SyllableOnsets

a. There are four basic structural categories of syllable onset in Gaelic -
 * empty onsets;
 * basic (core) onsets;
 * transitional (core) onsets;
 * augmented onsets.

b. An **empty** onset doesn't contain anything at all.

For example, the syllable onset in each of the following monosyllabic Gaelic words is empty:
 * //àrd// (high), //each// (horse), //iasg// (fish), //ochd// (eight), //uair// (hour).

c. A **core** onset consists of a consonant sound (the onset "core"), followed by an optional L, R or N (the onset "transition").

d. Every core onset is either a **basic** onset or a **transitional** onset.

e. A **basic** onset consists of just the core itself, i.e. either B, C, D, F, G, L, M, N, P, R, S or T.

For example, the syllable onset in each of the following monosyllabic words is basic:
 * //beag// (small), //ceann// (head), //daor// (expensive), //fear// (man), //guth// (voice), //leum// (jump), //muc// (pig), //nochd// (night), //pìob// (pipe), //ràmh// (oar), //siar// (west), //taigh// (house).

f. A **transitional** onset consists of a core and a transition.

g. Every transitional onset is either an **LR-transitional** onset or an **N-transitional** onset.

h. With an **LR-transitional** onset, the core is either B, C, D, F, G, P, S or T, and the transition is either L or R.

For example, the syllable onset in each of the following monosyllabic words is LR-transitional:
 * //blàth// (warm), //breac// (trout), //clach// (stone), //craobh// (tree), //dlùth// (near), //druim// (back), //flùr// (flower), //fraoch// (heather), //glùn// (knee), //grian// (sun), //plàigh// (plague), //pròis// (pride), //slàn// (healthy), //sràid// (street), //tlachd// (pleasure), //tràigh// (beach).

i. On the other hand, an **N-transitional** onset is one where the core is a C, G, M, S or T, and the transition is an N.

For example:
 * //cnoc// (hill), //gnìomh// (action), //mnaoi// (woman - dative), //snàmh// (swim), //tnùth// (envy).

j. There are thus 33 possible core onsets in Gaelic, each of which comes in two variants - either **fortis** or **lenis**.

For example, the syllable onset in each of the following monosyllabic words is a fortis core onset:
 * [basic] //fear// (man), //taigh// (house), //ceann// (head).
 * [transitional] //cnoc// (hill), //blàth// (warm), //snàmh// (swim), //tràigh// (beach).

And the syllable onset in each of the following monosyllabic words (the lenited forms of the previous words) is a lenis core onset:
 * [basic] //fhear//, //thaigh// , //cheann//.
 * [transitional] //chnoc//, //bhlàth// , //shnàmh// , //thràigh//.

k. In contrast with both empty and core onsets, an **augmented** onset consists of an S, followed by either a basic or LR-transitional core onset, which must start with either C, M, P or T and must be fortis.

For example, the syllable onset in each of the following monosyllabic words is augmented:
 * //smachd// (control), //speach// (wasp), //spleadh// (webbed foot), //sprochd// (dejection), //staoin// (tin), //streap// (climb), //sgian// (knife), //sglais// (clout), //sgrios// (destroy).

Note that in augmented syllable onsets, the C sound is usually represented in writing as  in Gaelic (but not in Irish).

l. We have now defined 76 distinct syllable onsets in Gaelic:
 * 1 empty
 * 24 basic core (12 fortis and 12 lenis)
 * 42 transitional core (21 fortis and 21 lenis)
 * 9 augmented

m. One interesting thing to note here is the distinction between two different kinds of S-initial syllable onset -
 * S-, SL-, SN- and SR- are core onsets, and hence come in both fortis and lenis versions.
 * SC-, SM-, SP-, and ST- are augmented onsets, and hence have no fortis/lenis distinction.

n. One more thing - every syllable onset is either **slender** or **broad**.

For example, the syllable onset in each of the following monosyllabic words is slender:
 * //each// (horse), //leum// (jump), //sgian// (knife), //gnìomh// (action), //breac// (trout).

And the syllable onset in each of the following monosyllabic words is broad:
 * //ochd// (eight), //blàth// (warm), //craobh// (tree), //tnùth// (envy), //staoin// (tin).

