CHAPTER V.
OF VERBS.
A word that signifies to be, to do, or to suffer anything, is called a Verb.
The Verb in Gaelic, as in other languages, is declined by Voices, Moods, Tenses, Numbers, and Persons.
The Voices are two: Active and Passive.
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 Passive 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
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. | Future. | ||
| Sing. | Sing. | Sing. | ||
| ni cha nach mur, &c. |
| 1 Bheil mi, I am not, | Robh mi, I was not, | Bi mi, I shall not be, |
| 2 Bheil thu, | Robh thu, | Bi thu, | ||
| 3 Bheil e; | Robh e; | Bi se; | ||
| Plur. | Plur. | Plur. | ||
| 1 Bheil sinn, | Robh sinn, | Bi sinn, | ||
| 2 Bheil sibh, | Robh sibh, | Bi sibh, | ||
| 3 Bheil iad. | Robh iad. | 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. | Bith, being, | ||
| 1 Bitheam, let me be, | do bhith, |
| to be, |
| 2 Bi, bi thusa, | a bhith, | ||
| 3 Bitheadh e; | 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.
| 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 pronunciation.
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 pronoun 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 pronounced 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
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 analogy 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. | ||
| ni cha nach mur, &c. |
| 1 Do bhuail mi, I struck not | Buail mi, I will not strike, |
| 2 Do bhuail thu, | Buail thu, | ||
| 3 Do bhuail e; | Buail e; | ||
| Plur. | Plur. | ||
| 1 Do bhuail sinn, | Buail sinn, | ||
| 2 Do bhuail sibh, | Buail sibh, | ||
| 3 Do bhuail iad. | Buail iad. |
Subjunctive Mood.
| Preterite. | Future. | ||
| Sing. | Sing. | ||
| 1 Bhuailinn, I would strike, | Ma bhuaileas mi, If I shall strike, | ||
| 2 Bhuaileadh tu, | Bhuaileas tu, | ||
| 3 Bhuaileadh e; | Bhuaileas e; | ||
| Plur. | Plur. | ||
| 1 Bhuaileamaid, | Bhuaileas sinn, | ||
| Bhuaileadh sinn, | |||
| 2 Bhuaileadh sibh, | Bhuaileas sinn, | ||
| 3 Bhuaileadh iad. | Bhuaileas iad. | ||
| Imperative Mood. | Infinitive Mood. | ||
| Sing. | Bualadh, striking, | ||
| 1 Buaileam, let me strike, | ag bualadh, a-striking, striking, | ||
| 2 Buail, | iar bualadh, struck, | ||
| 3 Buaileadh e; | do bhualadh, |
| to strike, |
| Plur. | a bhualadh, | ||
| 1 Buaileamaid, | ri bualadh, at striking, | ||
| 2 Buailibh, | le bualadh, with striking, | ||
| 3 Buaileadh iad. | o bhualadh, from striking, &c. | ||
Compound Tenses.
Affirmative Mood.
Negative Mood
| ni cha nach mur, &c. |
| Present. | Preterite. | Future. |
| 1. Comp. | 1. Comp. | 1. Comp. | ||
| Bheil mi ag bualadh, | Robh mi ag bualadh, | Bi mi ag bualadh, | ||
| I am not striking, &c. | I was not striking, &c. | I will not be striking, &c. | ||
| Present. | Preterite. | Future. | ||
| 2. Comp. | 2. Comp. | 2. Comp. | ||
| Bheil mi iar bualadh, | Robh mi iar bualadh, | Bi mi iar bualadh, | ||
| I have not struck,&c. | I had not struck, &c. | I will not have struck, &c. |
Subjunctive Mood.
PASSIVE VOICE.
Affirmative Mood.
Simple Tenses.
| Preterite. | Future. |
| Sing. | Sing. |
| 1 Do bhuaileadh mi, I was struck. | Buailear mi, I shall be struck. |
| Bhuaileadh mi, | |
| 2 Bhuaileadh thu, | Buailear thu, |
| 3 Bhuaileadh e; | Buailear e; |
| Plur. | Plur. |
| 1 Bhuaileadh sinn, | Buailear sinn, |
| 2 Bhuaileadh sibh, | Buailear sibh, |
| Bhuaileadh iad. | Buailear iad. |
Negative Mood.
| Preterite. | Future. | ||
| Sing. | Sing. | ||
| ni cha nach mur, &c. |
| 1 Do bhuaileadh mi, I was not struck, | Buailear mi, I shall not be struck, |
| 2 Do bhuaileadh thu, | Buailear thu, | ||
| 3 Do bhuaileadh e; | Buailear e; | ||
| Plur. | Plur. | ||
| 1 Do bhuaileadh sinn, | Buailear sinn, | ||
| 2 Do bhuaileadh sibh, | Buailear sibh, | ||
| 3 Do bhuaileadh iad, | Buailear iad. | ||
Subjunctive Mood.
| Preterite. | Future. |
| Sing. | Sing. |
| 1 Bhuailteadh mi, I would be struck, | Ma bhuailear mi, If I shall be struck. |
| 2 Bhuailteadh thu, | Bhuailear thu, |
| 3 Bhuailteadh e; | Bhuailear e; |
| Plur. | Plur. |
| 1 Bhuailteadh sinn, | Bhuailear sinn, |
| 2 Bhuailteadh sibh, | Bhuailear sibh, |
| 3 Bhuailteadh iad. | Bhuailear iad. |
| Imperative Mood. | |
| Sing. | Plur. |
| 1 Buailtear mi, Let me be struck, | 1 Buailtear sinn, |
| 2 Buailtear thu, | 2 Buailtear sibh, |
| 3 Buailtear e. | 3 Buailtear iad. |
| Participle. | |
| Buailte, struck. | |
Compound Tenses
Affirmative Mood.
Negative Mood.
