CommonNounDeclension

=0. Contents=



This page is for facts relating to the declension of Gaelic common nouns.

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

=1. General facts=

=2. Core masculine nouns=

a. Here is an example of the declension of a core masculine noun, //** balach **// (a boy):


 * ~  ||~ singular ||~ plural ||
 * ~ nominative || //** balach **// || //** balaich **// ||
 * ~ dative || //** balach **// || //** balaich **// ||
 * ~ genitive || //** balaich **// || //** balach **// ||

b. As can be seen from this example, a core masculine noun comes in two different declensional forms: (a) a **basic form**, typically ending in a broad consonant (i.e. // balach //); and (b) a **slenderised form**, where the final consonant has been changed to the slender equivalent (i.e. // balaich // - recall that slender final consonants are marked orthographically by inserting an  before the consonant).

c. More examples?

d. Basic form: nom/dat singular and gen plural. Slenderised form: gen sing and nom/dat plural.

e. examples

f. list of core masculine nouns.

=3. Core feminine nouns=

a. Given a masculine nominative singular common noun, you can usually create a related **genitive** masculine singular noun by slenderising it.

b. For nouns ending in a **broad consonant**, the slenderisation process is obvious.

For example:
 * //cat// - //cait// (cat)
 * //balach// - //balaich// (boy)
 * //sagart// - //sagairt// (priest)

c. In many cases, slenderising the final consonant appears to cause the preceding vowel to change as well.
 * //crann// - //cruinn//
 * //falt// - //fuilt// (hair)
 * //mac// - //mic// (son)
 * //bòrd// - //bùird// (table)

You can find a comprehensive list of these nouns here.

d. With nouns ending in a **slender consonant**, the slenderisation process is implicit, with no change taking place.

For example:
 * //cìobair// - //cìobair// (shepherd)

e. Slenderisation is also implicit when the noun ends in a vowel.

For example:
 * //baile// - //baile// (town)
 * //duine// - //duine// (man)
 * //bainne// - //bainne// (milk)
 * //balla// - //balla// (wall)

f. However, for some (exceptional) masculine nouns, the genitive singular variant is not formed by simply slenderising the nominative singular.

g. Sometimes, the genitive singular is formed by adding the suffix //-a// to a masculine singular noun ending in a broad consonant.

Here is a list of these nouns:

singular ||~ genitive singular ||~  ||
 * ~ nominative
 * = //cath// ||= //catha// ||= battle/warfare ||
 * = //dragh// ||= //dragha// ||= trouble/bother/worry ||
 * = // eas // ||= //easa// ||= waterfall ||
 * = //fiodh// ||= //fiodha// ||= wood, timber ||
 * = //gnàth// ||= //gnàtha// ||= custom/habit ||
 * = //guth// ||= //gutha// ||= voice ||
 * = //lagh// ||= //lagha// ||= law ||
 * = //loch// ||= //locha// ||= loch ||
 * = //spùt// ||= //spùta// ||= gush/spout ||

h. For a few masculine nouns denoting kinship relations, which end in a slender //-r//, the genitive singular is formed by **deslenderisation**.

Here is a list of those nouns:

singular ||~ genitive singular ||~  ||
 * ~ nominative
 * = //athair// ||= //athar// ||= father ||
 * = //bràthair// ||= //bràthar// ||= brother ||
 * = //seanair// ||= //seanar// ||= grandfather ||

i. Some masculine nouns form their genitive singular as if they were feminine nouns, by slenderising the nominative singular and adding the suffix //-e//.

Here is a list of those nouns:

singular ||~ genitive singular ||~  ||
 * ~ nominative
 * = //biadh// ||= // bidhe // ||= food ||
 * = //easbaig// ||= //easbaige// ||= bishop ||
 * = //taigh// ||= //taighe// ||= house ||

j. Some masculine nouns form their genitive singular in strange ways, sometimes even changing gender in the process.

Here is a list of those nouns:

singular ||~ genitive singular ||~  ||
 * ~ nominative
 * = //cù// ||= //coin// ||= dog ||
 * = //dia// ||= //dè// ||= god ||
 * = //gobha// ||= //gobhainn// ||= blacksmith ||
 * = //muir// ||= //mara// (feminine) ||= sea ||
 * = //talamh// ||= //talmhainn// (feminine) ||= earth ||

[Insert examples of //muir// and //talamh//, showing the gender difference in the two cases.]

