Chapter XXV: Section VI: Of the Government of Conjunctions

The Conjunctions agus _and_, no _or_, couple the same Cases of Nouns; as, air feadh chreagan agus choilltean, _through rocks and woods_; ag reubadh nam bruach 's nan crann, _tearing the banks and the trees_. When two or more Nouns, coupled by a Conjunction, are governed in the Dative by a Preposition, it is usual to repeat the Preposition before each Noun; as, air fad agus air leud, _in length and in breadth_; 'n an cridhe, 'n an cainnt, agus 'n am beus, _in their heart, in their speech, and in their behaviour_.

Co _as_, prefixed to an Adjective, commonly requires the initial consonant of the Adj. to be aspirated; as, co mhaith, _as good_, co ghrinn, _as fine_. But sometimes we find co m[`o]r, _as great_, co buan, _as durable_, &c., without the aspirate. Sometimes the aspirate is transferred from the Adj. to the Conjunct. as, cho beag, _as little_, for co bheag. In the North Highlands, an adjective preceded by co is commonly put in the Comparative form; as, co miosa, _as bad_; co treise, _as strong_.

The Conjunctions mur _if not_, gu, gur _that_, are always joined to the Negative Mood; as, mur 'eil mi, _if I be not_; gu robh e, _that he was_. _M_ or _n_ is often inserted, _euphoniae causa_, between gu and an initial Consonant; viz., _m_ before a Labial, _n_ before a Palatal or Lingual; as, gu-m faca tu, _that you saw_; gu-n dubhairt iad, _that they said_[111].

The Conjunctions ma _if_, o, o'n _because, since_, are joined to the Pres. and Pret. Affirmative, and Fut. Subjunctive; as, ma ta e, _if he be_; o'n tha e, _since he is_; ma bhuail e, _if he struck_; o'n bhuail e, _because he struck_; ma bhuaileas tu, _if you strike_; o bhitheas sinn, _since we shall be_.

Na'm, na'n _if_, is joined only to the Pret. Subjunctive. {163} The initial Consonant of the Verb loses its aspiration after this Conjunction; as, na'm bithinn, _if I were_; nan tuiteadh a' chraobh, _if the tree should fall_.

Ged _although_, is used before the Present and Preterite Affirmative, the Fut. Negative, and the Pret. Subjunctive; as, ged tha e, _though he be_; ged bha mi, _though I was_; ge do bhuail thu mi, _though you struck me_; ged bhuail thu mi, _though you strike me_; ged bheireadh e dhomh, _though he should give me_[112].

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