Subjunctive Mood.
| Preterite. | Future. |
| 1. Comp. | 1. Comp. |
| Bhithinn buailte, | Ma bhitheas mi buailte, |
| I would be struck, &c. | If I shall be struck, &c. |
| 2. Comp. | 2. Comp. |
| Bhithinn iar mo bhualadh, | Ma bhitheas mi iar mo bhualadh, |
| I would have been struck, &c. | If I shall have been struck, &c. |
| Imperative Mood. | Infinitive Mood. |
| 1. Comp. | 1. Comp. |
| Bitheam buailte, | Do bhith buailte, |
| Let me be struck, &c. | To be struck, &c. |
| 2. Comp. | 2. Comp. |
| Bitheam iar mo bhualadh, | Do bhith iar mo bhualadh, |
| Let me have been struck, &c. | To have been struck, &c. |
Examples of Verbs of the Second Conjugation.
Orduich, to appoint.
ACTIVE VOICE.
Simple Tenses
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirmat. | Dh'orduich, | Orduichidh, |
| Negat. | D'orduich, | Orduich, |
| Subjunct. | Dh'orduichinn. | Dh'orduicheas. |
| Imperat. Orduicheam. Infinit. Orduchadh. | ||
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||
| Affirmat. | Dh'orduicheadh, | Orduichear, |
| Negat. | D'orduicheadh, | Orduichear, |
| Subjunct. | Dh'orduichteadh. | Dh'orduicheas. |
| Imperat. Orduichear. Particip. Orduichte. | ||
Folaich, to hide.
ACTIVE VOICE.
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirmat. | Dh'fholaich, | Folaichidh, |
| Negat. | D'fholaich, | Folaich, |
| Subjunct. | Dh'fholaichinn. | Dh'fholaicheas. |
| Imperat. Folaicheam. Infinit. Folachadh. | ||
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||
| Affirmat. | Dh'fholaicheadh, | Folaichear, |
| Negat. | D'fholaicheadh, | Folaichear, |
| Subjunct. | Dh'fholaichteadh . | Dh'fholaichear. |
| Imperat. Folaichtear. Particip. Folaichte. | ||
The Compound tenses may be easily learned from those of the Verb Buail in the first Conjugation, being formed exactly in the same manner.
Formation of the Tenses.
Of the Initial Form.
An Initial Consonant is aspirated in the Preterite Tense, through all the Moods and Voices, except in the Preterite Subjunctive after the Particles ni, mur, nach, gu, an, am. An initial Consonant is occasionally aspirated in the Future Tense, and in the Infinitive and Participle, indicating their connection with the preceding word.
In the first Conjugation, do is prefixed to the Pret. Aff. and Neg. Active and Passive. However, it often is, and always may be, omitted before the Pret. Aff. It is sometimes omitted in the Pret. Neg. in verse, and in common conversation. In the second Conjugation, the same Particle do is prefixed to the Preterite through all the Moods and Voices, and to the Fut. Subj. excepting only the Subjunctive Tenses after ni, mur, nach, gu, an, am. In this
Conjugation, do always loses the o to avoid a hiatus, and the d is aspirated in the Affirm. and Subjunct. Moods[[49]].
Of the Termination.
In all regular Verbs, the Terminations adjected to the Root are, strictly speaking, the same in Verbs characterised by a small vowel. But where the first vowel of the Termination does not correspond in quality to the last vowel of the Root, it has become the constant practice to insert in the Termination a vowel of the requisite quality, in order to produce this correspondence. Thus a variety has been introduced into the Terminations even of regular Verbs, prejudicial to the uniformity of inflection, and of no use to ascertain either the sense or the pronunciation[[50]]. In the foregoing examples of regular Verbs, the common mode of Orthography has been followed, but in the following rules the simple Terminations only are specified.
ACTIVE VOICE.
Simple Tenses.
The Theme or Root of the Verb is always found in the second Per. sing. of the imperative.
The Preterite Affirm. and Negat. is like the Root, and has no distinction of Number or Person. In most of the editions of the Gaelic Psalms, some inflections of the
Preterite have been admitted, with good effect, from the Irish Verb; such as, bhuaileas I struck, bhuailis thou didst strike, bhuaileamar we struck, bhuaileadar they struck. The Pret. Subj. is formed by adding to the Root inn for the first pers. sing., and adh for the other persons. The first pers. plur. also terminates in amaid.
The Future Affirm. adds idh to the Root; in the Negat. it is like the Root; and in the Subjunct. it adds as. A poetic Future Tense terminating in ann or onn, is frequent in the Gaelic Psalms; as, gairionn will call, seasfann will stand, do bheirionn, will give, &c. The Future has no distinction of Number or Person. The Termination of the Future Affirm. and Negat. in many Verbs was formerly fidh, like the Irish; of which many examples occur in the earlier editions of the Gaelic Psalms. In later Gaelic publications, the f has been uniformly set aside[[51]]. The Termination of the first pers. and third pers. plur. is often incorporated with the corresponding Pronoun; as, seinnam cliu I will sing praise, Psal. lxi. 8., Ni fuigham bàs, ach mairfam beo, I shall not die, but shall remain alive, Ps. cxviii. 17., Ithfid, geillfid, innsid, they will eat, they will submit, they will tell, Ps. xxii, 26, 29, 31. [[52]].
In the Imperative Mood, the second pers. sing. is the Root of the Verb. The other persons are distinguished by these Terminations; 1st pers. sing. am, 3d pers. sing. adh, 1st pers. plur. amaid, 2d pers. plur. ibh, 3d pers. plur. adh.
The Terminations peculiar to the 1st pers. sing. and plur. of the Pret. Subj. and of the Imperat. supply the place of the Personal Pronouns; as does also the Termination of the 2d pers. plur. of the Imperative.
The Infinitive is variously formed.
General Rule. The Infinitive is formed by adding adh to the Root; as, aom bow, incline, Infin. aomadh; ith eat, Infin. itheadh.
