December 2018 update — Storlann has reprinted this book (with an index in this reprint) and it is again available from The Gaelic Books Council at gaelicbooks.org for £15.
January 5, 2018 — This book is very good grammar book for learners who are interested in being able to look up additional explanations for Scottish Gaelic grammar topics covered in other books or classes. I like it because everything on each topic is all in one place (e.g., everything about adjectives is in Chapter 2), and there are many examples using complete Gaelic sentences to show a complete thought using the grammar point being discussed. For me, it is easier to remember new vocabulary words if I know how to use them in a sentence, so understanding the grammar and seeing it in a sentence is very helpful.
Unfortunately, this book seems to be out of print (the 2002, 2004 editions) and hard to find (but see update above). I’ve seen used copies listed as high as $100 and while I wouldn’t pay that much, others might be willing to. One way to find a reasonably priced copy would be to periodically search the internet and used book websites. When a copy appears in your price range, buy it immediately. A recent discussion on Fòram na Gàidhlig suggested that a new edition would be coming out in the near future, but I haven’t seen any information on when that will be.
This book is not an advanced grammar but does assume you have some knowledge of Scottish Gaelic. You should have an understanding of basic Gaelic sentence structure, to make the best use of the examples provided. The book does not provide a series of progressive lessons, or practice exercises, but all the explanations are in English, and are clear and to the point. Each topic (such as, 2.7 Adverbs) includes an explanation of the grammar topic, how the element is used in speech or writing, how Gaelic is different from English, specific Gaelic words or phrases in the category (such as 2.7.1 (Adverbs of) Motion, Position, and Direction), and sentences illustrating the topic. However, the example sentences are in Gaelic and not translated so you may need a dictionary.
Highlights:
-- The four-page list of Prepositional Idioms in Chapter 4.-- Section in Chapter 6 on “points to note” about the differences between tenses in Gaelic and English. This gave me a better understanding about the English meaning of Gaelic sentences.
-- Seven-page Glossary with explanations of the grammatical terms used in the book. Quite a few explanations and useful with other Gaelic books and for understanding English as well.
Table of Contents:
Glossary;Common Sound Changes in Gaelic (Slenderising, An to Am, Lenition)
1. Nouns and Articles (Gender, Case, the Noun, The Common Article, Plural, Vocative Case, The Possessive Article)
2. Adjectives and Adverbs (Accompanying or Independent, How the Attributive Adjective Changes, Pre-Noun Adjectives, Adjective Modifiers, The Graded Adjective, Numerals, Adverbs)
3. Pronouns (Personal Pronouns, Demonstrative Pronouns, Relative Pronouns, Prepositional Pronouns)
4. Prepositions (Simple Prepositions, Compound Prepositions, Some Prepositional Idioms)
5. The Verb Is (Is with Nouns and Adjectives, Forms of Is, ’S e,)
6. The Verb (The Imperative, Tense Forms, Context Forms, The Verb Bi, Regular Verbs, Tense: Points to Note, The Verb as “Yes” and “No”, The Verbal Noun, Progressive, Intent, Complementing, The Passive with Rach, The Passive with Bi and Air, The Passive Adjective, The Passive Tense – Forms, The Passive with Ga, “Can Be” – The Passive with Gabh, “What’s to be done?”, Impersonal Tense Forms of Bi)
Details
Author: Michel Byrne
Title: Gràmar na Gàidhlig
Form: Paperback
Publication/printing date: 2002, 2004, reprinted 2018
Publisher: Stòrlann-Acair [Description from Storlann’s website.
Gaelic Grammar with English explanatory text. Level: Secondary School,
Adults]
Dimensions: mm, width x height x thickness: 175 X 229 X 9
Pages: 141 (150 for 2018 reprint to add an index)
ISBN: 0-86152-753-4
Table of Contents: Yes, 6 chapters
Index: No (2002, 2004 versions), but the Table of Contents is detailed and covers 4½ pages. (The 2018 reprint has an index.)
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