1893-94.] 99 



Betham says there can be no doubt that the speeches in the 

 Poenulus are Gaelic. There is a word for word correspondence 

 throughout between the Punic of Plautus and the Irish of 

 O'Neachtan, while the whole passage makes good sense in 

 strict accordance with the argument and Latin text of the play. 

 Surely the Irish language is worthy of special study, because 

 of its great antiquity and the light which it may yet throw 

 upon the origin of various nations and other unsolved problems 

 of history. 



Several Irish idioms are in use among our peasantry. The 

 " says I," " says he," heard so frequently is the Irish form in 

 which the verb comes before the pronoun. In Irish " thirst " 

 is said to be on a person — we have frequently heard complaints 

 of the " druth being on people." To give a name to a thing is 

 " to put a name on. Price is said to be on a thing — we may 

 have heard the question, il How much have you on the cow ? " 

 Children often talk of " getting " their lessons — this is the Irish 

 idiom for learning them. " Put a coat about you," is the idiom 

 for put on a coat. An Irish tense called the habitual present is 

 heard in the expression " I do be." and the habitual past, " I 

 used to be." The word " partan," a crab, seems to be the Irish 

 word partdn. The common salutations of the peasantry, '• God 

 bless the work, also when churning, "I wish you luck on your 

 churn.'' When one enters a house he is often saluted by " Is 

 this yourself ? " " Give me your hand " is the equivalent of 

 " Shake hands." The interjectional phrase, "Ara musha, how 

 do you do ? " and the peculiar use of the phrase " at all at all." 

 Even in the North of Ireland the embers from which a peat 

 fire is kindled are called " gries hagh." The phrases " True for 

 you " — that is true, and I would not " let on." 



The Celtic language has two main divisions — the Gaelic and 

 the Cymric. Each of these has three branches — the first 

 includes the Irish, the Gaelic of Scotland, and the Manx. The 

 second includes Welsh, Cornish, Breton or Armoric. Irish 

 Cornish, Welsh, and Armoric have an ancient written litera- 

 ture ; Scotch gaelic has none, distinct from Irish. 