1. Some Verbs suffer a syncope in the penult syllable, and are commonly used in their contracted form; as,
| Imper. | Infin. |
| Caomhain, spare, | Caomhnadh. |
| Coisin, win, | Coisneadh, Cosnadh. |
| Diobair, deprive, | Diobradh. |
| Fògair, remove, | Fògradh. |
| Foghain, suffice, | Foghnadh. |
| Fosgail, open, | Fosgladh. |
| Innis, tell, | Innseadh. |
| Iobair, sacrifice, | Iobradh. |
| Mosgail, awake, | Mosgladh. |
| Seachain, avoid, | Seachnadh. |
| Tionsgain, begin, | Tionsgnadh. |
| Togair, desire, | Togradh. |
Observe that Verbs which thus suffer a syncope in forming
the Infinitive, suffer a like syncope in the Preterite Subjunctive, and in the Imperative Mood; as, innis tell, Infin. innseadh, Pret. Subj. innsinn, innseadh, innseamaid, Imperat. innseam, innseamaid, innsibh.
2. A considerable number of Verbs have their Infinitive like the Root; as,
| Caoidh, lament. | Ol, drink. |
| Dearmad, neglect. | Ruith, run. |
| Fàs, grow. | Snamh, swim. |
| Gairm, call. | Sniomh, twine. |
| Meas, estimate. |
3. Polysyllables in ch, whose characteristic Vowel is small, either throw it away, or convert it into a broad Vowel and add adh; as,
| Ceannaich, buy, | Ceannachadh. |
| Smuainich, think, | Smuaineachadh. |
Most Monosyllables in sg, and a few others, follow the same Rule; as,
| Imper. | Infin. | Imper. | Infin. |
| Coisg, check, | Cosgadh. | Naisg, bind, | Nasgadh. |
| Fàisg, wring, | Fàsgadh. | Paisg, wrap, | Pasgadh. |
| Loisg, burn, | Losgadh. | Blais, taste, | Blasadh. |
| Luaisg, rock, | Luasgadh. | Buail, strike, | Bualadh. |
4. Many Verbs, whose characteristic Vowel is small, either throw it away, or convert it into a broad Vowel, without adding adh; as,
| Imper. | Infin. | Imper. | Infin. |
| Amhairc, look, | Amharc. | Iomain, drive, | Ioman. |
| Amais, reach, | Amas. | Leighis, cure, | Leigheas. |
| Caill, lose, | Call. | Sguir, cease, | Sgur. |
| Ceangail, bind, | Ceangal. | Siubhail, travel, | Siubhal. |
| Cuir, put, | Cur. | Tachrais, wind, | Tachras. |
| Coimhid, keep, | Coimhead. | Tiondaidh, turn, | Tiondadh. |
| Fulaing, suffer, | Fulang. | Toirmisg, forbid, | Toirmeasg. |
| Fuirich, stay, | Fuireach. | Toinail, gather, | Toinal. |
| Guil, weep, | Gul. | Tionsgail, contrive, | Tionsgal. |
5. The following Verbs in air add t to the Root:—
| Imper. | Infin. |
| Agair, claim, | Agairt. |
| Bagair, threaten, | Bagairt. |
| Casgair, slaughter, | Casgairt. |
| Freagair, answer, | Freagairt. |
| Iomair, use, | Iomairt. |
| Labhair, speak, | Labhairt. |
| Lomair, shear, | Lomairt. |
| Saltair, trample, | Saltairt. |
| Tabhair, give, | Tabhairt. |
| Tachair, meet, | Tachairt. |
6. These Monosyllables add sinn to the Root:—
| Beir, bear, | Beirsinn. |
| Creid, believe, | Creidsinn. |
| Faic, see, | Faicsinn. |
| Goir, crow, | Goirsinn. |
| Mair, continue, | Mairsinn. |
| Saoil, think, | Saoilsinn. |
| Tréig, forsake, | Tréigsinn. |
| Tuig, understand, | Tuigsinn, or Tuigeil. |
| Ruig, reach, | Ruigsinn, or Ruigheachd. |
7. These Monosyllables add tuinn or tinn to the Root:—
| Bean, touch, | Beantuinn. |
| Buin, take away, | Buntuinn. |
| Can, say, sing, | Cantuinn. |
| Cinn, grow, | Cinntinn. |
| Cluinn, hear, | Cluinntinn. |
| Fan, stay, | Fantuinn. |
| Gin, produce, | Giontuinn, or Gionmhuin. |
| Lean, follow, | Leantuinn, or Leanmhuin. |
| Meal, enjoy, | Mealtuinn. |
| Pill, return, | Pilltinn. |
| Seall, look, | Sealltuinn. |
8. The following Monosyllables add ail to the Root:—
| Imper. | Infin. | Imper. | Infin. |
| Cum, hold, | Cumail. | Leag, cast down, | Leagail. |
| Gabh, take, | Gabhail. | Tog, raise, | Togail. |
| Fàg, leave, | Fàgail. | Tuig, understand, | Tuigeil. |
9. These Monosyllables add amh to the Root:—
| Imper. | Infin. |
| Caith, spend, | Caitheamh. |
| Dean, do, make, | Deanamh. |
| Feith, wait, | Feitheamh. |
| Seas, stand, | Seasamh. |
10. The following Verbs form the Infinitive irregularly:—
| Beuc, roar, | Beucaich. |
| Bùir, bellow, | Bùirich. |
| Geum, low, | Geumnaich. |
| Glaodh, cry, | Glaodhaich. |
| Caisd, listen, | Caisdeachd. |
| Eisd, hearken, | Eisdeachd. |
| Marcaich, ride, | Marcachd. |
| Thig, come, | Teachd, tighinn. |
| Faigh, find, | Faghail, faotainn. |
| Eirich, rise, | Eirigh. |
| Iarr, request, | Iarraidh. |
| Taisg, lay up, | Tasgaidh. |
| Coidil, sleep, | Codal. |
| Fuaigh, sew, | Fuaghal. |
| Gluais, move, | Gluasad, gluasachd. |
| Tuit, fall, | Tuiteam. |
| Teirig, wear out, | Teireachduinn. |
| Teasairg, deliver, | Teasairgin. |
Compound Tenses.
