CommonNounGender

=0. Contents=


 * 1) General facts about common noun gender
 * 2) Predicting gender from form - masculine nouns
 * 3) Predicting gender from form - feminine nouns
 * 4) Predicting gender from meaning - masculine nouns
 * 5) Predicting gender from meaning - feminine nouns

This page contains facts relating to the gender of Gaelic common nouns.

**This page is permanently under construction. Feel free to add stuff, or to comment.**

=1. General facts about common noun gender=

a. Every common noun in Gaelic has a grammatical gender, either **masculine**, **feminine** or **plural**.

For example:
 * //** Chunnaic caileag cù. **// (A girl saw a dog) - // caileag // (a girl) is a feminine (nominative) common noun and // cù // (a dog) is a masculine (nominative) common noun.
 * //** Tha brògan air bòrd. **// (There are shoes on a table) - // brògan // (shoes) is a plural (nominative) common noun and // bòrd // (table) is a masculine (dative) common noun.

b. However, the grammatical gender of a common noun is not always straightforwardly predictable from its meaning.

For example:
 * the common noun // boireannach // (a woman) is grammatically masculine, despite referring to a female entity.
 * the common noun // craobh // (a tree) is grammatically feminine, despite referring to an inanimate entity.
 * the common noun // clann // (children) is grammatically feminine, rather than plural, despite the fact that it refers to a group of children rather than to a single child.

c. To a limited extent, one can predict/guess the gender of a noun from its **form** or from its **meaning**.

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=2. Predicting gender from form - masculine nouns=

a. Nouns ending in the traditional diminutive suffix //-an// are masculine.

For example:
 * //macan// (a little son; from //mac// - a son), //balachan// (a little boy; from //balach// - a boy), //clagan// (a little bell; from //clag// - a bell), //balgan// (a little bag; from //balg// - a bag).
 * //aran// (bread), //eilean// (an island), //òran// (a song).

b. Nouns ending in the abstract suffix //-as// are masculine.

For example:
 * //ceartas// (justice/fairness, from //ceart// - right, correct).
 * //solas// (light), //coltas// (appearance), //dànadas// (boldness).

Apparent exceptions (?): //cluas// (an ear) is a feminine noun.

c. Nouns ending in the agentive suffix //-ach// are masculine.

For example:
 * //marcach// (a rider/jockey; from //marcaich// - to ride), //clèireach// (a clerk; from //clèir// [fem] - clergy).
 * //canach// (cottongrass).

Apparent exceptions (?): //cailleach// (an old woman) and //amhach// (a neck) are feminine nouns.

d. Nouns ending in the (deverbal?) suffix //-(e)adh// are masculine.

For example:
 * //bualadh// (hitting, percussion; from //buail// - to hit).
 * //deireadh// (an end), //connadh// (fuel, firewood).

e. Nouns ending in the agentive suffix //-(a)ir// are masculine.

For example:
 * //clachair// (a stonemason; from //clach// [fem] - a stone), //dorsair// (a doorman; from //doras// [m] - a door).
 * //maighstir// (a master), //cùbair// (a cooper).

e. Nouns ending in the agentive suffix //-(e)adair// are masculine.

For example:
 * //leughadair// (a reader; from //leugh// - to read), //seinneadair// (a singer; from //seinn// - to sing), //sgrìobhadair// (a writer; from //sgrìobh// - to write), //brocair// (a foxhunter; from //broc// [masc] - a badger).
 * //uaireadair// (a watch/clock; from //uair// [fem] - an hour), //fuaradair// (a refridgerator; from //fuar// - cold).

f. Nouns ending in the agentive suffix //-(a)iche// are masculine.

For example:
 * //maraiche// (a seaman; from //muir// - a sea), //òranaiche// (a singer; from //òran// [masc] - a song), //sgrìobhaiche// (a writer; from //sgrìobh// - to write), //searmonaiche// (a preacher; from //searmon// [masc] - a sermon), //stiùiriche// (a director; from //stiùir// - to steer/guide), //sgeulaiche// (a storyteller; from //sgeul// [masc] - a story), //cleasaiche// (a juggler, from //cleas// [masc] - a trick).

g. Nouns ending in a **broad consonant** are more often than not masculine.

For example:
 * //aodann// (face), //beul// (mouth), //ceann// (head), //falt// (hair), //peann// (pen), //rathad// (road), //toll// (hole).

h. Other things to think about -
 * abstract nouns ending in -ad? giorrad (shortness, brevity)
 * nouns ending in -(e)amh? breitheamh (a judge)
 * -(a)ire? teachdaire (a messenger, courier); pìobaire (a piper; from pìob - a pipe
 * -(e)ar? àrdaichear (a lift, elevator) tidsear (a teacher) ministear (a minister) sgoilear (a scholar) pàipear (paper. a paper)
 * nouns ending in -a are masculine - balla (wall)
 * adjectives used as nouns, e.g. dall (a blind man).

