[From Manx Soc vol 2, Kelly's Manx Grammar]

CHAPTER XVII.

OF THE PREPOSITION.

A Preposition is set before other parts of speech, to explain some particular circumstance,--either in apposition, as cooyl y thammag, behind the bush; or else in composition, as cooyl-chassey, to slander.

THE PREPOSITIONS USED IN APPOSITION ARE THESE:--

Some of them become adverbs.

OF PREPOSITlONS USED IN COMPOSITION.

There are, besides real prepositions, certain consignificant particles, which are turned into prepositions, and prefixed to words in such manner as to coalesce, and to become a part of them, as--

Aa generally implies a repeated action, as the Latin re, again--as aa-chroo, to create again; aa-vioghey, to revive; aa-lhieeney, to replenish; aa-smooinaghtyn, recollection.

An signifies privation, or not, and has the force of the English un, or in Latin--as an-chasherick, unholy, impious; an-ghoo, infamy; an-chreestee, infidel; an-leigh, partiality in law; an-shickyr, unstable; an-vennick, seldom.

Cohas the force of the Latin con and co--as co-chruinnaght, an assembly; co-eirey, a coheir; co-ard, equally high; co-beayn, co-eternal; co-trome, equally poised.

Lieh, half--as lieh-varroo, half-dead; lieh-valloo, half-dumb.

Cooyl, behind--as cooyl-chlea, an ambush.

Lesh, with--as lesh-y-cheilley, together with (and is compounded with pronouns).

Fo, under--as fo-halloo, underground; fo-lieau, under a mountain (and is compounded with pronouns).

Er, upon, is joined to nouns substantive, and gives them the force of nouns adjective--as ben er-finnue, a mad or passionate woman (literally, a woman upon passion, or having passion); fer er-creau, a trembling man (literally, a man upon trembling), &c.; and is compounded with pronouns.

Gyn, without, denotes privation, or not--as gyn-vyghin, unmerciful; gyn-vioys, without life; &c.

Neu signifies privation, or not, in like manner, and is joined to nouns, verbs, or participles--as neu-ghlen, unclean; &c., &c.

Am, bad--as in am-vlass, a bad taste.

Mee is also a privative preposition, and used in composition--as mee-arrys, impenitence; mee-ooashley, dishonour.

A; not--as aslaynt, sickness.

Drogh, bad--as drogh-ourys, suspicion; drogh-yannoo, evil.

Myn, little--as myn-jaghee, small tythes; myn-vooinjer, the little ones of a family.

Feer, very--as feer-vie, very well.

Lane, full--as lane-vie, well, middling.

Dy, of, or to, joined to nouns adjective, makes them become adverbs of quality--as dy-mie, well; &c.

are compounded with pronouns.

OF THE POSTFIXES.

Ey, postfixed to the nominative case of the primitive noun, forms a kind of adjective called a derivative--as

Oil, like, postfixed to the termination of nouns, forms a comparative adjective--as from

Een, postfixed, forms a diminutive noun--as durn, a fist or hand, durneen.

Al forms an augmentative adjective--as

Agh, postfixed, forms also an augmentative adjective--as

These compound adjectives, again, are formed into nouns--as

The postfixes ee, er, eyr, ag, oor, form artificial nouns--as,