The compound Tenses of the first order are made up of the several simple Tenses of the auxiliary verb Bi be, and the Infinitive preceded by the Preposition ag at. Between two Consonants, ag commonly loses the g, and is written a'; as,
ta iad a' deanamh they are doing. Between two Vowels, the a is dropped, and the g is retained; as, ta mi 'g iarruidh I am asking. When preceded by a Consonant, and followed by a Vowel, the Preposition is written entire, as, ta iad ag iarruidh they are asking. When preceded by a Vowel, and followed by a Consonant, it is often suppressed altogether; as, ta mi deanamh I am doing[[53]].
The compound Tenses of the second order are made up of the simple Tenses of Bi and the Infinitive preceded by the Preposition iar after[[54]].
PASSIVE VOICE.
Simple Tenses.
The Preterite Affirm. and Negat. is formed from the same Tense in the Active, by adding adh. The Preter. Subj. adds teadh.
The Future is formed from the Fut. Act. by changing the Terminations in the Affirm. and Subj. into ar, (more properly far, as of old) and adding the same syllable in the Negative.
The Imperative is formed from the Imperat. Act. by adding to the second pers. sing. tar, thar, or ar.[[55]]
The Participle is formed by adding te to the Root[[56]].
There is no distinction of Number or Person in the Tenses of the Passive Voice.
Verbs which suffer a syncope in the Infinitive, suffer a like syncope in the Pret. Aff. and Neg. throughout the Future Tense, and in the Imperative.
Compound Tense.
The compound Tenses of the first order are made up of the simple Tenses of the auxiliary Bi and the Passive Participle.
The compound Tenses of the second order are made up of the simple Tenses of Bi and the Infinitive preceded by the Preposition iar and the Possessive Pronoun corresponding in Person to the Pronoun, or to the Noun, which is the Nominative to the verb.
Use and Import of the Moods and Tenses.
The Affirmative or Indicative Mood expresses affirmation, and is used in affirmative propositions only, as, Do bhuail mi I struck, bha mi ag bualadh I was striking.
The Negative or Interrogative Mood is used in negative propositions and interrogative clauses, after the Particles ni not, cha not, nach which not, that not, not? mur if not; also, gu, gur, that, an, am, whether used relatively or interrogatively; as, cha d'fholaich mi I did not hide, mur buail sinn if we shall not strike, nach robh iad that they were not, gu robh iad that they were; am buail mi? shall I strike? It is used in the Future Tense after ged although; as, ged bhuail e mi, though he strike me[[57]].
The Subjunctive Mood is used in the Preterite, either with or without conjunctions; as, bhuailinn I would strike, na'm, mur, nach, &c., buailinn if, unless, &c., I should strike. In the Future it is used only after the conjunctions ma if, o, o'n since, and the Relative a expressed or understood; as, ma bhuaileas mi if I shall strike, am fear a bhuaileas mi the man
who will strike me, or the man whom I shall strike; an uair a bhuaileas mi, tra bhuaileas mi the time [in] which I shall strike, i. e., when I shall strike; c'uin [cia ùine] a bhuaileas mi? what [is] the time [in] which I shall strike? i. e., when shall I strike?
The Imperative Mood expresses desire, whether purpose, command, or request; as, buaileam let me strike, buailibh strike ye.
The Infinitive[[58]] is, in all respects, a noun, denoting the action or energy of the verb, and commonly preceded by a Preposition which marks the time of the action; as, ag bualadh at striking, am bualadh the striking, the threshing. It assumes a regular genitive case, bualadh g. s. bualaidh; as, urlar-bualaidh a threshing floor. The Infinitive sometimes loses the termination, and is regularly declined in its abridged form; thus, cruinnich assemble, inf. cruinneach-adh per. apocop. cruinneach g. s. cruinnich; hence, àite-cruinnich a place of meeting, Acts xix. 29, 31, so, fear-criochnaich, Heb. xii. 2, fear-cuidich, Psalm xxx. 10, liv. 4, ionad-foluich, Psalm xxxii. 7, cxix. 114, litir-dhealaich, Matt. v. 31[[59]].
There is no part of the Active Voice that can, strictly speaking, be denominated a Participle. The Infinitive preceded by the Preposition ag at, corresponds in meaning to the present Participle; and preceded by iar after, it corresponds to the participle of the past time; as, ag bualadh at striking, or striking; iar bualadh after striking, or struck[[60]].
Many words, expressing state or action, take the Preposition ag before them, and may be considered as Infinitives of Verbs, whereof the other parts are not in use; as, ag atharrais mimicking, ag gàireachdaich laughing, a' fanoid, a' magadh mocking, jeering.
The Participle passive is an adjective, denoting the completion of the action or energy expressed by the verb; as, arbhar buailte threshed corn.
The Simple Tenses which belong to all verbs are the Preterite or Future, besides which the verb Bi to be, and the defective verb Is I am, have a Present Tense[[61]].
The Present expresses present existence, state, or energy.
The Preterite Affirmative and Negative expresses past time indefinitely. The Preterite Subjunctive corresponds to the English Tenses formed by the auxiliaries would, could, &c. In general it denotes that the action or energy of the verb takes place eventually or conditionally. The Pret. Aff. or
Neg. is used sometimes in this sense, like the English, when the Pret. Subj. occurred in the preceding clause of a sentence, as, na'm biodh tus' an so, cha d' fhuair mo bhrathair bàs, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not [would not have] died; mur bitheamaid air deanamh moille bha sinn a nis air pilltinn air ar n-ais, if we had not lingered, we had [should have] now returned, Gen. xliii. 10.
