226 PROCEEDINGS OF TilE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



tenses, the pi-esent among the rest, being compounded of the sub- 

 stantive verb and of portions of the verb that is ixnder consideration. 

 It is the present tense of the Irish verb that I have given 'as the 

 equivalent of the verbs which I have taken from the Inscrijitions. 

 Several, indeed all, of the verbs in question could easily assume a 

 Gaelic form and preserve the distinctive termination of Gaelic 

 verbs, e. g. 



Hondoni'i, dh-aontaicic mi, I assented. 



Carsoine, ghreas mi, I hurried. 



Persnimih, bhrosnuich mi, I incited. 



Pertome, bhruth mi, I bruised. 



Fiirome, bheir 7ni, I will give. 



Tettome, dhithicli mi, I destroyed. 



Todcome, tliainig mi, I came. 



Spahmei, spoch mi, I robbed, etc. 

 It is thus the past tense of the Gaelic verb that represents the 

 present tense of the Irish verb. It may be well to observe that the 

 aspiration of words in Irish Gaelic is effected by placing a dot over 

 them, and that in Scottish Gaelic aspiration is effected by insertin;^' 

 the letter h. It may be remarked here, that the evidence which 

 the verbs under consideration furnish, is in favour of the conten- 

 tion of Irish Grammarians respecting the antiquity of the jjresent 

 tense, and against the opinion of Gaelic Grammarians, that Scottish 

 Gaelic is more ancient than Irish Gaelic, because it has a past and 

 futui-e tense merely, and because it is thus on the same level with 

 the Semitic languages so far as the number of tenses is concerned. 



Stuliw.ei, stad mi, shuidhich mi, I settled. 



Asame, asam, I make. 



Smuirshne, smuais mi, I break to pieces. 



Tertiamne, tairthiihim, I save. 



Randeme, raonaim, I defeat. 



Totam, tatliaim, I unite. 



Proman, pronnaim, I give. 



Pesni7nu, beascnaighim, I grant. 



Eturstahmu, dh- eadar shuidhich mi, I interposed. 



Termnome, thearmunnaich mi, I protected. 

 Here are additional verbs which occur in the Inscriptions, and 

 which corroborate the argument that I have sought to extract from 



