Lesson 9.
Grammar (for study). The verb “she”
The verb she is used in certain combinations of verb with preposition, etc.:
Share lhiam (I prefer).
share lhiat, share-lesh, etc.
The past tense of she is by. Thus we get the form bare-lhiam (I preferred), etc.
The old future of this verb, bu, is also represented by the later form by, having now no separate existence
in Manx; so that bare-lhiam may also mean "I would rather." Other expressions are, Bare dou (best for
me), bare dhyt (best for you), etc. The present form, she, has, however, now almost wholly taken the place
of the form by in general: "She'n dooinney ren eh."
From the old word ail (pleasing) we get saillym (I am willing or, I wish); sailt, saillish, saillee, saillin,
sailliu sailleu. In the past the form is baillym (I would be pleased), bailt, etc. In the interrogative we have
nailt? (Are you willing?), etc. A common phrase in which the present form is used is "My sailliu" (If you
please).
She and eol (knowledge) combine in the form, shione dou (lit. she-eol dou—it is knowledge to me, I
know), shione dhyt, etc. Cha nione dou (I don't know, I have no knowledge of), becomes n by assimilation.
"Share yn olk shione dooin ny yn olk nagh nione dooin." (better the evil that is known to us than the evil
that is not known to us). She also combines with egin (compulsion): Shegin dou (I must), shegin dhyt, etc.;
Cha nhegin dou (I must not), etc.
Following are further idiomatic phrases, formed similarly by combinations.
Shynney lhiam (I love—it is dear with me); shynney lhiat, etc.
Cha nhynney lhiam (I don't care for).
Bynney lhiam (I loved)
Cha bynney lesh (he did not love).
S'laik lhiam (I like).
Laik lhiat shoh? (Do you like this?).
Cha b'laik lhiam shen (I wouldn't like that ).
B'laik lhiam yn boayl shoh (I liked this place).
S'mie lhiam shen! (I like that, or that is well with me).
S'liooar lhiam shen! that's enough for me, with the colloquial meaning of
("I can hardly think it.").
B'liooar lhiam! (that was enough for me.)