The Future marks future time indefinitely. This Tense is used in a peculiar sense in Gaelic, to signify that an action or event takes place uniformly, habitually, according to ordinary practice, or the course of nature. Thus; Blessed is he that considereth the poor, expressed according to the Gaelic idiom, would be, Blessed is he that will consider, &c. A wise son maketh a glad father, in Gaelic would run, A wise son will make, &c. Your patient, I am told, is in a bad way; he neither enjoys rest, nor takes medicine. Nay, his situation is worse than you know of; yesterday, he became delirious, and is now almost unmanageable; he tosses his arms, and endeavours to beat every one within his reach. In Gaelic, will enjoy—will take—will toss—will endeavour. In like manner, a great many Gaelic Proverbs express a general truth by means of the Future tense; e.g., bithidh dùil ri fear feachd, ach cha bhi dùil ri fear lic, There is hope that a man may return from war, but there is no hope that a man may return from the grave; literally, there will be hope—there will be no hope. Teirgidh gach ni r' a chaitheamh, every thing wears out in the using; literally,—will wear out[[62]].
The Compound Tenses mark different modifications of time,
which will be easily understood by analysing their component parts.
In the Active Voice, the compound tenses of the first order denote that the action is going on, but not completed at the time specified by the auxiliary verb, or its adjuncts; as, ta mi ag bualadh, I am at striking, i.e., I am striking; bha mi ag bualadh an dé, I was striking yesterday.
Those of the second order denote that the action is newly completed and past, at the time marked by the auxiliary verb; ta mi iar bualadh, I am after striking, i.e., I have struck, Je viens de frapper; Bha mi iar bualadh, I was striking, i.e., I had struck.
In the Passive Voice, the compound tenses of the first order denote that the action is finished at the time marked by the auxiliary verb; ta mi buailte, I am struck.
Those of the second order denote that the action is newly finished at the time marked by the auxiliary[[63]]; ta mi iar mo bhualadh, I am after my striking, or, I am after the striking of me, which has always a passive signification; that is, it is always understood, from this form of expression, that striking is the action of some agent different from the person struck. It is equivalent to I have been struck, Je viens d'etre frappé.
A set of Compound Tenses, of a structure similar to these last, having the preposition ag, in place of iar, is sometimes used, and in a passive sense, denoting that the action is going on at the time marked by the auxiliary; as, tha 'n tigh 'g a thogail, the house is at its building, i.e., a-building; sea bliadhna agus da fhichead bha 'n teampull 'g a thogail, forty and six years was this temple in building. John ii. 20, 1 Kings vi. 7. Bha an crodh 'g an leigeadh, the cows were a-milking; bidh deudaichean 'g an rusgadh. "Gillies' Collect." p. 82. So
in English, the book is a-printing; the deed's a-doing now, "Douglas," Act 1.
The following scheme shows the different modifications of time, as expressed by the several Tenses of the Gaelic Verb, brought together into one view, and compared with the corresponding Tenses of the Greek Verb in Moor's Greek Grammar.
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||||
| Indicative or Affirmative Mood. | ||||
| Present Tense. | ||||
| Ta mi ag bualadh, | τυπτω, | I strike, or am striking. | ||
| Imperfect. | ||||
| Bha mi ag bualadh, | ἐτυπτον, | I was striking. | ||
| Future. | ||||
| Buailidh mi |
| τυψω, | I will strike, or be striking. | |
| Bithidh mi ag bualadh | ||||
| Aorist or Preterite. | ||||
| Bhuail mi, | ἐτυψα, | I struck. | ||
| Perfect. | ||||
| Ta mi iar bualadh, | τετυφα, | I have struck. | ||
| Pluperfect. | ||||
| Bha mi iar bualadh, | ἐτετυφειν, | I had struck. | ||
| Interrogative or Negative Mood. | ||||
| Present. | ||||
| Am bheil mi ag bualadh? | Am I striking? | |||
| Imperfect. | ||||
| An robh mi ag bualadh? | Was I striking? | |||
| Future. | ||||
| Am buail mi? | Shall I strike? | |||
| Aorist or Preterite. | ||||
| An do bhuail mi? | Did I strike? | |||
| Perfect. | ||||
| Am bheil mi iar bualadh? | Have I struck? | |||
| Pluperfect. | ||||
| An robh mi iar bualadh? | Had I struck? | |||
| Subjunctive Mood. | ||||
| Imperfect. | ||||
| Bhuailinn, |
| ἐτυπτον ἀν, | I would strike. | |
| Bhithinn ag bualadh, | ||||
| Future. | ||||
| Ma bhuaileas mi, | If I shall strike. | |||
| Pluperfect. | ||||
| Bhithinn iar bualadh, | ἐτυψα ἀν, | I would have struck. | ||
| Imperative Mood. | ||||
| Buaileam, | Let me strike. | |||
| Buail, | τυπτε, | Strike. | ||
| Infinitive Mood. | ||||
| Am bualadh, | το τυπτειν, | The striking. | ||
| A' bhualaidh, | του τυπτειν, | Of the striking. | ||
| Ag bualadh, | ἐν τῳ τυπτειν, | A-striking. | ||
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||||
| Indicative or Affirmative Mood. | ||||
| Present. | ||||
| Ta mi 'g am bhualadh, | τυπτομαι, | I am in striking[[64]]. | ||
| Imperfect. | ||||
| Bha mi 'g am bhualadh, | ἐτυπτομην, | I was in striking. | ||
| Future. | ||||
| Buailear mi, |
| τυφθησομαι, | I shall be struck. | |
| Bithidh mi buailte, | ||||
| Aorist or Preterite. | ||||
| Bhuaileadh mi, | ἐτυφθην, | I was struck. | ||
| Perfect. | ||||
| Ta mi buailte, |
| τετυμμενος εἰμι, | I have been struck. | |
| Ta mi iar mo bhualadh | ||||
| Pluperfect. | ||||
| Bha mi buailte, |
| τετυμμενος ἠν, | I had been struck. | |
| Bha mi iar mo bhualadh | ||||
| Interrogative or Negative Mood. | ||||
| Future. | ||||
| Am buailear mi? | Shall I be struck? | |||
| Aorist or Preterite. | ||||
| An do bhuaileadh mi? | Was I struck? | |||
| Perfect. | ||||
| Am bheil mi buailte? |
| Have I been struck? | ||
| Am bheil mi iar mo bhualadh? | ||||
| Pluperfect. | ||||
| An robh mi buailte? |
| Had I been struck? | ||
| An robh mi iar mo bhualadh? | ||||
| Subjunctive Mood. | ||||
| Imperfect. | ||||
| Bhuailteadh mi, | ἐτυπτομην αν, | I should be struck. | ||
| Future. | ||||
| Ma bhuailtear mi, | If I shall be struck. | |||
| Pluperfect. | ||||
| Bhithinn buailte, |
| ἐτυφθην αν, | I should have been struck. | |
| Bhithinn iar mo bhualadh, | ||||
| Imperative Mood. | ||||
| Buailtear mi, | Let me be struck. | |||
| Buailtear thu, | τυπτου, | Be thou struck. | ||
| &c. | ||||
| Participle. | ||||
| Buailte, | τετυμμενος | Struck. | ||
It will afford satisfaction to the grammatical reader, to see how correctly the various modifications of time, as distinguished and arranged by Mr Harris, are expressed in the Gaelic verb, by the auxiliaries, bi be, and dol going. See Hermes B. I. c. 7.
