Chapter 4

§64. — The Verb

The Verb agrees with its nominative in number and person.

Two or more singular nouns joined by a conjunction will take the verb in the singular number; as, ṫáiniġ mise agus tusa, I and you came.

If the nominative be a noun of multitude the verb will be in the plural.

The nominative generalyl follows the verg (part of the sentence may intervene); as dúḃairt an fear, the man said. Relative and interrogative pronouns, as before mentioned, precede the verb.

"When the assertive verb is , or the particles an, or naċ, which always carry the force of is , and never suffer it to be expressed, are used, the collocation is as follows : — the verb comes first, next the attribute, or predicate, and then the subject ; as, is fear mé, I am a man; is maiṫ iad, they are good. But if the article be expressed before the predicate, then the attribute comes next after the verb; as is mé an fear, I am the man." — O'Donovan.

The verb bí (with the exception of the assertive present form is ) always employs a preposition, such as a, 1, or ann, in, as mentioned in § 61, in asserting the existence of any subject ; as, tá sé 'n-a ḟear, he is a man. But the assertive present is is always used in this sense without a preposition ; as, is fear mé, I am a man. O'Donovan (p. 379) remarks : —

"The two modes of construction represent the idea to the mind in a quite different manner. Thus, tá mé am' ḟear and is fear mé , though both mean I am a man, have a different signification ; for tá mé am' ḟear is I am in MY man ; i.e. I am a man, as distinguished from some other stage, such as childhood, or boyhood ; while is fear me indicates that I am a man, as distinguished from a woman, or a coward."

The pronoun is not used with the synthetic form. — Vid. § 33.

When the noun precedes the infinitive, it is put in the accusative ; when it follows, it is governed in the genitive.

The present participle, with the verb bi, expresses the continuance of the action ; as, tá mé ag léiġeaḋ mo leaḃair, I am reading my book.

Transitive verbs take their objects in the accusative case.

Verbs of advantage and disadvantage take the object of the benefit or injury in the dative case with do, or similar prepositions.

Verbs of comparing and taking away also govern the dative case of the object of comparison or deprivation, with the preposition ua, or such like.

One verb governs another in the infinitive mood, as in other languages. " When the governed verb is one expressing motion or gesture, which does not govern an accusative, the sign do is never prefixed ; as, duḃairt sé liom dul go Corcaiġ, he told me to go to Cork." — O' Donovan. In some parts of Ireland this would be expressed, duḃairt sé liom a ḋul go Corcaiġ