AN GAODHAL
9
san of the article is used; in san, ins
an; le san, leis an; go san, gus an (ra-
rely used). Instead of trís an, through
the (from trí, through) the form tríd
is usually heard The forms anns an
[Connacht] and is an [Munster] are
more usual in S. L.
99 Spoken language: In Ulster
the preposition and article do not ec¬
lipse but aspirate; as, ar an fhairrge,
on the sea Except in Munster, words
beginning with d and t are not usual-
ly aspirated; as, ins an dorus, in the
doorway; Munster, ins an ndorus
(Nŭr'-as). Except in Munster de and
do followed by an do not eclipse but
aspirate. In Munster initial c is usual¬
ly aspirated after article and preposi¬
tion.
(Le bheith leanta.)
NOTE TO SIMPLE LESSONS — Sect-
ion 89, line 8; the sound of dhruim
is given as yrim, notice that we
use the y here instead of the Greek
letter gamma, which is used
throughout the Simple Lessons to
denote this guttural sound. Section
88 note : note the statement made
here, that s is never eclipsed will
appear strange, but is true. We
find s preceded by t, and apparent-
ly eclipsed, but it will be found
that this apparent eclipses
is [1] never found in verbs, nor [2]
in nouns except when they are pre-
ceded by the article an, in which
case the t is but the termination
of the older form ant of the article,
the s being really aspirated. See
Sections 496, 503. In the case of
adjectives, we find s preceded by t
only in a few cases, and these are
always cases in which the s should
be aspirated according to ordinary
rules, but where from analogy
with the noun, the adjective is ap¬
parently eclipsed also. It need not
be added that in strict grammar
this usage with the adjective is in-
defensible: Examples are bean t-
siubhail [better into bean shiubhail], fuil
tsróna, and in place names Cionn
tSeanáin. In the last examples the
nouns sáile and seanáin follow the
rules of adjectives as always hap-
pens with the second of two nouns,
such as beirt mhac, ag baint fheamain¬
ne
The word for Christmas has two
forms. Nodlaig [NŭL'-ig] in the
nom., dat., and voc cases, and
Nodlag [Nŭllug] in the genitive
case; as, lá Nodlag, the day of
Christmas; Nodlaig mhaith dhuit, Hap
py Xmas to you; faoi Nodlaig, ab-
out Christmas; oidhche Nodlag, X-
mas eve; le tidheacht na Nodlag, on
the approach of Xmas. Some
good writers often mix up the two
forms
E. O'G.
Classical Gaelic students are always anxious to
see the natural Irish as used and written by in-
telligent native Irish speakers in print. Hence,
we are pleased that Mr. McEniry, Kansas City,
has promised to send THE GAEL several pieces
the same as this which follows, and we know of
but few, Messrs. Lally and McCormick, Wheel-
ing, Dougher, Greenfield, and Phillips, Holyoke
who can fill the bill.
CHATHAIR CHANSAS,
Mí na féile Bríghde, seachtmhadh lá
Do M J. Ua Lócháin,
A Shaoi Uasail, — Budh mhaith liom, má
'sé do thoil é, go gcuirfeá i gcló in do
pháipeur tír-ghrádhach, sármhaith an sgeul
beag so, má's dócha leat gur bh'fiú é
choimeud beo; measaim-se go d-tais-
beánann sé greannamhracht ⁊ simplidh-
eacht na feandaoineadh atá imighthe
uainn go bráth.
Atá timchioll chúig m-bliadhanna agus
dá fhichead ó chualas an sgeul so; sé
sin, nuair a bhidheas am' chómhnuighe i bh-
fochar dearbhfhiúr m'athar, i Rathdroma
le h-ais Bhaile-nuadh-na-Sagart, i b-par-
áisde Chonnaidhthe, i gcondae Chórcaigh,
Éire.
An tráth úd, do tháinic buachaill aim-
sire an t-sagairt ar cuairt chugainn, ⁊
