Chapter 7

OF NOUNS.

A Noun is the Name of any person, object, or thing whatsoever, that we have occasion to mention. In treating of {38} this Part of Speech, we have to consider the _Gender_ and the _Declension_ of Nouns.

OF GENDER.

In imposing names on sensible objects, the great and obvious distinction of Sex in the animal world suggested the expediency of inventing names, not only for the particular species of animals, but also for distinguishing their Sex. Such are _vir_, _femina_; _bull_, _cow_; _coileach_, _cearc_, &c. To mark at once identity of species, and diversity of Sex, the same word, with a slight change on its form, was applied to both sexes: as _equus_, _equa_; _lion_, _lioness_; _oglach_, _banoglach_. In most languages, distinction of Sex has been marked, not only thus by the form of the noun, but further by the form of the adjective connected with the noun. Most adjectives were furnished with two forms, the one of which indicated its connection with the name of a male, the other its connection with the name of a female. The one was called by grammarians the _masculine gender_, the other the _feminine gender_ of the adjective. Adjectives possessing thus a two-fold form, must necessarily have appeared under one or other of these forms, with whatever noun they happened to be conjoined. Even nouns significant of inanimate objects came thus to possess one mark of nouns discriminative of Sex, as they happened to be accompanied by an adjective of the masculine or by one of the feminine gender. If any noun was observed to be usually coupled with an adjective of the masculine gender, it was termed by grammarians a _masculine noun_; if it was found usually coupled with an adjective of the feminine gender, it was termed a _feminine noun_. Thus a distinction of nouns into masculine and feminine came to be noted, and this also was called gender.

It is observable, then, that gender, in grammar, is taken in two different acceptations. When applied to an adjective, {39} it signifies a certain _form_, by which _bonus_ is distinguished from _bona_. When applied to a noun, it signifies a certain _relation_ of the word to the attributives connected with it, by which _amor_ is distinguished from _cupido_. As Sex is a natural characteristic pertaining to living objects, so gender is a grammatical characteristic pertaining to nouns, the names of objects whether animate or inanimate. The gender of nouns is not, properly speaking, indicated; it is constituted by that of the attributives conjoined with them. If there were no distinction of gender in adjectives, participles, &c. there could be none in nouns. When we say that _amor_ is a noun of the masculine gender, and _cupido_ a noun of the feminine gender, we do not mean to intimate any distinction between the things signified by these nouns; we mean nothing more than to state a grammatical fact, viz., that an adjective connected with _amor_ is always of the same form as when joined to a noun denoting a male, and that an adjective connected with _cupido_ is always of the same form as when joined to a noun denoting a female[29].

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When an adjective was to be connected with a noun that denoted an object devoid of Sex, it is not always easy to guess what views might have determined the speaker to use the adjective in one gender rather than in the other. Perhaps Sex was attributed to the object signified by the noun. Perhaps its properties were conceived to bear some resemblance to the qualities characteristic of Sex in living creatures. In many instances, the form of the noun seems to have decided the point. It must be confessed that in this mental process, the judgment has been often swayed by trivial circumstances, and guided by fanciful analogies. At least it cannot be denied that in the Gaelic, where all nouns whatever are ranked under the class of masculines or of feminines, the gender of each has been fixed by a procedure whereof the grounds cannot now be fully investigated or ascertained. Neither the natural nor artificial qualities or uses of the things named, nor the form of the names given them, furnish any invariable rule by which the gender of nouns may be known. It ought to be remembered, however, that the Gaelic is far from being singular in this respect. The oldest language with which we are acquainted, as well as some of the most polished modern tongues, stand in the same predicament.

The following observations may serve to give some idea of the analogy of gender in Gaelic nouns; though they do not furnish a complete set of rules sufficient to ascertain the gender of every noun:--

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MASCULINES. Nouns signifying males are masculines; as, fear _a man_, righ _a king_, sagart _a priest_, tarbh _a bull_, cu _a dog_.

Many nouns, signifying the young of animals of either Sex, are masculine, even when the individual objects they denote are mentioned as being of the female Sex; as, laogh _a calf_, isean _a gosling_, uan _a lamb_, &c.[30].

Diminutives in _an_; as, rothan _a little wheel_, dealgan _a little pin_, &c.

