Elements of Gaelic Grammar Part 35

Sgolt _a crack_, crion _shrunk, decayed_--crionsgolt _a fissure in wood caused by drought or decay_.

Criochan _bounds, regions_, garbh _rough_--garbhchriochan _rude mountainous regions_. {170}

_Adjectives Compounded with an Adjective._

Donn _brown_, dubh _black_--dubh-dhonn _dark-brown_.

Gorm _blue_, dubh _black_--dubh-ghorm _dark-blue_.

Briathrach (not in use) from briathar _a word_, deas _ready_--deas-bhriathrach _of ready speech, eloquent_.

Seallach (not in use) from sealladh _sight_, geur _sharp_--geur-sheallach _sharp-sighted_.

_Verbs Compounded with an Adjective._

Ruith _to run_, dian _keen, eager_--dian-ruith _to run eagerly_.

Lean _to follow_, geur _sharp, severe_--geur-lean _to persecute_.

Buail _to strike_, trom _heavy_--trom-buail _to smite sore, discomfit_.

Ceangail _to bind_, dluth _closer_--dluth-cheangail _to bind fast_.

III. WORDS COMPOUNDED WITH A VERB PREFIXED.

Art _a stone_, tarruing _to draw_--tarruing-art _load-stone_.

Suil _the eye_, meall _to beguile_--meall-shuil _a leering eye_.

IV. WORDS COMPOUNDED WITH A PREPOSITION.

Radh _a saying_, roimh _before_--roimh-radh _preface, prologue_.

Solus _light_, eadar _between_--eadar-sholus _twilight_.

Mnich _to explain_, eadar-mhnich _to interpret_.

Gearr _to cut_, timchioll _about_--timchioll-ghearr _circ.u.mcise_.

Lot _to wound_, troimh _through_--troimh-lot _to stab, pierce through_.

Examples of words compounded with an inseparable Preposition are already given in Part II. Chap. VII.

Compound Nouns retain the gender of the princ.i.p.al Nouns in their simple state. Thus crith-ghalar _palsy_, is masculine, because the princ.i.p.al Noun, Galar _distemper_, is masculine, although the accessary Noun crith, by which galar is qualified, be feminine. So cs-mhaor is masculine though cs be a feminine Noun, Luke xviii. 11; cs-mheasadh ought also to be masculine, Acts v. 37. Except Nouns compounded with {171} Bean _woman_, which are all feminine, though the simple princ.i.p.al Noun be masculine, because the compound word denotes an object of the female s.e.x; as, oglach _a servant_, masculine, but banoglach _a maid-servant_, feminine, caraid _a friend_, masculine, bancharaid _a female friend_, feminine.

Compound words are declined in the same manner as if they were uncompounded.

In writing compound words, the component parts are sometimes separated by a hyphen, and sometimes not. The use of the hyphen does not seem to be regulated by any uniform practice. In the case of two vowels coming in apposition, the insertion of a hyphen seems indispensable; because, by the a.n.a.logy of Gaelic orthography, two Vowels, belonging to different syllables, are scarcely ever placed next to each other without some mark of separation[118]. Thus so-aomaidh, _easily induced_, _propense_; so-iomchair, _easily carried_; do-innsidh, _difficult to be told_; and not soamaidh, doinnsidh, &c., without the hyphen.

It was formerly remarked, Part I., that almost all Gaelic Polysyllables are accented on the first syllable. When, in p.r.o.nouncing compound words, the accent is placed on the first syllable, the two terms appear to be completely incorporated into one word. When, on the other hand, the accent is placed, not on the first syllable of the Compound, but on the first syllable of the Subjunctive term, the two terms seem to retain their respective powers, and to produce their effect separately, and instead of being incorporated into one word, to be rather collaterally connected. A rule may then be derived from the p.r.o.nunciation for the use of the hyphen in writing Compounds, viz., to insert the hyphen between the component parts, when the Prepositive term is not accented. Thus it is proposed to write aineolach _ignorant_, antromaich _to exaggerate_, comhradh _conversation_, dobheart _a bad action_, {172} soisgeul _Gospel_, banoglach _a maidservant_, &c., without a hyphen; but to write an-fhiosrach _unacquainted_, ban-fhiosaiche _a female fortune-teller_, co-fhreagarach _corresponding_, so-fhaicsin _easily seen_, &c., with a hyphen[119]. By this rule, a correspondence is maintained, not only between the writing and the p.r.o.nunciation, but likewise between the written language and the ideas expressed by it. A complex idea, whose parts are most closely united in the mind, is thus denoted by one undivided word; whereas an idea composed of parts more loosely connected, is expressed by a word, whereof the component parts are distinguished, and exhibited separately to the eye. Thus also the Gaelic scholar would have one uniform direction to follow in reading, viz., to place the accent always on the first syllable of an undivided word, or member of a word. If any exception be allowed, it must be only in the case already stated of two vowels coming in apposition, as beo-airgiod _quicksilver_.

Let it be observed that, according to this rule, an Adjective preceding a Noun can never, but in the case just mentioned, be connected with it by a hyphen. For if the accent be wholly transferred from the Noun to the Adjective, then they are to be written as one undivided word; as, garbhchriochan _highlands_; but if the accent be not so transferred, the Adjective and the Noun are to be written as two separate words; as, seann duine _an old man_, deagh chomhairle _good advice_, droch sgeul _a bad tale_.

