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Syntax treats of the connection of words with each other in a sentence; and teaches the proper method of expressing their connection by the _Collection_ and the _Form_ of the words. Gaelic Syntax may be conveniently enough explained under the common divisions of Concord and Government.
CHAPTER I.
OF CONCORD.
Under Concord is to be considered the agreement of the Article with its Noun;--of an Adjective with its Noun;--of a p.r.o.noun with its Antecedent;--of a Verb with its Nominative;--and of one Noun with another.
SECTION I.
OF THE AGREEMENT OF THE ARTICLE WITH A NOUN.
_Collocation._
The article is always placed before its Noun, and next to it, unless when an Adjective intervenes.
_Form._
The article agrees with its Noun in Gender, Number, and Case. Final _n_ is changed into _m_ before a plain l.a.b.i.al; as, am baile _the town_, am fear _the man_. It is usually cut off before an aspirated Palatal, or l.a.b.i.al, excepting _fh_; as, a' chaora _the sheep_, a' mhuc _the sow_, a' choin _of the dog_. In the Dat. Sing. initial _a_ is cut off after a Preposition ending in a Vowel; as, do 'n chloich _to the stone_[94].
{138}
A Noun, when immediately preceded by the Article, suffers some changes in Initial Form:--1. With regard to Nouns beginning with a Consonant, the _aspirated_ form is a.s.sumed by a mas. Noun in the gen. and dat. singular; by a fem. noun in the nom. and dat. singular. If the Noun begins with _s_ followed by a vowel or by a Liquid, instead of having the _s_ aspirated, _t_ is inserted between the Article and the Noun, in the foresaid cases; and the _s_ becomes entirely quiescent[95]. 2. With regard to Nouns beginning with a Vowel, _t_ or _h_ is inserted between the Article and the Noun in certain Cases, viz. _t_ in the Nom. sing. of mas. Nouns, _h_ in the gen. sing. of fem. Nouns, and _h_ in the nom. and dat. plur. of Nouns of either gender. Throughout the other sing. and plur. Cases, all Nouns retain their Primary form.
The following examples show all the varieties that take place in declining a Noun with the Article.
_Nouns beginning with a l.a.b.i.al or a Palatal._
Bard, mas. _a Poet_.
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ am Bard, na Baird, _G._ a' Bhaird, nam Bard, _D._ a', 'n Bhard[96]. na Bardaibh.
Cluas, fem. _an Ear_.
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ a' Chluas, na Cluasan, _G._ na Cluaise, nan Cluas, _D._ a', 'n Chluais. na Cluasaibh.
{139} _Nouns beginning with f._
Fleasgach, m. _a Bachelor._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ am Fleasgach, na Fleasgaich, _G._ an Fhleasgaich, nam Fleasgach, _D._ an, 'n Fhleasgach. na Fleasgaich.
Fid, f. a _Turf._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an Fhid, na Foidean, _G._ na Fide, nam Fid, _D._ an, 'n Fhid. na Foidibh.
_Nouns beginning with a Lingual._
Dorus, m. _a Door._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an Dorus, na Dorsan, _G._ an Doruis, nan Dorsa, _D._ an, 'n Dorus, na Dorsaibh.
Teasach, f. _a Fever._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an Teasach, na Teasaichean, _G._ na Teasaich, nan Teasach, _D._ an, 'n Teasaich. na Teasaichibh.
_Nouns beginning with s._
Sloc, mas. _a Pit._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an Sloc, na Sluic, _G._ an t-Sluic, nan Sloc, _D._ an, 'n t-Sloc. na Slocaibh.
{140} Suil, fem. _an Eye._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an t-Suil, na Suilean, _G._ na Sula nan Sul, _D._ an, 'n t-Suil. na Suilibh.
_Nouns beginning with a Vowel._
Iasg, m. _a Fish._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an t-Iasg, na h-Iasga, _G._ an Eisg, nan Iasg, _D._ an, 'n Iasg. na h-Iasgaibh.
Adharc, f. _a Horn._
_Sing._ _Plur._ _N._ an Adharc, na h-Adhaircean, _G._ na h-Adhairc, nan Adharc, _D._ an, 'n Adhairc. na h-Adhaircibh.
The initial Form of Adjectives immediately preceded by the Article, follows the same rules with the initial Form of Nouns.
Besides the common use of the Article as a Definitive to ascertain individual objects, it is used in Gaelic--
1. Before a Noun followed by the p.r.o.nouns _so_, _sin_, or _ud_; as, am fear so, _this man_; an tigh ud, _yon house_.
2. Before a Noun preceded by the Verb _is_ and an Adjective; as, is maith an sealgair e, _he is a good huntsman_; bu luath an coisiche e, _he was a swift footman_.
3. Before some names of countries; as, righ na Spainne, _the king of Spain_; chaidh e do 'n Fhrainc, _he went to France_; but righ Bhreatain, _the king of Britain_; chaidh e dh' Eirin, _he went to Ireland_, without the Article. {141}
SECTION II.
OF THE AGREEMENT OF AN ADJECTIVE WITH A NOUN.
_Collocation._
When an Adjective and the Noun which it qualifies are in the same clause or member of a sentence, the Adjective is usually placed after its Noun; as, ceann liath, _a h.o.a.ry head_; duine ro ghlic, _a very wise man_. If they be in different clauses, or if the one be in the subject, and the other in the predicate of a proposition, this rule does not apply; as, is glic an duine sin, _that is a wise man_; cha truagh leam do chor, _I do not think your case unfortunate_.
1. Numerals, whether Cardinal or Ordinal, to which add, iomadh _many_, gach _every_, are placed before their Nouns; as, tri lathan, _three days_; an treas latha, _the third day_; iomadh duine, _many a man_; gach eun g' a nead, _every bird to its nest_.--Except such instances as the following : Righ Tearlach a h-Aon, _King Charles the First_; Righ Seumas a Cuig, _King James the Fifth_.
