52 



ceedingly, is a purely superlative particle, though here asserted " to 

 express only an eminent degree of quality." — More could be added 

 to the list of adjectives that are irregular in their comparison ; and 

 much more should have been said on the subject of Adjectives in 

 general, and their various species. 



Pronouns are properly classed, and vehat is said of them is cor- 

 rect, but their theory is not elucidated, perhaps, because the author's 

 limits did not allow him. 



Of the Verbs * the classification is correct, except that they 

 should have been divided into regular and irregular or defective, — 

 Of the auxiliary verb b^in he makes five separate verbs, which in 

 my opinion should not be, for this verb is irregular, and takes these 

 five variations of form through its impersonal and neuter states of 

 tense and mode ; as we have the same verb irregular in English. — 

 He conjugates it well on the entire. — In the Rules for forming the 

 future tense of Regular verbs active, he says : " Sometimes 'f is 

 not used either in writing or conversation, but this is a corruption 

 that should be rejected, except in verbs of more than one syllable, 

 which never take an '^ but have eo in their second syllable, as 

 e-)|i)5 arise, &)f.&^t^T) trie- I will arise." It is not for being of 

 more than one syllable, that they take this form, for there are 

 many verbs in the language of that description, that do not form 

 the future in q-o ; as <t-H<i)c, <ititt)CYe^<t'0, &c. — but because the ana- 

 logy and genius of the language require that verbs whose second 



* The author in the preface to his Dictionary, alluding to the Conjugation of Verbs, says ; 

 " In giving but one Conjugation to Irish verbs, I differ from Doctors Stuart and Cf Brien ; but 

 I do so upon the authority of all our ancient M SS." From these words it might be inferred 

 that he was the first who admitted but one Conjugation ; but in this he was anticipated by Mr. 

 Haliday and Doctor Neilson : The former particularly, after stating that verbs have but one 

 conjugation, says that Mr. Stewart divided them into two, adding, " for what reason this inge- 

 nious scholar has left unexplained." 