Irregular Verbs of the First Conjugation.
| Beir, bear. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirm. | Do rug, | Beiridh. |
| Negat. | D' rug, | Beir. |
| Subjunct. | Bheirinn, | Bheireas. |
| Imperat. Beiream. Infin. Beirsinn, breith. | ||
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||
| Affirm. | Do rugadh, | Beirear. |
| Negat. | D' rugadh, | Beirear. |
| Subjunct. | Bheirteadh, | Bheirear. |
| Imperat. Beirthear. | ||
| Cluinn, hear. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirm. | Do chuala, | Cluinnidh. |
| Negat. | Cuala, | Cluinn. |
| Subjunct. | Chluinnin, | Chluinneas. |
| Imperat. Cluinneam. Infin. Cluinntinn. | ||
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||
| Affirm. | Do Chualadh, | Cluinnear. |
| Negat. | Cualadh, | Cluinnear. |
| Subjunct. | Chluinnteadh, | Chluinnear. |
| Imperat. Cluinntear. | ||
| Dean, do or make. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirm. | Do rinn, | Ni. |
| Negat. | D' rinn, | Dean. |
| Subjunct. | Dheanainn, | Ni. |
| Imperat. Deanam. Infin. Deanamh. | ||
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||
| Affirm. | Do rinneadh, | Nithear. |
| Negat. | D' rinneadh, | Deanar. |
| Subjunct. | Dheantadh, | Nithear. |
| Imperat. Deantar. Particip. Deanta. | ||
| Rach, go. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirm. | Do chaidh, | Théid. |
| Negat. | Deachaidh, | Téid[[65]]. |
| Subjunct. | Rachainn, | Théid. |
| Imperat. Racham. Infin. Dol. | ||
| Ruig, reach. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirm. | Do rainig, | Ruigidh. |
| Negat. | D' rainig, | Ruig. |
| Subjunct. | Ruiginn, | Ruigeas. |
| Imperat. Ruigeam. Infin. Ruigsinn, ruigheachd. | ||
| Tabhair,[[66]] give. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirm. | Do thug, | Bheir. |
| Negat. | D' thug, | Tabhair. |
| Subjunct. | Bheirinn, tabhairinn, | Bheir. |
| Imperat. Tabhaiream, thugam. Infin. Tabhairt. | ||
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||
| Affirm. | Do thugadh, | Bheirear. |
| Negat. | D' thugadh, | Tabhairear. |
| Subjunct. | Bheirteadh, tugtadh. | Bheirear. |
| Imperat. Thugthar. | ||
| Thig, come. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirm. | Do thainig, | Thig. |
| Negat. | D' thainig, | Tig[[67]]. |
| Subjunct. | Thiginn, | Thig. |
| Imperat. Thigeam. Infin. Tighinn, teachd. | ||
Irregular Verbs of the Second Conjugation.
| Abair,[[68]] say. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirm. | Thubhairt, dubhairt, | Their. |
| Negat. | Dubhairt, | Abair. |
| Subjunct. | Theirinn, abairinn, | Their. |
| Imperat. Abaiream. Infin. Radh. | ||
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||
| Affirm. | Dubhradh, | Theirear. |
| Negat. | Dubhradh, | Abairear. |
| Subjunct. | Theirteadh, abairteadh, | Theirear. |
| Imperat. Abairear[[69]]. | ||
| Faic, see. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirm. | Do chunnaic, | Chi. |
| Negat. | Faca, | Faic. |
| Subjunct. | Chithinn, faicinn, | Chi. |
| Imperat. Faiceam. Infin. Faicsinn. | ||
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||
| Affirm. | Do chunnacadh, | Chithear. |
| Negat. | Facadh, | Faicear. |
| Subjunct. | Chiteadh, faicteadh, | Chithear. |
| Imperat. Faicthear. Infin. Faicsinn. | ||
| Faigh, get. | ||
| ACTIVE VOICE. | ||
| Preterite. | Future. | |
| Affirm. | Fhuair, | Gheibh. |
| Negat. | D'fhuair, | Faigh. |
| Subjunct. | Gheibhinn, faighinn, | Gheibh. |
| Imperat. Faigheam. Infin. Faghail, faotainn. | ||
| PASSIVE VOICE. | ||
| Affirm. | Fhuaradh, | Gheibhear. |
| Negat. | D' fhuaradh, | Faighear. |
| Subjunct. | Gheibhteadh, faighteadh, | Gheibhear. |
| Imperat. Faightear. | ||
The verbs Tabhair, Abair, Faic, Faigh, have a double Preterite Subjunctive. The latter form of it, which is derived regularly from the Root, is used after the same particles which are prefixed to the Negative Mood, viz. ni, cha, nach, mur, gu, an, am.