=3. Genitive singular common nouns - feminine=

a. Given a feminine nominative singular common noun, you can usually create a related **genitive** feminine singular noun by slenderising it, and then adding an //-e// suffix.

b. For feminine nouns ending in a **broad consonant**, the slenderisation and //-e// suffixation processes are both obvious.

For example:
 * //làmh// - //làimhe// (hand)
 * //caileag// - //caileige// (girl)
 * //cluas// - //cluaise// (ear)
 * //cailleach// - //cailliche// (old woman)
 * //sgian// - //sgine// / //sgèine// (knife)

c. With nouns ending in a slender consonant, the slenderisation is implicit.

For example:
 * //sgoil// - //sgoile// (school)
 * //sràid// - //sràide// (street)
 * //eaglais// - //eaglaise// (church)

d. And for nouns ending in a slender consonant followed by //-e//, both slenderisation and //-e// suffixation are implicit, and no change is observed from the nominative singular.

For example:
 * //colaisde// - //colaisde// (college)
 * //slige// - //slige// (shell)

Note: in spoken Gaelic, the vowel augment is often dropped from polysyllabic nouns, e.g. //caileig//, //caillich//. [examples?]

g. Sometimes, the genitive singular is formed by adding the suffix //-a// to a masculine singular noun ending in a broad consonant.

Here is a list of these nouns:

singular ||~ genitive singular ||~  ||
 * ~ nominative
 * = //pìob// ||= //pìoba// ||= pipe ||
 * = //feòil// ||= //feòla// ||= meat ||
 * = //sùil// ||= //sùla// ||= eye ||
 * = //fuil// ||= //fala// ||= blood ||
 * = //leum// ||= //leuma// ||= leap/jump ||

h. As with the masculine nouns discussed above, for a few feminine nouns denoting kinship relations, which end in a slender //-r//, the genitive singular is formed by **deslenderisation**.

Here is a list of those nouns:

singular ||~ genitive singular ||~  ||
 * ~ nominative
 * = //màthair// ||= //màthar// ||= mother ||
 * = //piuthar// ||= //peathar// ||= sister ||
 * = //seanmhair// ||= //seanmhar// ||= grandmother ||


 * //obair// - //obrach/oibre// (work), //litir// - //litreach// (letter), //cathair// - //cathrach// (city) - syncope + -(e)ach.
 * naidheachd - naidheachd (news, f), cumhachd - cumhachd (power, f) - no change.


 * guala(inn) - gualainn/guailne (f, shoulder), àra - àrann (kidney), brà - bràthan (quern), brù - bronn/broinne (belly), dìle - dìleann (flood)
 * tràigh - tràghad (beach, f), bràigh - bràghad (neck, f), teanga - teangaidh (tongue, f)
 * bean - mnà/mnatha (wife, f)
 * deoch - dighe/dibhe (drink, f), leabaidh - leapa (bed, f).
 * bò - bà (cow, f)
 * caora - caorach (sheep, f)
 * lann - lanna/lainne (blade)
 * lann - lainn (enclosure, repository)

=4. Dative singular common nouns=

a. Every nominative masculine singular common noun is also a **dative** masculine singular noun.

b. For every feminine nominative singular common noun, you can generally form a related dative feminine singular version by slenderising it.

For example:
 * làmh - làimh (hand)
 * cluas - cluais (ear)
 * bròg - bròig (shoe)
 * cas - cois (foot)
 * bas - bois (palm)
 * clann - cloinn (children)
 * caileag - caileig (girl)
 * cailleach - caillich (old woman)

[Note on implicit slenderisations, and list of vowel changes. ROM (p.67) - only a handful of feminine nouns these days slenderise after preposition in common speech, usually only if they are the complement of a definite article.]

d. Some unusual feminine datives:

singular ||~ dative singular ||~  ||
 * ~ nominative
 * = //bean// ||= //mnaoi// ||= wife ||
 * = //bó// ||= //boin// ||= cow ||
 * = //sgian// ||= //sgithinn// ||= knife ||

=5. Nominative plural common nouns=

=6. Genitive plural common nouns=

=7. Dative plural common nouns=