In writing, a slender onset is always followed by either  or , and a broad onset is always followed by either ,  or.

o. Thus, there is a total of 152 distinct syllable onsets in Gaelic, 76 slender and 76 broad. However, 66 of these are lenis core onsets and are hence lexically irrelevant, leaving 86 lexically relevant syllable onsets. Here is a summary -


 * ~ empty ||||||||~ basic core ||||||||~ transitional core ||||~ augmented ||
 * ~  ||~   ||||~ fortis ||||~ lenis ||||~ fortis ||||~ lenis ||~   ||~   ||
 * ~ slender ||~ broad ||~ slender ||~ broad ||~ slender ||~ broad ||~ slender ||~ broad ||~ slender ||~ broad ||~ slender ||~ broad ||
 * e- || a- || be- bi- || ba- bo- bu- || bhe- bhi- || bha- bho- bhu- || ble- bli- || bla- blo- blu- || bhle- bhli- || bhla- bhlo- bhlu- || sge- sgi- || sga- sgo- sgu- ||
 * i- || o- || ce- ci- || ca- co- cu- || che- chi- || cha- cho- chu- || bre- bri- || bra- bro- bru- || bhre- bhri- || bhra- bhro- bhru- || sme- smi- || sma- smo- smu- ||
 * || u- || de- di- || da- do- du- || dhe- dhi- || dha- dho- dhu- || cle- cli- || cla- clo- clu- || chle- chli- || chla- chlo- chlu- || spe- spi- || spa- spo- spu- ||
 * ||  || fe- fi- || fa- fo- fu- || fhe- fhi- || fha- fho- fhu- || cre- cri- || cra- cro- cru- || chre- chri- || chra- chro- chru- || ste- sti- || sta- sto- stu- ||
 * ||  || ge- gi- || ga- go- gu- || ghe- ghi- || gha- gho- ghu- || dle- dli- || dla-? dlo- dlu- || dhle- dhli- || dhla-? dhlo- dhlu- || sgle- sgli- || sgla- sglo- sglu- ||
 * ||  || le- li- || la- lo- lu- || *le- *li- || la- lo- lu- || dre- dri- || dra- dro- dru- || dhre- dhri- || dhra- dhro- dhru- || sgre- sgri- || sgra- sgro- sgru- ||
 * ||  || me- mi- || ma- mo- mu- || mhe- mhi- || mha- mho- mhu- || fle- fli- || fla- flo- flu- || fhle- fhli- || fhla- fhlo- fhlu- || sple- spli- || spla- splo- splu- ||
 * ||  || ne- ni- || na- no- nu- || *ne- *ni- || *na- *no- *nu- || fre- fri- || fra- fro- fru- || fhre- fhri- || fhra- fhro- fhru- || spre- spri- || spra- spro- spru- ||
 * ||  || pe- pi- || pa- po- pu- || phe- phi- || pha- pho- phu- || gle- gli- || gla- glo- glu- || ghle- ghli- || ghla- ghlo- ghlu- || stre- stri- || stra- stro- stru- ||
 * ||  || re- ri- || ra- ro- ru- || *re- *ri- || *ra- *ro- *ru- || gre- gri- || gra- gro- gru- || ghre- ghri- || ghra- ghro- ghru- ||   ||   ||
 * ||  || se- si- || sa- so- su- || she- shi- || sha- sho- shu- || ple- pli- || pla- plo- plu- || phle- phli- || phla- phlo- phlu- ||   ||   ||
 * ||  || te- ti- || ta- to- tu- || the- thi- || tha- tho- thu- || pre- pri- || pra- pro- pru- || phre- phri- || phra- phro- phru- ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || sle- sli- || sla- slo- slu- || shle- shli- || shla- shlo- shlu- ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || sre- sri- || sra- sro- sru- || shre- shri- || shra- shro- shru- ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || tle-? tli-? || tla- tlo-? tlu- || thle-? thli-? || thla- thlo-? thlu- ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || tre- tri- || tra- tro- tru- || thre- thri- || thra- thro- thru- ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || cne- cni- || cna- cno- cnu- || chne- chni- || chna- chno- chnu- ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || gne- gni- || gna- gno- gnu- || ghne- ghni- || ghna- ghno- ghnu- ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || mne-? mni-? || mna- mno-? mnu-? || mhne-? mhni-? || mhna- mhno-? mhnu-? ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || sne- sni- || sna- sno- snu- || shne- shni- || shna- shno- shnu- ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || tne-? tni-? || tna-? tno-? tnu- || thne-? thni-? || thna-? thno-? thnu- ||   ||   ||