.s.sive.

The _Moods_ are five: the Affirmative or Indicative, the Negative or Interrogative, the Subjunctive, the Imperative, and the Infinitive. Many, but not all, Transitive Verbs have a Pa.s.sive Participle.

The _Tenses_ are three: the Present, the Preterite, and the Future.

The _Numbers_ are two: Singular and Plural.

The _Persons_ are three: First, Second, and Third. The {66} distinction of number and person takes place only in a few tenses.

The inflections of Verbs, like those of nouns, are made by changes at the beginning, and on the termination.

The changes on the termination are made according to one model, and by the same rules. But for the sake of stating some diversity in the _initial_ changes, it may be convenient to arrange the verbs in two _conjugations_, whereof the first comprehends those verbs which begin with a consonant, the second, those verbs which begin with a vowel. Verbs beginning with _f_, followed by a vowel, are ranged under the second conjugation, along with verbs beginning with a vowel.

The verb Bi _be_, which is used as an auxiliary to other verbs, is declined as follows:--

Bi, _be_.

_Affirmative_ or _Indicative Mood_.

Present. Preterite. Future.

_Sing._ _Sing._ _Sing._ 1. Ta mi, _I am_, Bha mi, _I was_, Bithidh mi, _I will be_, 2. Ta thu, Bha thu, Bithidh tu, 3. Ta e; Bha e; Bithidh se;

_Plur._ _Plur._ _Plur._ 1. Ta sinn, Bha sinn, Bithidh sinn, 2. Ta sibh, Bha sibh, Bithidh sibh, 3. Ta iad. Bha iad. Bithidh siad.

_Negative_ or _Interrogative Mood_.

Present. Preterite.

_Sing._ _Sing._ { 1 Bheil mi, _I am not,_ Robh mi, _I was not,_ ni { 2 Bheil thu, Robh thu, cha { 3 Bheil e; Robh e; nach { mur, { _Plur._ _Plur._ &c. { 1 Bheil sinn, Robh sinn, { 2 Bheil sibh, Robh sibh, { 3 Bheil iad. Robh iad.

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Future.

_Sing._ { Bi mi, _I shall not be_, ni { Bi thu, cha { Bi se; nach { mur, { _Plur._ &c. { Bi sinn, { Bi sibh, { Bi siad.

_Subjunctive Mood._

Preterite or Imperfect. Future.

_Sing._ _Sing._ 1 Bhithinn, _I would be_, Ma bhitheas mi, _If I shall be_, 2 Bhitheadh tu, Bhitheas tu, 3 Bhitheadh e; Bhitheas e;

_Plur._ _Plur._ 1 Bhitheadheamaid, Bhitheas sinn, Bhitheadh sinn, 2 Bhitheadh sibh, Bhitheas sibh, 3 Bhitheadh iad. Bhitheas iad.

_Imperative Mood._ _Infinitive Mood._ _Sing._ 1 Bitheam, _let me be_, Bith, _being_, 2 Bi, bi thusa, do bhith, } _to be_, 3 Bitheadh e; a bhith, } gu bhith, } _to be_, _Plur._ gu bith, } 1 Bitheamaid, iar bhith,} _after being_, _been_, 2 Bithibh, iar bith, } 3 Bitheadh iad. o bhith, _from being_, &c.

_Compound Tenses._

Present. Preterite. Future.

_Affirmative Mood._

_Sing._ _Sing._ _Sing._ Ta mi iar bith, Bha mi iar bith, Bithidh mi iar bith, _I have been_, &c. _I had been_, &c. _I shall have been_, &c.

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_Negative Mood._

_Sing._ _Sing._ _Sing._ ni, {Bheil mi iar bith, Robh mi iar bith, Bi mi air bith, &c. {_I have not been._ _I had not been._ _I shall not have been._

_Subjunctive Mood._

Preterite or Pluperfect. Future.

_Sing._ _Sing._ 1 Bhithinn iar bith, Ma bhitheas mi iar bith, _I should have been, &c._ _If I shall have been, &c._

The present affirmative ta is often written tha. This is one of many instances where there appears reason to complain of the propensity remarked in Part I. in those who speak the Gaelic, to attenuate its articulations by aspiration. Another corrupt way of writing ta which has become common, is ata. This has probably taken its rise from uniting the relative to the verb; as, an uair _ata_ mi; instead of an uair _a ta_, &c., mar _a ta_, &c.

Or perhaps it may have proceeded from a too compliant regard to a provincial p.r.o.nunciation.

The pret. neg. robh appears to be made up of the verbal participle ro, the same with do, and bha, throwing away the last vowel; ro bha, robh.

The verb and p.r.o.noun of the 1st per. sing. and 3d per. plur. are frequently incorporated into one word, and written taim _I am_, taid _they are_.

The pres. neg. loses the initial _bh_ after the participle cha _not_, mur _if not_, nach _that not_; _n_ is inserted, _euphoniae causa_, betwixt the participle cha and the verb; as, cha n 'eil, mur 'eil, nach 'eil. This Tense is often p.r.o.nounced beil after the participle am; as, am beil e? _is it?_

In the North Highlands, the pret. neg. often takes the common verbal participle do before it; as, cha do robh mi, or cha d'robh mi, _I was not_.

Initial _b_ of the fut. neg. is aspirated after the participle cha _not_; as, cha bhi.

Initial _bh_ of the pret. subj. loses the aspiration after the {69} participles ni _not_, mur _if not_, nach _that not_, gu _that_, nam _if_; as, mur bithinn, nam bitheadh tu.

The subjunct. and imper. often suffer a contraction, by changing _ithea_ into _io_; as, biodh, biom, bios, &c.

Some of the compound tenses of Bi are rarely if ever used. They are here given complete, because they correspond to the a.n.a.logy of other verbs; and show how accurately the various modifications of time may be expressed by the substantive verb itself.

Example of a verb of the First Conjugation. Buail _to strike_.

ACTIVE VOICE.

Simple Tenses.

_Affirmative_ or _Indicative Moods_.

Preterite. Future.

_Sing._ _Sing._ 1 Do bhuail mi, _I struck_, Buailidh mi, _I will strike_, Bhuail mi, 2 Bhuail thu, Buailidh tu, 3 Bhuail e; Buailidh se;

_Plur._ _Plur._ 1 Bhuail sinn, Buailidh sinn, 2 Bhuail sibh, Buailidh sibh, 3 Bhuail iad. Buailidh siad.

_Negative_ or _Interrogative Mood._

Preterite. Future.

_Sing._ _Sing._ { 1 Do bhuail mi, _I struck not_ Buail mi, _I will not strike_, ni { 2 Do bhuail thu, Buail thu, cha { 3 Do bhuail e; Buail e; nach { mur, { _Plur._ _Plur._ &c. { 1 Do bhuail sinn, Buail sinn, { 2 Do bhuail sibh, Buail sibh, { 3 Do bhuail iad. Buail iad.

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