In many languages the slight change of spelling and pronunciation of a noun shows whether it is the subject, object or has some other function in the sentence. This is called case.
he noun changes its form, showing how the word is used in a sentence. This is called declension, from Latin Grammar (Declinatio). The different changes are called cases. Adjectives and Pronouns also match the case of the nouns they describe. In European languages, the case system is often quite significant. English and Irish had strong case systems in historical usage, but are simplified today. Still there are times where case remains important.
Cases of the Noun
1. nominative-accusativeGenitive is used for adjectival purposes as well as the possessive.
adhmad → bosca adhmaid
im → punt ime
In the first and second declensions of Lesson One, the genitive plural is formed the same as the nominative singular. However, the article na will eclipse the initial consonant. The genetive plural of the third and fourth declensions seems to resemble the nominative plural.
Dative case indirect object or prepositional phrases.
The man gives the boy an apple. The dog is at the door.
Unlike English, here the dative requires the preposition as if:
The man gives the apple to the boy.
Dative nouns in the second declension singular (feminine nouns with a broad ending) drops the e at the end, after taking the genitive form. Dative plurals in all declensions take -(a)ibh.
However, -(a)ibh for the dative plural has become mostly a literary form and the dative plural often uses the nominative plural in the spoken language. Hence, the condensing in some newer grammars of the dative and the nominative and the accusative into a "common form."
The vocative is used when addressing someone or something. In the first declension, the vocative is the same as the genitive singular. In the second declension it is the same as the nominative.
The vocative must be preceded by the particle a.
a mhic
a ghrá
a Sheáin
a Thomáis
a Mháire
The vocative particle a always lenites the next word.
examples:
first declension (masculine)
| bád | s | p | |||
| n | bád | an bád | báid | na báid | |
| g | báid | an bháid | bád | na mbád | |
| d | bád | don bhád | bádaibh | dosna bádaibh | |
| v | a bháid | a bháda | |||
| s | p | ||||
| n | — | — | -i- | -i- | |
| g | -i- | len -i- | — | ecl. — | |
| d | — | len/ecl — | -(a)ibh | -(a)ibh | |
| v | len + -i- | len + -a | |||
second declension (feminine)
| cloch | s | p | |||
| n | cloch | an chloch | clocha | na clocha | |
| g | cloiche | an cloiche | cloch | na gcloch | |
| d | cloich | don chloich | clochaibh | dosna clochaibh | |
| v | a chloch | a chlocha | |||
| s | p | ||||
| n | — | len. — | -a | -a | |
| g | -i- + -e | -i- + -e | — | ecl. — | |
| d | -i- | ecl. + -i- | -(a)ibh | -(a)ibh | |
| v | len — | len + -a | |||
some dative prepositions
| ag | at |
| ar | upon |
| de | from |
| i | in |
| do | to |
| le | with |
| fé | under |
| ó | from |
nominative-accusative prepositions
| gan | without |
| idir | between |
genitive prepositions
| chun | towards |
| timpeall | around |
| trasna | across |
all prepositions with the article an cause eclpsis except for don, den which cause lenition.
i + an = insan, sa
i + na = insna, 'sna
le + an = leis an
le + na = leisna
sa causes lenition.
prepositions+an = eclpsis
| ag | ag an dtigh |
| fé | fén ngadhar |
| ar | ar an bhfuinneoig |
| i | insan bpáirc |
| le | leis an mbata |
| ó | ó an mbóthar (ón mbóthar) |
prepositions + an = lenition
| don | don gharsún |
| den | den bhóthar |
| sa | sa bhaile |
genitive and nominative prepositions lenite or eclipse according to their case.
| M | s | an | pl | na | F | s | an | pl | na | |||
| N | — | — | — | (h-)— | — | len | — | (h-) — | ||||
| G | — | len | — | ecl | — | (h-)(na)— | — | ecl | ||||
| D | prep | prep+an | ||||||||||
| (ag le) | (ar ó fe de do) | (i) | (ag leis ar ó fén) | (den don sa) | ||||||||
| — | len | ecl | ecl | len | ||||||||
| V | M | s | pl | F | s | pl | ||||||
| len | len | len | len | |||||||||
sa eclipses words that begin with f and does not lenite words that begin
with t or d.
| páipéar | fén bpáipéar | bp |
| tarbh | leis an dtarbh | dt |
| capall | ar an gcapall | gc |
| focal | leis an bhfocal | bhf |
| bord | fén mbord | mb |
| dorus | ag an ndoras | nd |
| gadhar | ar an ngadhar | ng |
The article is not doubled.
hata an fhir, NOT *an hata an fhir* (the man's hat)However, the article may be doubled after the demonstrative.
sa ghleann seo na ndeor (in this valley of tears)
an fear sin an airgid (that rich man)
agus is omitted between adjectives
táid siad buartha brónach