Derivatives in _as_, which are, for the most part, abstract nouns; as, cairdeas _friendship_, naimhdeas _enmity_, ciuineas _calmness_, breitheamhnas _judgment_, ceartas _justice_, maitheas _goodness_, &c.

Derivatives in _air_, _ach_, _iche_, which are, for the most part, agents; as, cealgair _a deceiver_, sealgair _a huntsman_, dorsair _a door-keeper_, marcach _a rider_, maraiche _a sailor_, coisiche _a foot traveller_, &c.

Names of such kinds of trees as are natives of Scotland; as, darach _oak_, giuthas _fir_, uimhseann _ash_.

Most polysyllables whereof the last vowel is broad, are masculine.

FEMININES. Nouns signifying females are feminine; as, bean _a woman_, mathair _a mother_, bo _a cow_, &c. Except bainionnach or boirionnach _a female_, mart _a cow_, capull _a horse_ or _mare_, but commonly _a mare_, which are masculine, and caileann or cailinn _a damsel_, masculine or feminine.[31] Mark, vi. 28.

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Some nouns denoting a species are feminine, even when the individual spoken of is characterised as a male; as, gabhar fhirionn, _a he-goat_. Psal. l. 9.

Names of countries; as, Albainn _Scotland_, Eirinn _Ireland_.

Names of musical instruments; as, clarsach _a harp_, piob, _a pipe_.

Names of the heavenly bodies; as, Grian _sun_, Gealach _moon_.

Names of diseases; as, teasach _a fever_, a' ghriuthach _the measles_, a' bhreac _the small-pox_, a' bhuidheach _the jaundice_, a' bhuinneach, _a diarrhoea_, &c.

Collective names of trees or shrubs are feminine; as, giuthasach _a fir wood_, iugharach _a yew copse_, seileach _a willow copse_, droighneach _a thorny brake_.

Diminutives in _ag_ or _og_; as, caileag _a girl_, cuachag _a little cup_.

Derivatives in _achd_; as, iomlanachd _fulness_, doillearachd _duskiness_, doimhneachd _depth_, rioghachd _kingdom_, sinnsireachd _ancestry_, &c.

Abstract nouns formed from the genitive of adjectives; as, doille _blindness_, gile _whiteness_, leisge _laziness_, buidhre _deafness_, &c.

Many monosyllables in _ua_ followed by one or more consonants are feminine; as, bruach _a bank_, cruach _a heap_, cuach _a cup_, cluas _an ear_, gruag _the hair of the head_, sguab _a sheaf_, tuadh _a hatchet_, tuath _peasantry_.

Almost all polysyllables, whereof the last vowel is small, except those in _air_ and _iche_, already noticed, are feminine.

A few nouns are of either gender; Salm _a Psalm_, creidimh _belief_, are used as masculine nouns in some places, and feminine in others. Cruinne _the globe_, talamb _the earth, land_, are masculine in the nominative; as, an cruinne-c['e] _the globe of the earth_. Psal. lxxxix. 11., xc. 2.--D. Buchan. 1767. p. 12. 15; an talamh tioram _the dry land_. Psal. xcv. {43} 5. The same nouns are generally feminine in the genitive; as, gu cr[`i]ch na cruinne _to the extremity of the world_. Psal. xix. 4.; aghaidh na talmhainn _the face of the earth_. Gen. i. 29. Acts xvii. 24.

OF DECLENSION.

Nouns undergo certain changes significant of Number and of Relation.

The forms significant of Number are two: the _Singular_, which denotes one; and the _Plural_, which denotes any number greater than one.

The changes expressive of Relation are made on nouns in two ways: 1. On the beginning of the noun; 2. On its termination. The relations denoted by changes on the termination are different from those denoted by changes on the beginning; they have no necessary connection together; the one may take place in absence of the other. It seems proper, therefore, to class the changes on the termination by themselves in one division, and give it a name, and to class the changes on the beginning also by themselves in another division, and give it a different name. As the changes on the termination denote, in general, the same relations which are denoted by the Greek and Latin cases, that seems a sufficient reason for adopting the term case into the Gaelic Grammar, and applying it, as in the Greek and Latin, to signify "the changes made on the _termination_ of nouns or adjectives to mark relation".[32] According to this description of them, there are four cases in Gaelic. These may be {44} named, like the corresponding cases in Latin, the _Nominative_, the _Genitive_, the _Dative_, and the _Vocative_.[33] The Nominative is used when any person or thing is mentioned as the _subject_ of a proposition or question, or as the _object_ of an action or affection. The Genitive corresponds to an English noun preceded by _of_. The Dative is used only after a preposition. The Vocative is employed when a person or thing is addressed.

