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.