50
AN GAOḊAL.
Irish words every month, (and that would be no
heavy task) it would give an impetus to the Irish
Language movement which would agreeably surprise
its most ardent admirers. We then would urge
these organizations to adopt this course and to ex-
act a short Irish sentence, (not less than six words)
through the serg'nt-at-arms, of every member of
his entrance to the hall — the sentences to be chang-
ed every month We would promise that this
would create a source of amusement to the members
and that it would be an important step in the right
direction. Commence, then, in the name of Moth-
erland.
THE FORMATION OF SOCITIES FOR TEACH¬
ING THE LANGUAGE THE SUREST WAY TO
SUCCESS.
We would urge on all who desire the cultivation
of the language to form societies for that purpose
in their various localities. Nothing tends to bind
a people in social harmony so much as the forma¬
tion of such societies — we have a personal knowledge
of this from the Brooklyn Philo Celtic Society. We
meet as brothers and sisters, having a common ob¬
ject in view, and if we miss a night through
whatever cause, we think the time too long until
the next meeting night. Our teachers are our grad¬
uates. Those who commenced last year can teach
the primary classes now. We vary the monotony
of class study with some patriotic songs after class
hours, and once a month we have a reunion when
the members and their friends assemble to enjoy
songs, recitations &c., principally in the mother
tongue. We permit no one having the slightest
sign of liquor to our meeting, so that we are culti¬
vating temperance as well as the language.
PROGRESS OF THE GAEL.
Some of our friends may desire to know how the
GAEL is progressing through the states. We shall
give a synopsis of it here. North Atlantic States —
It finds its way into nineteen cities and towns in
Maine ; Vermont, fifteen; N. H. seventeen ; Mass.
forty-five ; Conn. sixteen ; R. I. thirteen. Middle
Atlantic States — N. Y, thirty ; Pa. forty-five ; N. J.
eleven ; Del. nine ; Md. fifteen ; Va. ten. Southern
States. — N. C. seven ; S. C. five; Ga. seven; Fa. eight;
La. fifteen; Ala. thirty-six; Miss. twenty one. West-
ern States — Minn. twenty; Wis. fifteen. Mich. thirty;
lowa thirty one; IIl. thirty five; Ind. twenty nine;
Ohio thirty three; Mo, fifteen; Kas. nineteen; Neb.
twenty four; Ky. six; Ten. seven Ark, eleven; Texas
twenty; Cal. thirteen; Mon. Ter. five; Oregon six;
Col. five; and Wash. Ter, three. Pensylvania has
more readers of the GAEL than N. Y. state, Scran¬
ton Pa. ranks next to New York city in the num¬
ber of Gaelic readers. Brooklyn has twice as many
as New York. Philadelphia Pa comes next in or-
der. Scranton, Mobile Ala., Boston Mass., and
St. Louis Mo, come next in order. Mr. Mac Guire
of New York sent the largest number of subscribers,
Mr. Gibson of Patterson N. J., Mr. Mac Cosker of
Mobile Ala., and Mr P. J. O’Daly of Boston, Mass.,
follow next in order; to each of whom and to all the
subscribers the GAEL returns its grateful acknowl-
edgements. It has made its way into thirty seven
cities and towns in Ireland exclusive of a large num-
ber of rural districts, also to Canada and Nova Scotia,
and to a large number of rural districts in the
United States not enumerated in the above.
THE GAEL'S FRONTISPIECE.
Some of our friends have objected to the gram-
matical construction of our title page, and maintain
that the 2nd an should assume the form of the gen-
itive feminine. This would be the proper gram-
matical construction if teauga Gaedhilge were of
the feminine gender. Gaedhilge is derived from
Gaodhal, a masculine proper noun, and is, like its
root, masculine in conception, and takes the article
common to it. No Irish speaking person would use
any other, and all authorities agree that in such cases
Custom is the surest guide, Objection is also made
to Cosnadh, for preservation. The second objection
should not have been made ; the meaning of cosnad
is to defend, to preserve &c.
The third objection is to Fein-riaghla, our object-
ors say it should be in the genitive form. We make
it a verbal noun, and its literal translation, selfruling;
now, our objectors, by putting it in the genitive form
would make it selfruled, which is not its meaning
nor that intended for it. If the reader will substi-
tute selfruling for the word Autonomy in the trans-
lation on the front page he will see the point we
desire to present. But why not, also, object to the
grammatical construction of the English translation?
We certainly ought to have a better knowledge of
the construction of our mother tongue than of (to
us) a foreign tongue. The reason is, that our read-
ers can judge for themselves in that respect and that
our objectors cannot impose on them. There are
two omissions in the English translation, tolerated
by usage. Ta an gaodhal ann a leabar aithris, &c.,
would be the full construction of the Gaelic part.
On the tenth page of the Third Book, by the D.
S. P. I. L. under Exercise V. sentence 3, we find teach
which (in the vocabulary at page 131) is defined a
noun Mas.) rendered tigh in the Dative case, sing.
It is of the first declension, the same as morcach.
We would like to know under what rule or author-
ity it has been so rendered? All languages have
their peculiarities. "He was offered his liberty” is a
form of expression commonly employed by well ed-
ucated English writers, but it is not in accord with
grammatical rules.
The GAEL has no objection to legitimate criti-
cism by, and in presence of, competent authority.