The changes on the beginning of nouns are made by aspirating an initial consonant; that is, writing _h_ after it. This may be called the _Aspirated_ form of the noun. The aspirated form extends to all the cases and numbers. A noun, whereof the initial form is not changed by aspiration, is in the _Primary_ form.

The _accidents_ of nouns may be briefly stated thus. A noun is declined by Number, Case, and Initial form. The Numbers are two: _Singular_ and _Plural_. The Cases are four: _Nominative_, _Genitive_, _Dative_, and _Vocative_. The Initial form is twofold: the _Primary form_, and the _Aspirated form_ peculiar to nouns beginning with a consonant.

In declining nouns, the formation of the cases is observed to depend more on the last vowel of the nominative than on {45} the final letter. Hence the last vowel of the nominative, or in general of any declinable word, may be called the _characteristic_ vowel. The division of the vowels into _broad_ and _small_ suggests the distribution of nouns into two Declensions, distinguished by the quality of the characteristic vowel. The first Declension comprehends those nouns whereof the _characteristic_ vowel is _broad_; the second Declension comprehends those nouns whereof the _characteristic_ vowel is _small_.

The following examples are given of the inflection of nouns of the

FIRST DECLENSION.

Bard, mas. _a Poet_.

_Singular._ _Plural._ _Nom._ Bard Baird _Gen._ Baird Bard _Dat._ Bard Bardaibh _Voc._ Bhaird Bharda

Cluas, fem. _an Ear_.

_Singular._ _Plural._ _Nom._ Cluas Cluasan _Gen._ Cluaise Cluas _Dat._ Cluais Cluasaibh _Voc._ Chluas Chluasa

_Formation of the Cases of Nouns of the First Declension._

_Singular Number._

_General Rule for forming the Genitive._--The Genitive is formed from the Nominative, by inserting _i_ after the characteristic vowel, as, b[`a]s mas. _death_, Gen. sing. b[`a]is; fuaran m. a _fountain_, g. s. fuarain; clarsach f. _a harp_, g. s. clarsaich. Feminine monosyllables likewise add a short _e_ to the Nominative; as, cluas f. _an ear_, g. s. cluaise; l[`a]mh _a hand_, g. s. l[`a]imhe[34].

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_Particular Rules for the Genitive._--1. If the nominative ends in a vowel, the genitive is like the nominative; as, tr[`a] m. _a time_ or _season_, g. s. tr[`a]; so also beatha f. _life_, cro m. _a sheepfold_, cliu m. _fame_, duine _a man_, Donncha _Duncan_, a man's name, and many others. Except bo f. _a cow_, g. s. boin; cu m. _a dog_, g. s. coin; bru f. _the belly_, g. s. broinn or bronn.

2. Nouns ending in _chd_ or _rr_ have the genitive like the nominative; as, uchd m. _the breast_, sliochd m. _offspring_, feachd m. _a host_, reachd m. _statute_, cleachd m. _habit_, beachd m. _vision_, smachd m. _authority_, fuachd m. _cold_, sprochd m. _gloom_, beannachd m. _a blessing_, naomhachd f. _holiness_, earr m. _the tail_, torr m. _a heap_. Except slochd g. s. sluichd m. _a pit_, unless this word should rather be written sloc, like boc, cnoc, soc.

3. Monosyllables ending in _gh_ or _th_ add _a_ for the genitive; as, lagh m. _law_, g. s. lagha; roth m. _a wheel_, g. s. rotha; sruth m. _a stream_, g. s. srutha. Except [`a]gh m. _felicity_, _grace_, or _charm_, g. s. aigh[35].

