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

CHAPTER X.

OF A NOUN ADJECTIVE.

An Adjective is a word joined to a substantive, to express its quality. Therefore, Adjectives very properly follow their substantives in the Manks.

Adjectives may be formed from the genitive case of the nouns they derive from: as, sourey, summer, G. y touree, of summer; geurey, winter, G. y gheuree, of winter. Thus, earish houree, summer weather; earish gheuree, winter weather.

The variation of Adjectives is two-fold; of the gender and of the number.

The variation of the gender is that by which masculines become feminines; and this is effected by changing only the radical or initial consonant (if mutable) into its soft or secondary mute, as the following scheme will clearly elucidate.

The plurals of Adjectives are formed of singular masculines, without any change in their radical initials as. inneen vie, a good girl, Pl. inneenyn mie; eddin ghennal, a merry countenance, Pl. eddinyn gennal.

When the substantive is not expressed but understood, the Adjectives often change their plural termination, or, in fact become substantives; as--

First, by adding only to the singular termination, which addition is generally ee; as, fer niartal, a strong man, Pl. ny niartallee, the strong (men).

Secondly, by changing the singular termination agh into ee; as, berchagh, rich, Pl. ny berchee, the rich:

Or, thirdly, by adding another vowel to the ultimate vowel of the singular without any addition; as, doal, blind, Pl. ny doail, the blind.

Sometimes the vowel a of the singular number is in the plural changed into e; as, marroo, dead, Pl. ny merroo, the dead.

Yet here I must observe, contrary to the received opinion of several of my countrymen, whose judgment I much value and esteem, that we have plural adjectives--adjectives of the plural number; that are distinguished from singulars by their termination. The following examples will prove the best argument.

Adjectives, whose singulars terminate in agh, in their plurals change agh into ee; as--

The most general termination of plural adjectives is ey, which is added to the final consonant: as--

Many adjectives want the plural number: as, mie, good; sie, bad; aalin, fair; glen, pure; crauee, holy; cam, crooked; and such like.

Cardinal numbers have no plural when put in apposition or composition with their substantives, though their substantives at the same time may be either singulars or plurals: as, troor, three; kiare, four, &c.; and thie, an house; three thieyn, kiare thieyn; nor when set alone, or substantively, have they plurals; as we say, ta'n chiare, the four, not ta ny kiare; ta'n wheig, the five, not ta ny queig.

Ordinals have no plural number.