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=3. Predicting gender from form - feminine nouns=

a. Nouns ending in the traditional diminutive suffix //-ag// are feminine.

For example: caileag (girl), piseag (kitten), sliseag (slice), uinneag (window), nìghneag (?) - diminutives sguabag (a little sheaf) sgalag - a farm servant (often male).

b. Nouns ending in the abstract suffix //-achd// are feminine.

For example: aotramachd (lightness), bàrdachd (poetry), beannachd (blessing) - abstract nouns, rìoghachd (a kingdom)

c. By default, nouns ending in //-ad,// //-id// or -//ir// are feminine (what about //-ich//).

For example:
 * //bòidhchead// (beauty)
 * //càraid// (couple), //drochaid// (bridge), //pitheid// (magpie), //smugaid// (spittle)
 * //saothair// (travail)
 * //bragadaich// (?), //snagadaich// (?)

Exceptions: //caraid// (friend) and //nàmhaid// (enemy) are masculine nouns.

b. Nouns ending in a **slender consonant** are more often than not feminine.

For example:
 * //abhainn// (river), //beinn// (mountain), //dùthaich// (country), //feòil// (meat), //iuchair// (key), //sirist// (cherry), //sùil// (eye), //toit// (smoke)

c. Comparative adjectives used as nouns, e.g. //doille// (?).

d. Verbal nouns in -airt, e.g //tachairt// (?).

e. Monosyllabic nouns in -ua-? e.g. cluas, cuach. Exceptions - cuan, fuath, gual, tuar, truas, sluagh, tuath.

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=4. Predicting gender from meaning - masculine=

a. Nouns denoting kinds of person or animal which are necessarily **male** are masculine.

For example:
 * //athair// (father), //mac// (son), //fear// (man), //bodach// (old man), //rìgh// (king).
 * //coileach// (cockerel), //tarbh// (bull), //àigeach// (stallion), //reithe// (ram), //rùda// (ram), //damh// (stag).

b. Nouns denoting **species of animal**, subsuming gender distinctions, are masculine.

For example:
 * //cat// (cat), //duine// (human), //leòmhan// (lion), //uan// (lamb), //sionnach// (fox), //mathan// (bear), //madadh// (hound).

c. Nouns denoting **elements** are masculine.

For example:
 * //teine// (fire), //uisge// (water), //àile// (air).
 * hydrogen, etc?

d. Nouns denoting **seasons** and **days of the week** are masculine (are these common nouns?).

For example:
 * //earrach// (spring), //geamhradh// (winter).
 * //Di-luain// (Monday), //Di-màirt// (Tuesday).

e. Nouns denoting kinds of **metals** are masculine.

For example:
 * // iarann / iarunn // (iron), //copar// (copper), //umha// (bronze).

f. Nouns denoting **colours** are masculine.

For example:
 * //corcur// (purple), //gorm// (blue)

g. By default, nouns denoting **grains** and **vegetables** are masculine.

For example:
 * //cruinneachd// (wheat), //eòrna//
 * //càl// (kail), //curran// (carrot)

h. By default, nouns denoting **alcoholic beverages** are masculine.

For example:
 * //leann// (beer), //uisge-beatha// (whisky), //fìon// (wine)

i. By default, nouns denoting **timber** are masculine.

For example:
 * //giubhas// (fir)

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=5. Predicting gender from meaning - feminine nouns=

a. Nouns denoting kinds of person or animal which are necessarily **female** are, by default, feminine.

For example:
 * //màthair// (mother), //nighean// (daughter), //té// (woman), //cailleach// (old woman), //banrigh// (queen).
 * //cearc// (hen), //bó// (cow), //maoiseach// (doe), //caora// (ewe), //làir// (mare).

However, there are some notable exceptions:
 * //boireannach// (woman) is a masculine noun (because it ends in //-ach// ).
 * // capall / capull // (mare) and //mart// (cow) are masculine nouns.

b. Nouns denoting kinds of **musical instrument** are feminine.

For example:
 * //piòb// (bagpipes), //clàrsach// (harp), //duiseal// (flute), //fidheall// (fiddle).

c. Nouns denoting kinds of **heavenly body** are feminine.

For example:
 * //grìan// (sun), //gealach// (moon), //rionnag// (star), // reul // (star), //dreag// (meteor), //planaid// (planet).

d. Nouns denoting kinds of **disease** or **illness** are feminine.

For example:
 * //breac// (smallpox), //luibhre// (leprosy), //aillse// (cancer). buidheach (jaundice), griuthach (measles)
 * aileag (hiccups?)

e. Nouns denoting **copses** are feminine.

For example:
 * //giùsach// (fir-copse)

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=6. Nouns of variable gender=

For example:
 * //aonad// (unit), //ceò// (mist), //dealbh// (picture), //glù(i)n// (knee), //muir// (sea), //tìr// (land), //tobar// (well), //dàimh// (?)
 * //muir// (nominative = masculine) vs //mara// (genitive = feminine)

Plural nouns?

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