118
AN GAOḊAL.
"A nation which allows her language to go to ruin, is
parting with the best half of her intellectual independence,
and testifies to her willingness to cease to exist." — ARCH¬
BISHOP TRENCH.
"The Green Isle contained for more centuries than one,
more learning than could have been collected from the rest
of Europe ... It is not thus rash to say that the Irish
possess contemporary histories of their country, written in
the language of the people, from the fifth century. No
other nation of modern Europe is able to make a similar
boast." — SPALDING'S ENGLISH LITERATURE, APPLETON & Co.,
NEW YORK.
Who are the Scotch? A tribe of Irish Scots who crossed
over in the 6th century, overcame the natives, and gave
their name to the country. — J. CORNWELL, PH.D., F. R. S.'s
Scotch History.
The Saxons Ruled in England from the 5th century and
were so rude that they had no written language until
14th, when the Franco-Normans formulated the English. —
SPALDING.
A monthly Journal devoted to the Cultivation
and Preservation of the Irish Language and
the autonomy of the Irish Nation.
Published at 247 Kosciusko st., Brooklyn, N. Y
M. J. LOGAN, Editor and Proprietor
Terms of Subscription — $1 a year to students, 60
sents to the public, in advance ; 51. in arrears.
Terms of Advertising — 20 cents a line, Agate
Entered at the Brooklyn P. O. as 2nd-class matter
Fifteenth Year of Publication.
VOL 11, No. 11. OCT. 1896
Remember that the First Irish Book is given free
of charge to every new subscriber.
Subscribers will please remember that subscrip¬
tions are due in advance.
Revd. Michael Hickey of the Diocese of Water¬
ford has been appointed by the Trustees of May¬
nooth College to carry on the work of the Irish
Chair, in succession to Fr O'Growney whose health
will not enable him to return to the old country. Fr
Hickey has been for years one of the most practi¬
tal workers in the Gaelic movement. He is a fine
speaker of Irish, and an eloquent preacher in the
old tongue. He is also a finished Gaelic scholar
well versed in the national literature, history, etc
All the Kerry National Teachers have formed
and become members of the Kerry National Tea¬
chers' Gaelic League. That is the best item of
Gaelic news received from Ireland in 20 years —
Irishmen, the English ship is sinking and you
will soon see the Irish Rats deserting it — a few
more turns of the crank by the Ruso Frano Sail¬
ors will settle her!
The Gaelic students of Mount Melerary Abbey
take 30 copies of each issue of the Gaelic Jour¬
nal, — En passant !
SIMPLE LESSONS IN IRISH.
FOURTH SERIES, — Written for the GÆL
BY
Rev. EUGENE O'GROWNEY.
PROF OF KELTIC in Maynooth College
(Continued from page 93)
LESSON VII.
42. There are two numbers in Irish
— the singular and the plural. A
noun is said to be in the singular num¬
ber when it denotes only one thing,
as man; it is said to be in the plural
number when it denotes two or more
things; as, men, boys. In English the
plural is formed either by adding s to
the singular form; as, boy, boys; or
by making a vowel change in the
word: as, man, men; foot, feet. In
Irish also there are different ways of
forming the plural, as we shall see
below when studying the declensions,
§ 65.
43. In many languages there is a
special form of the noun used when
it denotes two things, and the noun
is then said to be in the dual number.
In modern Irish there are traces of
this, as the word dá (dhau) two, is fol¬
lowed not by the usual plural form of
the noun, but by a special form. See
Second Declension
CASE.
44. In the sentences (1) "the man sold
a horse". (2) "the horse killed the
man". (3) "the child gave an apple
to the man". (4) "the man's horse
was killed". (5) where is your horse,
my good man?" we find the "man",
in five different circumstances. (1)
performing an action, (2) receiving or
suffering an action, (3) connected
with an action, the connection being
denoted by a preposition, (4) possess¬
ing something, (5) addressed by some¬
one. The different circumstances are
called CASES, and although in English
the form of the noun remains the
