from the eclipsable ones. The declension of verbal nouns is transferred from the third declension to the chapter on the verbs. A collection of heteroclite nouns is inserted. The usual declension of the personal pronouns is not employed, and the terms Conjunctive and Disjunctive pronouns are adopted. The naming of the four principal parts of an Irish verb, the treatment of the Autonomous form of conjugation, the rejection of compound prepositions, infinitive mood, and present participle form a few of the features of this grammar. Among the appendices will be found lists of words belonging to the various declensions, of verbs of both conjugation, and of irregular verbal nouns.
Many of the rules have been taken from the "O'Growney Series" and from the "Gaelic Journal." The grammars of Neilson, O'Donovan, Bourke, Craig, and of many other authors, have been consulted. The chapter on the classification of the uses of the prepositions is based on Dr. Atkinson's edition of Keating's Trí Bior-ġaoiṫe an Ḃáis. Some of the sentences which illustrate the rules have been culled, with the author's permission, from the Mion-ċaint of the Rev. Peter O'Leary, P.P.
In the present edition the enunciation of the rule Caol le caol ⁊ leaṫan le leaṫan has been modified so as to bring it more into harmony with the spoken language. The sections on the Relative pronouns, Demonstrative pronouns, Adverbs, and Conjunctions have been greatly enlarged and improved. A large collection of Idiomatic expressions and an exhaustive Index have been also added.
The Christian Brothers acknowledge with pleasure their indebtedness to Mr. John McNeill, B.A., and Rev. Peter O'Leary, P.P., for their generous and invaluable aid in the production of this grammar. To Mr. R. J. O'Mulrenin, M.A., Mr. J. H. Lloyd, to Mr. Shortall, and to many other friends their best thanks are due, and gratefully tendered.