4. Monosyllables characterised by _io_ either drop the _o_ or add _a_ for the genitive; as, siol m. _seed_, g. s. s[`i]l; lion m. _a net_, g. s. l[`i]n; crioch f. _a boundary_, g. s. cr[`i]ch; cioch f. _the pap_, g. s. c[`i]che; fion m. _wine_, g. s. fiona; crios m. _a girdle_, g. s. criosa; fiodh m. _timber_, g. s. fiodha. Except Criost or Criosd m. _Christ_, which has the gen. like the nominative.

5. Many monosyllables, whose characteristic vowel is _a_ or _o_, change it into _u_ and insert _i_ after it; as, gob m. _the bill of a bird_, g. s. guib; crodh m. _kine_, g. s. cruidh; bolg or balg m. _a bag_, g. s. builg; clog or clag m. _a bell_, g. s. cluig; lorg f. _a staff_, g. s. luirge; long f. _a ship_, g. s. luinge; alt m. _a {47} joint_, g. s. uilt; alld m. _a rivulet_, g. s. uilld; car m. _a turn_, g. s. cuir; carn m. _a heap of stones_, g. s. cuirn. So also ceol m. _music_, g. s. ciuil; seol m. _a sail_, g. s. siuil. Except nouns in _on_ and a few feminines, which follow the general rule; as, br[`o]n m. _sorrow_, g. s. br[`o]in; l[`o]n m. _food_, g. s. l[`o]in; cloch or clach f. _a stone_, g. s. cloiche; cos or cas f. _the foot_, g. s. coise; br[`o]g f. _a shoe_, g. s. br[`o]ige. So also clann f. _children_, g. s. cloinne; crann m. _a tree_, g. s. croinn. Mac m. _a son_, has its g. s. mic.

6. Polysyllables characterised by _ea_ change _ea_ into _i_; as, fitheach m. _a raven_, g. s. fithich; cailleach f. _an old woman_, g. s. caillich[36]. These two suffer a syncope, and add _e_; buidheann f. _a company_, g. s. buidhne; sitheann f. _venison_, g. s. sithne.

Of monosyllables characterised by _ea_, some throw away _a_ and insert _i_; as, each m. _a horse_, g. s. eich; beann f. _a peak_, g. s. beinne; fearg f. _anger_, g. s. feirge. Some change _ea_ into _i_; as, breac m. _a trout_, g. s. bric; fear m. _a man_, g. s. fir; ceann m. _a head_, _end_, g. s. cinn; preas m. _a bush_, g. s. pris; breac f. _the small-pox_, g. s. brice; cearc f. _a hen_, g. s. circe; leac f. _a flag_, g. s. lice. Gleann m. _a valley_, adds _e_, g. s. glinne. Some add _a_ to the nominative; as, speal m. _a scythe_, g. s. speala. Dream f. _people_, _race_, gean m. _humour_, have their genitive like the nominative. Feall f. _deceit_, g. s. foill or feill. Geagh m. _a goose_, makes g. s. geoigh.

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7. Nouns in _eu_ followed by a liquid, change _u_ into _o_ and insert _i_ after it; as, neul m. _a cloud_, g. s. neoil, eun m. _a bird_, g. s. eoin; feur m. _grass_, g. s. feoir; meur m. _a finger_, g. s. meoir; leus m. _a torch_, g. s. leois. Beul m. _the mouth_, g. s. beil or beoil; sgeul. m. _a tale_, g. s. sgeil or sgeoil. Other nouns characterised by _eu_ add _a_ for the gen., as, treud m. _a flock_, g. s. treuda; feum m. _use_, _need_, g. s. feuma; beum m. _a stroke_, g. s. beuma. Meud m. _bulk_, beuc m. _a roar_, freumh f. _a fibre_, _root_, hardly admit of _a_, but have their gen. rather like the nom.

8. Monosyllables characterised by _ia_ change _ia_ into _ei_; as, sliabh m. _a moor_, g. s. sleibh; fiadh m. _a deer_, g. s. feidh; biadh m. _food_, g. s. beidh or bidh; iasg m. _fish_, g. s. eisg; grian f. _the sun_, g. s. greine; sgiath f. _a wing_, g. s. sgeithe. Except Dia m. _God_, g. s. De; sgian f. _a knife_, g. s. sgine.

