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t.:i,..<-~v.V-Vrx v C'vlK'v: t H K tit Sl aII'\iJ*4,W't -J >', v tiv V;s-:.. ;:.- ACeH: A PRACTICAL GRAMMAR OF THE ANTIENT GAELIC, rf |sk nf ragt t|e S< 0} 158 05 USUALLY CALLED M A N K S. BY THE REV. JOHN KELLY, LLD., VICAR OF ARDLEIGH, AND RECTOR OF COPFORD, IN THE COUNTY OF ESSEX. EDITED, TOGETHER WITH AN INTRODUCTION, LIFE OF DR. KELLY, AND NOTES, &^ WILLIAM REV. GULL, b /^ VTCAR OF MALEW. ** >^ Ifl > cl U' DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN: PRINTED FOR THE MANX SOCIETY. MDCCCLIX. FACSIMILE EEPRINT FOE BERNARD QUARITCH, 15 PICCADILLY, LONDON. 1870. 1810 EDITOE'S INTRODUCTION. Manx Grammar, like tlie language itself, was fast hastening to decay. The original and only edition had become extremely scarce; insomuch that a copy could with difficulty be found from which to re-edit the work. At this crisis TheManx Societyopportunelyintervenedforitspreserva- tion. The Society was formed in 1858, "for the publicationof National Documents of the Isle of Man." Among the first works to which it turned its attention was Dr. Kelly's Manx Grammar,whichit deemeddeservingofa place among its early publications. In the restoration of this book, the Society acknowledgesits obligationstoalady,awarmfriendoftheIsland and a relative ofthe deceased author, forthegenerousdonation of half the cost ofthe impression. Besides the Grammar, Dr. Kelly had prepared two works of great labour, and,inaphilological point ofview, great value, a Manx and English Dictionary, and a Triglot Dictionary of Manx, Gaelic, and Irish, based upon English. Theseworksare still lyingin manuscript, but complete, and ready for thepress. iv EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION. The Society considers the publication of these too heavy an undertaking for its present funds; but it is not without hope that it may at some future, perhaps not distant, time beable to aid in givingthemtotheworld,andthatthepresentpublication may open the wayto such a result. This reprint ofthe Grammar is an accurate transcript of the original work,withcorrections onlyoferrors ofthepress andof some obvious inaccuracies ofthe pen. The old plan ofmaking an English Grammarwas toreducethe structure ofthelanguage to a rigid conformity to Latin and Greek, in the number and names of cases, and of moods and tenses. In Manx the same thing was thoughtimperative. The modernruleis,tohavejust as manycases,and as manymoodsandtenses,asthereareactual variations ofthe words, withoutthe admissionofprepositions or of auxiliary verbs. To this rule the laws of grammar seem to require the Manx, aswellas the English, tobeconformed. As, however, theadoptionofsuch a principleinthe presentinstance would involve the rearrangement, to a considerable extent, of the Grammar,itis thoughtadvisable not to attemptthechange, but to give the work in its original integrity. Dr. Kelly's Grammar thus presented, especially viewed as an original production, unaided by any pre-existent grammar, cannot fail to strike the intelligent reader as reflecting the highest credit on the author's industry and ingenuity. The object of this reprint is not to uphold the Manx as a spoken language, that were a hopeless attempt, were the end eversodesirable buttoaffordsomeassistancetothe student of ; this interesting branch oftheancient Celtic, andto obtainforit, when its lifetime is gone by, a place among the records of the EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION. v dead languages ofEurope. The decline of the spoken Manx, within the memory ofthe present generation,hasbeenmarked. The languageis nolongerheardinourcourtsoflaw,either from the bench or the bar, and seldom from the witness-box. The courts are indeedstillfenced in Manx, according toancient traditionary form; and the Island laws are still promulgated in that language on the Tynwald Mount, where the last lingering accents ofthe Graelic in Man oncethelanguage ofEurope,the universal language ofthe British Isles willprobablybeheard. In our churches the language was used by manyof the present generation ofclergy three Sundays inthe month. Itwasafter- wards restricted to everyother Sunday; andisnowentirelydis- continued in most ofthe churches. In the schools throughout the Island the Manx has ceasedto be taught; andtheintroduc- tion ofthe Government system of education has done much to displace the language. It is rarely now heard in conversation, except amongthepeasantry. Itis adoomedlanguage, anice- berg floating into southern latitudes. Let it not, however, be thought that its end is immediate. Among the peasantry it still retains a strong hold. It is the language oftheir affections and their choice, the language to which they habitually resort in their communications with each other. Andno wonder; for it is the language which they find most congenial to theirhabitsofthought and feeling. InEng- lish, evenwhere they have a fair knowledge ofthe tongue, they speak with hesitation and under restraint. In Manx they are fluent,andatease. There islittleprobability, therefore,oftheir soon forgetting their cJiengcy-ny-mayrey (mother-tongue). A language thus dear to the peasantry from itsinnate adap- vi EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION. tation to their use, possesses at the same time no small recom- mendations to the attention of the philologist and antiquary, andespecially ofthose whose office itistoinstructthepeople in A morals and religion. few of its distinctive qualities may be here noticed. The language is peculiarly forcible and expressive, as far as the range ofits vocabulary extends. Forthe purposes ofdevo- tion it is especially adapted.