FOREWORD.

The following series of lessons are reprinted from the columns of the Mona's Herald, where they appeared weekly during the Spring of 1935.

The lessons were started as a direct result of a debate in the Manx Society Annual Meeting for 1934, which the position and prospects of the Manx language, and the attitude of Manx people towards its preservation were discussed. A motion was passed at that meeting resolving that a class for the study and use of the language should immediately be organised, provided that (1) a sufficient number of members could be secured to make it worthwhile twelve students being the minimum decided upon and (2) that some means could be found of reprinting and making immediately available some form of elementary grammar for the use of students.

Through the patriotic interest and enterprise of the proprietors of the Mona's Herald, and the kindness of the Trustees of the late Edmund Goodwin, of Peel, these lessons, were compiled by Miss Mona Douglas, the organiser of the class, printed as stated, and used as working texts week by week by the class teacher, Mr. H. P. Kelly, B.A. They are based almost entirely upon Goodwin's earlier book, "First Lessons in Manx," which has long been out of print, and are now made available in a more permanent form than the newspaper column. It is hoped that they may serve elementary students of Manx for some years to come, and that such students will increase in number year by year.

Last year, instead of the dozen stipulated as a minimum, the class organised under the auspices of the Manx Society attracted an average of 25 students during the whole session, and in addition reports came to hand of many others who, although unable to attend the class, studied the weekly lessons at home.

The present book covers about half of Goodwin's book, and it is hoped during the coming winter to continue the good work with a more advanced series of lessons based on the second half, which will later on be reprinted as a second volume the two together forming an excellent elementary to intermediate course in Manx from which the student should be able to progress easily to Mr. J. J. Kneen's more advanced and scholarly "Grammar of the Manx Language."

Thanks are due to Mr. J. J. Kneen, M.A., in connection with the present volume, for his kindness in reading the final proofsheets, and also for much help and advice during the session in the compilation of the lessons. We have also been most fortunate in our teacher, Mr. Kelly, who has kindly agreed to continue with the class during this coming winter.

With so many keen students and good helpers we need not despair of preserving our ancient speech for future generations: and if at times the effort, seems a hard one, I would have every student realise that by making it he is truly serving that ideal, "Ellan Vannin in the heart," in which I think most of us believe although we seldom speak of it.

Bannaght lhieu, studeyryn Gailckagh!

October, 1935.

MONA DOUGLAS.