It not unfrequently happens that two Nouns, whereof the one qualifies the meaning of the other, and connected by the common grammatical relation of the one governing the other in the Genitive, come through use to be considered as denoting only one complex object. The two Nouns in this case are sometimes written together in one word, and thus form a Compound of a looser structure than those which have been considered. Such are ceann-cinnidh, _the head of a tribe or {173} clan_; ceann-tighe, _the head of a family_; ceann-feadhna, _the leader of an army_; fear-turnis, _a traveller_; luchd-faire, _watchmen_; iobairt-pheacaidh, _a sin-offering_; urlar-bualaidh, _a thres.h.i.+ng-floor_; fear-bainse, _a bridegroom_; crith-thalmhain, _an earth-quake_; crios-guailne, _a shoulder-belt_, &c. In writing Compound Nouns of this description, the two Nouns are never written in one undivided word, but always separated by a hyphen. It comes to be a question, however, in many instances of one Noun governing another in the Genitive, whether such an expression is to be considered as a compound term, and the words to be connected by a hyphen in writing, or whether they are to be written separately, without any such mark of composition. An observation that was made in treating of the Government of Nouns may help us to an answer, and furnish an easy rule in the case in question. It was remarked that when one Noun governed another in the Genitive, the Article was never joined to both; that for the most part, it was joined to the Noun governed, but sometimes to the Noun governing, that in the latter case, the two Nouns seemed to figure as one compound term, denoting one complex idea.

If this last remark hold true, it may be laid down as a rule that in every instance of a Noun governing another in the Genitive, where the Article is or may be prefixed to the _governing Noun_, there the two Nouns ought to be connected by a hyphen in writing; otherwise not. Thus we can say, without impropriety, an ceann-feadhna, _the commander_; an luchd-coimhid, _the keepers_; and the Nouns are accordingly considered as Compounds, and written with a hyphen. But it would be contrary to the usage of the language to say, am mullach craige, _the top of a rock_; an t-uachdar talmhain, _the surface of the ground_. Accordingly it would be improper to write a hyphen between the Nouns in these and similar examples.

The different effects of these two modes of writing, with or without the hyphen, is very observable in such instances as the following:--Ainm duthcha, _the name of a country_, as Scotland, Argyle, &c.; ainm-duthcha, _a country name_, or {174} _patronymic_, as Scotsman, Highlander, &c.; clann Donuill, _Donald's children_; clann-Donuill, _the Macdonalds_.

Though few have exerted themselves. .h.i.therto in explaining the structure of the Gaelic language, in respect of its inflections, construction, and collocation, this cannot be said to be the case with regard to Etymology.

Much has been attempted, and something has been done, toward a.n.a.lysing single vocables, particularly names of places. But this a.n.a.lysis seems to have been too often made rather in a way of random conjecture than by a judicious regard to the a.n.a.logy of Derivation and Composition. The pa.s.sion for a.n.a.lysing has even induced some to a.s.sert that all true Gaelic Primitives consist of but one syllable, that all Polysyllables are either derived or compounded, and therefore that there is room to search for their etymon. This seems to be carrying theory too far. It appears a fruitless and rather chimerical attempt to propose a system of directions by which all Polysyllables whatever may be resolved into component parts, and traced to a root of one syllable. All I have thought it necessary to do is to methodize and exemplify those general princ.i.p.als of Etymology which are obvious and unquestioned, and which regulate the composition and derivation of those cla.s.ses of words whereof the a.n.a.lysis may be traced with some probability of success.

{175}

EXERCISES IN READING, EXPLAINING, AND a.n.a.lYZING.

_From an Address to the Soldiers of a Highland Regiment_, by D. SMITH, M.D.

Theid an deadh shaighdear gu h-aobhach suilbhear an dail gach tuiteamais a thig 'n a chrannchur. Ach 's e a's ns do 'n droch shaighdear a bhi gearan 's a' talach air gach laimh; beadaidh ri lnn socair, is diombach ann eiric caoimhneis; lag-chridheach ri h-am cruachais, agus dblidh ri h-uchd feuma.

_In English._

The good soldier will advance, with spirit and cheerfulness, to any service that falls in his way. But it is the practice of the bad soldier to be complaining and grumbling on all occasions; saucy in time of ease, and peevish in return for kindness; faint-hearted under hards.h.i.+ps, and feeble in encountering exigency.

_a.n.a.lysis._

_Theid._ 3. per. sing. Fut. Affirm, of the irregular Verb _Rach_, go.

_An._ Nom. sing. of the Article _an_, the.

_Deadh._ An indeclinable Adjective, always placed before its Noun.

_Shaighdear._ Nom. sing. of the mas. noun _saighdear_, a soldier, in the aspirated form, because preceded by the Adj. _deadh_. Gram. p. 145. {176}

_Gu._ A proper Preposition, to, for.

_Aobhach._ An Adject. of the first Declension, joyous, having an _h_ before it, because preceded by the Prep. _gu_. Gram. p. 161. _Gu h-aobhach_, joyfully, cheerfully, an adverbial phrase. Gram. p. 109.

_Suilbhear._ An Adject. cheerful. _Gu_ is to be supplied from the former phrase; _gu suilbhear_, cheerfully, an adverbial phrase.

_An dail._ An improper Preposition, to meet, to face, to encounter; made up of the proper Prep. _ann_, in, and the Noun _dail_, meeting. Gram. p. 121.