SengoÍdelc
Old Irish for Beginners

Paper $45.00s    |    0-8156-3072-7    |    2006

An introductory text to the Irish language as spoken around the eighth-century c.e., covering all aspects of the grammar in a clear and intuitive format.

SengoÍdelc: Old Irish for Beginners is the winner of the 2006 Michael J. Durkan Prize for Books on Language and Culture of the American Conference for Irish Studies.

Reviews
"A welcome and friendly guide to those who would like to know more about the language and literature of early medieval Ireland."
Joseph Nagy, author of Conversing with Angels and Ancients: Literary Myths of Medieval Ireland

Description
David Stifter’s Sengoídelc (SHAN-goy-delth) provides a comprehensive introduction to Old Irish grammar and metrics. Ideally suited for use as a course text and as a guide for the independent learner, this exhaustive handbook is also an invaluable reference work for students of Indo-European philology and historical linguistics. The author’s step-by-step presentation in an engaging styles lead the novice through the idiosyncracies of the language, such as initial mutations and the double inflection of verbs. Filled with translation exercises based on selections from Old Irish texts, the book provides a practical introduction to the language and its rich history. Sengoídelc opens the door to the fascinating world of Old Irish literature, famous not only for such gems as the Táin Bó Cúailgne (The Cattle Raid of Cúailgne) or lyrical nature poetry but also as a major source for the political and legal history of Ireland.

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Author
David Stifter is a lecturer at the Institut für Sprachwissenschaft at the University of Vienna and chair of the Austrian Society for Celtic Studies.

8 1/2 x 11, 384 pages, illustrated, tables, bibliography, index