G 26

Irish Grammar

18th cent. Paper. 19 × 12.3 cms. Pp. [2]+48+[2]. There is no scribal signature but a comparison with the hand of Seán Ó Súilleabháin - the scribe of T.C.D. H.4.29 - shows that he is also the scribe of this ms. Both mss. treat of Irish Grammar, were written in the year 1704 (see p. 1 infra for date) and for Mr. Jeremiah Pepyat (see p. 34 infra for date) and for Mr. Jeremiah Pepyat (see p. 34 infra for scribal entry).

Whereas the tract in H.4.29 is a transcript by Ó Súilleabháin (see Cat. Ir. Mss. T.C.D., p. 306) of Tuileagna Ó Maoilchonaire's grammar written in Irish in 1659 (T.C.D. D.4.35) the grammatical tract in this ms. is written in English and appears to be based on the grammar written in Louvain in 1669. The reason for the scribe's use of English is given in his entry on p. 35 where he states that Mr. Jeremiah Pepyat desired to have the knowledge of the most famous Irish language. Note his use of the words tittle (pp. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17) and mortified (p. 5); he gives equivalent Latin forms for some paradigms of nouns (pp. 37-39); the dialect of Irish - West Munster - spoken by the scribe is indicated in his Irish rendering of some English phrases (p. 31), e.g. cuinnimh sios do cheand: hold down your head: Ficiom do lamh: lett me see your hand, etc. A scribal note in T.C.D. H.4.26, p. 154 - also written by Ó Súilleabháin - says he came from Co. Kerry. He is included in T. Ó Neachtain's versified list of Irish literary men residing in Dublin in early 18th cent. (ed. O'Rahilly, Gadelica, pp. 156-62). Jeremiah Pepyat, for whom this ms. was written, was a bookseller in Skinner Row, Dublin, from 1709 to 1719 and was the publisher in Ireland for Edward Lhuyd's Archaeologia Britannica (1707). The Pepyat family were in the Dublin bookselling or printing business from 1704 to 1771. Jeremiah Pepyat possessed "a Ms. grammar written at Louvain anno 1669" which he lent to E. Lhuyd (see Archaeol. Brit., p. 299) and to Richard Tipper (see B. M. ii, pp. 622-3) with the aid of which (and O'Molloy's) Grammar 1677) they both wrote their "Brief Introduction to the Irish Language." It is possible that Pepyat also lent that ms. grammar to Ó Súilleabháin when he was compiling the present grammar.

The ms. is bound in full rexine. The shelf-mark No. 2 Irish MSS. of the Heber collection, the title An Irish Grammar and Phillipps MS. 9362 are written on the recto of the fly-leaf and some pencilled numbers are written on the verso. Phillipps MS. 9361 is written at foot p. 1.

Page

1 The following date appears on top of page: an 7 madh la do mhí Mhártadh 1704.

1 Tract on Irish Grammar written in English. Begins with the alphabet (pp. 1-4) followed by pronunciation and accidence (pp. 4-27), abbreviations (pp. 27-29), examples of the use of possessive pronouns, etc. (pp. 30-33), scribal entry (pp. 34-5 for which see p. 34 infra), some paradigms of substantives (pp. 36-39), a few words on adjectives (pp. 40-41) and pronouns (p. 42). Breaks off p. 43 and is followed by four blank pages (pp. 44-47) and ends on p. 48 with a short list of substantives.

34 Scribal entry in Irish (which is rendered in English on the opposite page, p. 35): iar na gcur síos ann so do chum soillsi ┐ tairbhe Mhaighistir Ieremíath Pipyat le na mían eolus na teannghain oirrdheirce eagnaighe na Gaoidheilge do bheith aige.