Of Defective Verbs.
The following defective verbs are in common use.
Arsa said, quoth, indeclinable; used only in the Pret. Aff. through all the persons; arsa Donull, quoth Donald.
Tiucainn come along, tiucainnibh come ye along, used only in the 2d pers. sing. and plur. of the Imperative.
Theab mi I was near to, I had almost; used through all the persons of the Pret. Aff. and Neg.; as, theab iad bhith caillte they had nearly perished.
Is mi I am, used in the Pres. and Pret. Tenses, which are declined as follows:—
Affirmative Mood.
| Present. | Preterite. |
| Sing. | Sing. |
| 1 Is mi, I am, it is I. | Bu mhi, I was, it was I. |
| 2 Is tu. | Bu tu. |
| 3 Is e. | B' e. |
| Plur. | Plur. |
| 1 Is sinn. | Bu sinn. |
| 2 Is sibh. | Bu sibh. |
| 3 Is iad. | B' iad. |
Negative Mood.
| Sing. | Sing. | ||
| ni, cha, nach, &c. |
| 1 mi, I am not, &c. | Bu mhi, I was not, &c. |
| 2 tu. | Bu tu. | ||
| 3 e. | B' e. | ||
| Plur. | Plur. | ||
| 1 sinn. | Bu sinn. | ||
| 2 sibh. | Bu sibh. | ||
| 3 iad. | B' iad. | ||
Subjunctive Mood.
| Sing. | Sing. |
| 1 Ma 's mi, If I be, it be I. | Nam bu mhi, If I were, it were I. |
| 2 's tu. | Bu tu. |
| 3 's e. | B' e. |
| Plur. | Plur. |
| 1 's sinn. | Bu sinn. |
| 2 's sibh. | Bu sibh. |
| 3 's iad. | B' iad. |
The only varieties of form which this Verb admits of, are the two syllables is and bu. Each of these syllables
commonly loses the vowel when it comes in apposition with another vowel.
It is remarkable, that in the Pres. Neg. the Verb disappears altogether, and the preceding Particle, ni, cha, nach, gur, &c., and the subsequent Pronoun, or Noun, are always understood to convey a proposition, or a question, as unequivocally as though a Verb had been expressed; as, cha tu thou art not, nach e? is he not? is it not he? am mise e? is it I? cha luchd-brathaidh sinn we are not spies, Gen. xlii. 31. Am mò thusa na Abraham? Art thou greater than Abraham? gur còir urnuigh a dheanamh that it is proper to pray, Luke xviii. 1[[70]].
Of the Reciprocating State of Verbs.
Any transitive Verb may be so combined with a Pronoun, either Personal or Possessive, that it shall denote the agent to be also the object of the action. This may be called the reciprocating state of the Verb. It is declined as follows:—
Buail thu fein, strike thyself.
ACTIVE VOICE.
Simple Tenses.
Affirmative Mood.
| Preterite. | Future. |
| Sing. | Sing. |
| 1 Do bhuail mi mi fein, | Buailidh mi mi fein, |
| Bhuail mi mi fein, | I will strike myself. |
| I struck myself. | |
| 2 Do bhuail thu thu fein, | Buailidh tu thu fein. |
| 3 Do bhuail se e fein; | Buailidh se e fein. |
| Plur. | Plur. |
| 1 Do bhuail sinn sinn fein, | Buailidh sinn sinn fein. |
| 2 Do bhuail sibh sibh fein, | Buailidh sibh sibh fein. |
| 3 Do bhuail siad iad fein. | Buailidh siad iad fein. |
Negative Mood.
| Preterite. | Future. | ||
| Sing. | Sing. | ||
| cha, &c. |
| 1 Do bhuail mi mi fein, | Bhuail mi mi fein, |
| I struck not myself. | I shall not strike myself. | ||
Infinitive Mood.
| 'g am bhualadh fein, striking myself. |
| 'g ad bhualadh fein, striking thyself. |
| 'g a bhualadh fein, striking himself. |
| 'g ar bualadh fein, striking ourselves. |
| 'g 'ur bualadh fein, striking yourselves. |
| 'g am bualadh fein, striking themselves. |
| iar mo bhualadh fein, after striking myself, &c. |
| gu mo bhualadh fein, to strike myself, &c. |
Compound Tenses.
Affirmative Mood.
Negative Mood.
| Present. | Preterite. | Future. |
| 1. Comp. | 1. Comp. | 1. Comp. |
| Ni bheil mi 'g am, &c. | Ni robh mi 'g am, &c. | Ni'm bi mi 'g am bhualadh fein. |
| I am not striking myself. | I was not striking myself. | I shall not be striking myself. |
| Present. | Preterite. | Future. |
| 2. Comp. | 2. Comp. | 2. Comp. |
| Ni bheil mi iar mo, &c. | Ni robh mi iar mo, &c. | Ni'm bi mi iar mo, &c. |
| I have not struck myself. | I had not struck myself. | I shall not have struck myself. |
Subjunctive Mood.
From the foregoing example it appears that the Verb, in its reciprocating state, retains its original form throughout its several Moods, Tenses, and Persons. In the simple Tenses, the Personal Pronoun immediately following the Verb is the Nominative to the Verb. The same pronoun repeated is to be understood as in the objective state. The word fein, corresponding to the English self, accompanies the last Pronoun.