* There is a solemnity and sim- plicityin the Manx Liturgy ofwhichthe intelligent worshipper cannot but feel conscious. In theManx Scripturestheidiomof the language seems to bear a strong affinity to that of the originals,especially ofthe Old Testament, The poetical capabilities of the language are beautifully ex- hibited inmanyoftheeffusionsofthenativemuse. Thefollow- ing fugitive production of the pen of a late native clergyman (the Kev. T. Stephen), which appeared many years ago in an Island newspaper,andisnow (at the timeof writing this Intro- duction) probably lost to every person but the Editor,will bear comparison, for pathos and idiomatic beauty, with any passage that can be produced from English poetry : "Aseretagloyr,aghaalidennymvie, EnnymI tamyryghalltasheideyshaghey? Shohmoylley'npobble,myshemoylleyshen. Sonereta'npobble,aghyurnaaganreaghit, Earrooneuchinjagh,tasonjannoomooar Jehnheeghyneddrymnaghveltoilchinscansh, Ascoonteycadjinreddyntafeeuarrym? Ta'dmoylleyasta'd ooashlaghshennaghnhionedauej Asshenta'dgloyraghjiu, ta'djiooldeymairagh; * AneminentScotchnoblemanissaid tohave expressed himself thus: "If I wish tospeakonphilosophy,IemploytheGreeklanguage. IfIuttercommands,the Latinisbesttoexpressthem. IfImakelove,IspeakinFrench. ButifI address my Maker,Ihave recoursetotheGaelic." EDITOR S INTRODUCTION. Vll Cha 'soceerquoi, agheermyrtad'yrleeidit;' Fererferelleygeiyrt,myrguoieetrooid doarlish. Ascre'ncooilleent'aynssoiaghvooarnynIheid ? Dyveagheyernynennal, gooynsleih! MarvaneeIheaystagh,myrygheayneuhiggyr ! Quoiecheytaresoonveaghblakeylurghoc? LioroodyveIheamysittemoylley." Literal translation : "AAndwhatisglory,buttheradianceofaname, name! which,asavapour,blowsunheededby? This isthepeople'spraise,ifpraiseitbe. AForwhatisthepeople? Anentangledskein, ficklemob, whogreatlyprize Thingsvainandworthless ; Whiletheycontemnwhatmeritsveneration, Theypraiseandtheyesteemthethingstheyknownot. Andwhomtheypraiseto-day, theyblameto-morrow; Theyknownotwhom,butjustastheyare led ; Onefollowinganother,asgeesethroughagap. Andwhatadvantageisintheesteemofsuch? Toliveupontheirbreath, thepeople'spraise! Poorwaveringmortals, asthewindinconstant! Their blameiscommendation." The language abounds in strong figurative expressions. Of this thelinesabovequoted affordan illustration. Thefollowing are additional examples: Cassa/n - ny - greiney. Thefootpathofthe sun (thezodiac). Goll twoaie. Thegoingnorth (therainbow,whichalwaysappearsinortowardsthenorth). Feallagh ny firrinys. Thepeopleofthe truth (theperfect). Cre-erbee fehdyycmnoo,te clieet lesh. Whatsoeverhe doeth, itcomeswithhim(prospers). Ny cur dtyaigney Ihieu. Notgivethymindwiththem (consentnot). S/ictsserdtycliione Tiene. Standonthy head own (relyonyourownunderstanding). Buitchoorys er Tiene. Slaughteringonhim -self(onhisown account). Gollslieeseny lhargagli, Goingdownthe declivity (failing). viii EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION. S'mie Ihiam shendy-jarroo. Verygoodtomeisthat indeed (verypleasingtome). Shooyl ny thieyn. Goingonthehouses (begging). Ta'nushtey cloie. Thewaterisplaying (boiling). Bock Yuan fannee. ThehorseofJohntheflayer (oneJuan,who flayedhishorse,andtooktohisstick- walkingstick). Craue-beg~ 'sy - chleeau. A bonelittleinthe breast (remorse). Lhiam - Ihiat. Withme,withthee(aninconstantperson). Chengey Ihiam, chengey Ihiat. Tonguewithme, tongue withthec(blowinghot andcold). In proverbial lore the Manx language has its traditionary stores. The figureswhichgivepointandbeautytoitsproverbs are, as in allprimitivelanguages, taken from nature. The fol- iovving will serve as specimensofitspopularsayings : Keeaylchionnit yncheeaylshare, Wit boughtisthe wit best, Mannaghvelee Icionnit ro gheyr. Ifitbe not bought too dear. Ta cree dooie nyshare na Tcione croutagh. Is aheart kindly better thanahead crafty. Trataundooinneyboghtcooney leshdooinneyboght elley, ta>Jee henegaraghtee. When one man poor helps man poor another, Godhimself laughs (fordelight). Tra hig yn laa Mg yncoyrle lesh. Whencomethedaywillcomeitscounselwithit. Clagh ny Ullagh ayns Icione dty hie vooar. A churchstone be in theheadofthyhouse great (thypunishmentbethatofthe manwhocommitssacrilege). Ta'n aghaue veg shuyr da'n^aghaue vooar. Is thehemlocklittle sistertothehemlock big (asmallsinisakintoagreatone). LaikIhiat ve marish y chioltane; aghta'neamaghayd eamagh Thouwouldestfainbenumberedwiththe flock; but is bleat thy thebleat ny goair. of the goat.