Page:An Irish-English dictionary, being a thesaurus of words, phrases and idioms of the modern Irish language, with explanations in English.djvu/16

xii its own syntax and its own characteristic inflexional system practically untampered with even to this day. Its syntactical and inflexional systems have, indeed, been subject to a development similar to the development which takes place in the successive stages of every living and cultivated speech, but neither its syntax nor its inflexional system has been influenced to any great extent by neighbour tongues.

I owe a debt of gratitude to my friend, Mr. John J. O'Kelly, for the tireless energy which he devoted to the work from the outset. His extensive knowledge of the living language rendered his co-operation particularly valuable.

My friend, Mr. J. H. Lloyd, looked over all the MS. and read the proofs carefully, and the work owes much to his extensive knowledge of local forms and his critical acumen.

The following gentlemen, all of whom are well skilled in the living language, kindly looked over the proofs and noted local usages, etc.: Messrs. John J. O'Kelly, P.O'Shea (Glengarriff), P. J. O'Shea ("Conán Maol"), J. C. Ward (Killybegs), J. Craig, J. Rogers (Barrow-in-Furness), T. Concannon, R. A. Foley, M. Breathnach. Messrs. J. J. Doyle and M. O'Malley looked over a portion of the proofs. Special mention should be made of Mr. Richard Foley's keen interest in the work from the beginning, and of the zeal with which he sought out and recorded local usages.

Among those who helped by supplying lists of words I may mention Rev. M. McGrath, St. Mary's, Rathmines; Messrs. D. O'Callaghan (Aran), O'Donnell (Newport, O'Doherty (Cruit Island), R. A. Foley, John J. O'Kelly, J. C. Ward (Killybegs), Seamus O'Kelly,