In the compound Tenses, the auxiliary Verb, as usual, is placed first; then follows the Personal Pronoun as its Nominative, then the Prep. ag abridged to 'g in the compound Tenses of the first order, iar in those of the second order; after which follows the Possessive Pronoun, corresponding in Person to that which is the Nominative to the Verb; and lastly the Infinitive, which is the noun to the Possessive Pronoun. Mo and do are here changed, by Metathesis and the substitution of one broad vowel for another, into am and ad. Ta mi 'g am bhualadh fein, rendered literally, is, I am at my own striking, i.e., I am at the striking of myself, equivalent to, I am striking myself. The reciprocal fein is sometimes omitted in the compound Tenses, but is generally retained in the 3d Persons, to prevent their being mistaken for the same persons when used without reciprocation: ta e 'g a bhualadh, he is striking him, ta e 'g a bhualadh fein, he is striking himself.
Of the Impersonal Use of Verbs.
Intransitive Verbs, though they do not regularly admit of a Passive Voice, yet are used impersonally in the 3d Pers. Sing. of the Passive Tenses. This impersonal use of the Passive of intransitive Verbs is founded on the same principle with the Latin Impersonals concurritur, pugnatum est,
&c., which are equivalent to concursus fit, pugna facta est. So in Gælic, gluaisfear leam, I will move, Psal. cxvi. 9; gluaisfear leo, they will move, Psal. cxix. 3; ghuileadh leinn, we did weep, flebatur a nobis, Psal. cxxxvii. 1, Edit. Edinb. 1787; cha bhithear saor o pheacadh, there wanteth not sin, Prov. x. 19.
To the class of Impersonals ought to be referred a certain part of the Verb which has not yet been mentioned. It resembles in form the Fut. Negat. Passive; buailear, faicear, faighear, &c. In signification, it is Active, Present, and Affirmative. In the course of a narrative, when the speaker wishes to enliven his style by representing the occurrences narrated as present, and passing actually in view, instead of the Preterite Tenses, he adopts the Part of the Verb now described, employing it in an impersonal acceptation, without a Nominative to it expressed. One or two examples will serve to exhibit the use and effect of this anomalous Tense:—Shuidh an òg bhean air sgeir, is a sùil air an lear. Chunnaic i long a' teachd air barraibh nan tonn. Dh' aithnich i aogas a leannain, is chlisg a cridhe 'n a com. Gun mhoille gun tamh, buailear dh' fhios na traighe; agus faighear an laoch, 's a dhaoine m' a thimchioll. In English thus: The young woman sat on a rock, and her eye on the sea. She spied a ship coming on the tops of the waves. She perceived the likeness of her lover, and her heart bounded in her breast. Without delay or stop, she hastens to the shore; and finds the hero, with his men around him. Again: Mar sin chuir sinn an oidhche tharuinn. 'S a' mhadainn dh' imich sinn air ar turus. O bha sinn 'n ar coigrich anns an tir, gabhar suas gu mullach an t-sleibh, direar an tulach gu grad, agus seallar mu 'n cuairt air gach taobh. Faicear thall fa 'r comhair sruth cas ag ruith le gleann cumhann, &c. Thus we passed the night. In the morning we pursued our journey. As we were strangers in the land, we strike up to the top of the moor, ascend the hill with speed, and look around us on every side. We see over against us a rapid stream, rushing down a narrow valley, &c.
The scrupulous chastenesss of style maintained in the Gaelic version of the Sacred Scriptures, has totally excluded this form of expression. It is, however, universally known and acknowledged, as an established idiom of the Gaelic, very common in the mouths of those who speak it, and in animated narration almost indispensable[[71]].
Of Auxiliary Verbs.
It has been already shown how bi be, is used as an Auxiliary in the declension of all verbs. There are two other verbs which are occasionally employed in a similar capacity; the one with an Active the other with a Passive effect. These are dean to do or make, and rach to go.
The simple tenses of dean combined with the Infinitive of any verb, correspond to the English auxiliary do, did. It sometimes adds to the emphasis, but not to the sense. The following are examples of this Auxiliary combined with the Infinitive of an Intransitive verb:—Rinn e seasamh he made standing, i.e., he did stand; dean suidhe make sitting, i.e., sit down; dheanainn gul agus caoidh I would make weeping
and lamentation, i.e., I would weep and lament. The same arrangement takes place when the Auxiliary is combined with the Infinitive of a Transitive verb, accompanied by a possessive pronoun; as, rinn e mo bhualadh he made my striking, i.e., he made [or caused] the striking of me, or, he did strike me; cha dean mi do mholadh, I will not make your praising, i.e., I will not praise you; dean do gharadh, make your warming, dean do gharadh fein, make your own warming, i.e., warm yourself.
The Simple Tenses of rach, combined with the Infinitive of a transitive verb, correspond to the Passive Voice of the verb; as, chaidh mo bhualadh my striking went, i.e., came to pass, or happened, equivalent to I was struck; rachadh do mharbhadh your killing would happen, i.e., you would be killed.
In phrases where either of the auxiliaries dean or rach is combined with a transitive verb, as above, the possessive pronoun may be exchanged for the corresponding personal pronoun in the emphatic form, followed by the preposition do before the Infinitive. The preposition in this case is attenuated into a, which, before a verb of the second conjugation is dropped altogether. Thus, rinn e mo bhualadh he struck me, rinn e mis' a bhualadh he struck ME, chaidh mo bhualadh I was struck, chaidh mis' a bhualadh I myself was struck. In like manner, a noun, or a demonstrative pronoun, may occupy the place of this personal pronoun; as, chaidh an ceannard a mharbhadh[[72]], agus na daoine chur san ruaig, the leader was killed, and the men put to flight; theid am buachaill a bhualadh, agus an treud a sgapadh, the shepherd will be smitten, and the sheep scattered; is math a chaidh sin innseadh dhuit, that was well told you.