The Autonomous Form of the Irish Verb.
It is sometimes necessary or convenient to express an action without mentioning the subject, either because the latter is too general or not of sufficient importance to be mentioned, or because there is some other reason for suppressing it. Most languages have felt this necessity, and various means have been adopted to supply it. The use of the passive voice, or of reflexive verbs, or of circumlocutions, is the method generally adopted in other languages. In Irish there is a special form of the verb for this purpose. As it has no subject expressed it is sometimes called the Indefinite form of the verb as it forms a complete sentence in itself it is also called the Autonomous or Independent form.
An English verb cannot stand without its subject. For example, “walks,” “walked,” etc., express nothing. The English verbs cannot alone make complete sense. The Autonomous form of Irish verbs can stand alone. The word “Buailtear” is a complete sentence. It means that “the action of striking takes place.” The Autonomous form stands without a subject; in fact it cannot be united to a subject, because the moment we express a subject the ordinary 3rd person singular form of the particular tense and mood must be substituted. Buailtear an bord. Someone (they, people, we, etc.) strikes the table; but buaileann an fear (sé, siad, na daoine, etc.) an bord.
We shall take the sentence: Buailtear an gaḋar le cloiċ ó láiṁ Ṫaiḋg. The word “buailtear” of itself conveys a complete statement, viz., that the action of
