LESSON 5
GRAMMAR (for study).
When in English the object of a transitive verb in the infinitive is a personal pronoun this latter is in Manx often replaced by a possessive pronoun set immediately before a verbal noun, and preceded by the particle dy:
Moylley (praising) — Ta shin dy dty voylley (we praise thee, or, literally, we are to your praising)
Slatt (rod) — Ta dty lhatt as dty lorg dy my gherjaghey (Thy rod and thy stall comfort me).
An adjective qualifying a noun mutates if the noun is nominative singular feminine, but not if masculine :
Dooinney mie — ben vie.
Initial s, sh, t and ch are often left unmutated.
An adjective in the vocative usually mutates with both genders and in both numbers.
Adjectives used predicatively, and adjectives not placed in immediate connection with a noun, remain unchanged: -
Ta'n ven mie (The woman is good.)
The comparative form of the adjective, whether singular or plural usually ends like the plural positive.
Adjectives of one syllable add ey in the comparative.
Adjectives ending in agh change 'agh' into ee.
The termination of other adjectives usually remains unchanged. The letter s before an adjective is a fragment of the verb 'she' (it is), and it is used to intensify the force of the adjective. The comparative is always preceded by some portion of the verb she expressed or understood. The syllable ny is placed in front, and the particle na (than) comes after the adjective:—
T'ee ny s'boghtey na mish (She is poorer than I).
When the comparative preceded by s' follows the noun, it has the force of a superlative:—
Yn guilley s'boghtey (the poorest boy)
Adjectives in the comparative and superlative do not undergo mutation.
yn ven ghennal (the cheery woman)
yn ven s'gennal (the cheeriest woman).
The comparative and superlative can also be expressed by prefixing the adverb smoo to the positive:
Smoo vyghinagh (most merciful).
In comparisons of equality the adjective takes the particle cha before it and as after it:—
T'ou cha aalin as eshyn (You are as handsome as he).
CHEER NYN AEG.
Cabdil 2.
Vrie Fynn jee e hennym as çheer, as dooyrt ee dy nee Niau Folt Airhey ee, inneen da Ree Cheer nyn Aeg, cheu-hoal jeh'n vooir hiar. V'ee er jeet er yn oyr nagh d'od ee cur graih da dooinney erbee elley agh Oshin mac Ynn yn fer ardghooagh as bioyral. Tra cheayl Oshin ee fockley magh e ennym hug eh graih jee. Myr ren ee gurneil yn cabbyl mooar lesh e laue veg, myr shen ren ee gurneil eshyn veih'n traa shen lesh coraa bing ren kiaull joarree mastey yn lught-shelg. Cre-erbee dooyrt e coraa b'eign da cur graih da Niau, agh ny-sheyn ghow ee toshiaght dy ockley reddyn oddagh cur er coraa yn chaaig jeeaghyn dy ve bing. Son tra va Oshin er loayrt e ghraih as er chur jee oltaghey meein firrinagh gys e heer, dooyrt ee: "Shegin dhyt cheet marym er my chabbyl gys Cheer nyn Aeg. She yn çheer s'graihoiley as s'ardghooee fo yn ghrian. Duillagys, blaaghyn as mess t'ad coodaghey ny biljyn ec y traa cheddin as son dy bragh. Airh, argid as ooilley ta cur taitnys da ny sooillyn t'ad palchagh ayns shid. T'ee stroo lesh feeyn as mill. Bee ayd ayns shen keead eagh varkee s'bieau, keead coo slane. Bee ayd cooat dy eilley do-haihagh as cliwe nagh vod cagh scapail ny shassoo roish. Bee cliegeenyn ayd nagh vel bentyn da'n theihll shoh. Bee dty hellooyn gyn-earroo. Bee loamraghyn airhey ec dty hioltaneyn. Bee feaillaght as claaseyraght ayn dagh laa. Bee keead caggeyder slane eillit as keead claaseyr fo dty eam. Ceauee oo attey ree Cheer nyn Aeg, nagh vel fer erbee elley agh eshyn rieau er cheau, as freillee eh oo voish dagh gaue oie as laa. Bee aalid as niart ayd son dy bragh. Cha jig shirgagh dy-bragh ort, as cha bee enn ayd mychione eig as baase, as beem dty ven ayns Cheer ny Aeg."
Huitt Fynn as ny Fenee er dobberan tra honnick ad Oshin chyndaa hug y voidyn shid as hug y Niar. Ghow Fynn e laue as dooyrt eh:
"Y treih, my vac, t'ou goll ersooyl, as ta aggle orrym nagh jyndaa oo."
Ga dy dooyrt Oshin: "Lurg tammylt beg higym er-ash dy yeeaghyn oo." Cha scuirr e ayr voish keayney myr chlame ad y cheilley, chamoo scuirr eh tra lheim eh er mooin yn chabbyl bane cooyl Niau. Lhig ad rhymboo shiar, dy-meeley as dy bieau gys traih ny marrey. Cha loayr ad fockle, er-yn-oyr dy row Niau er ghra: "Lhig dooin ve nyn dost derrey roshmayd y vooir."
Yn ynrican sheean ry-chlashtyn va'n dobberan ec Fynn as ny Fenee.
(Tannaghtyn. )