The Scottish Celtic review

':Notes on Gaelic Grammar and Orthographi/. 155Chuala is a reduplicated preterite (*cuchla) from root cht, (tohear), cognate with Gr. kXvw, &c.Mddli ( = 0. Gael, rdd ;infin. of rdd-im or rdd-iu, I say, cognatewith Goth, rod-jan, to speak, A. S. rded-an, Eng. rede) occurssometimes without an accent, but should always be accented.The practice of using the grave accent in the modern languagewhere the acute is used in the old, is awkward. We know of nogood reason for discontinuing the ancient mode of accentuation.In feuch (behold), e!t. = e. Of. 0. Gael. /ec/iaim=Mod. Ir.fe'achaim. No accent should be written over ea; for, (1) it isunnecessary as eu is always long, and (2) it is en-oneous, for aseu = e, e'u is equivalent to e with two accents ! In the matter ofaccentuation, as well as in many other things, Mr. James Munro'sGrammar is not a safe guide. The other modern diphthongswhich are always long, and, therefore, require no accents, areao = ae, ia=^ (frequently), and ua=6.The attenuated or weakened form tha was substituted here inthe edition of 179G for uta, the form in the edition of 1767. Onthe frequent use of tha, Dr. A. Stewart has the following pertinent:— remark (cf Gram. 2nd Ed. p. 75) " The present affirmative ta'is often written ' tha.' This is one of many instances where thereappears reason to complain of the propensity remarked in Part I.(of Grammar) in those who speak Gaelic, to attenuate its articulationsby aspiration." The general rule of aspiration in Gaelicshould be adhered to as closely as possible, except where invariableusage has sanctioned a departure from it, as in those cases inwhich it has become a reg-iilar mark of gender. When, however,two forms of the .same word, a more organic and a more weakenedor corrupt form, exist side by side in the living language, theformer ought surely to be used in preference to the latter in atranslation of the Scriptures.We heartily concur in Dr. Stewart's emphatic disapproval ofthe introduction of corrupt provincialisms into the Gaelic Scriiitures;but had he been acquainted with ancient Gaelic, he wouldhave written differently in regard to the particular example ofsupposed corruption condenmed in the following remarks" Another corrupt way of writing ' ta,' which has become commonis 'ata.' This has probably taken its rise from uniting therelative to the verb ; as an uair ata ' mi,' instead of an uair a ' ta,''&c. ; mar a ta,' &c. Or, it may, perhaps, have proceeded from atoo compliant regard to a provincial pronunciation."These state-