Piuthar f. _a sister_, has g. s. peathar; leanabh m. _a child_, g. s. leinibh; ceathramh m. _a fourth part_, g. s. ceithrimh, leabaidh or leaba f. _a bed_, g. s. leapa; talamh m. _earth_, g. s. talmhainn.

The _Dative_ singular of masculine nouns is like the nominative; of feminine nouns, is like the genitive; as, tobar m. _a well_, d. s. tobar; clarsach f. _a harp_, g. s. and d. s. clarsaich; misneach f. _courage_, g. s. and d. s. misnich.

_Particular Rules for the Dative of Feminine Nouns._--1. If _e_ was added to the nominative in forming the genitive, it is thrown away in the dative; as, slat f. _a rod_, g. s. slaite--d. s. slait; grian f. _the sun_, g. s. greine, d. s. grein.

2. If the nominative suffered a syncope in forming the genitive, or if the last vowel of the genitive is broad, the dative is like the nominative; as, buidheann f. _a company_, g. s. buidhne, d. s. buidheann; piuthar f. _a sister_, g. s. peathar, d. s. piuthar.

The _Vocative_ of masc. nouns is like the genitive; of feminine nouns is like the nominative; as, b[`a]s m. _death_, g. s. b[`a]is, v. s. bhais; cu m. _a dog_, g. s. coin, v. s. choin; grian f. _the sun_, v. s. ghaoth. {49}

_Plural Number._

_Nominative._ Masculine nouns which insert _i_ in the gen. sing. have their nom. plur. like the gen. sing.; as, oglach m. _a servant_, g. s. oglaich, n. p. oglaich; fear m. _a man_, g. s. and n. p. fir. Many of these form their nom. plur. also by adding a short _a_ to the nominative singular. Other masculine nouns, and all feminine nouns, have their nom. plural in _a_, to which _n_ is added, _euphoniae causa_, before an initial vowel[37].

_Particular Rules_ for forming the Nom. Plur. in _a_ or _an_.

1. By adding _a_ to the nom. singular; as, dubhar m. _a shadow_, n. p. dubhara; rioghachd f. _a kingdom_, n. p. rioghachdan. Under this Rule, some nouns suffer a syncope; as, dorus m. _a door_, n. p. dorsa for dorusa.

2. Nouns ending in _l_ or _nn_, often insert _t_ before _a_; as, reul m. _a star_, n. p. reulta; beann f. _a pinnacle_, n. p. beannta. So l[`o]n m. _a marsh_, n. p. l[`o]intean.

3. Some nouns in _ar_ drop the _a_, and add to the nom. sing. the syllable _aich_; and then the final _a_ becomes _e_, to correspond to the preceding small vowel; as, leabhar m. _a book_, n. p. leabhraiche; tobar m. _a well_, n. p. tobraiche; lann. f. _an enclosure_, inserts _d_, n. p. lanndaiche. Piuthar f. _a sister_, from the g. s. peathar, has n. p. peathraiche; so leaba f. _a bed_, g. s. leapa, n. p. leapaiche. Bata m. _a staff_, n. p. batacha; la or latha _a day_, n. p. lathachan or laithean.

4. Some polysyllables in _ach_ add _e_ or _ean_ to the genitive singular; as, mullach m. _summit_, g. s. mullaich, n. p. mullaichean; otrach m. _a dunghill_, n. p. otraichean; clarsach f. _a harp_, n. p. clarsaichean; deudach f. _the jaw_, n. p. deudaichean. So sliabh m. _a moor_, g. s. sleibh, with _t_ {50} inserted, n. p. sleibhte. Sabhul m. _a barn_, g. s. sabhuil, n. p. saibhlean, contracted for sabhuilean.

The following Nouns form their Nominative Plural irregularly: Dia m. _God_, n. p. d['e]e or diathan; scian f. _a knife_, n. p. sceana or scinichean; sluagh m. _people_, n. p. sloigh; bo. f. _a cow_, n. p. ba.

_Genitive._ 1. Monosyllables, and nouns which form their nominative plural like the genitive singular, have the genitive plural like the nominative singular; as, geug f. _a branch_, g. p. geug; coimhearsnach m. _a neighbour_, g. s. and n. p. coimhearsnach.

2. Polysyllables which have their nominative plural in _a_ or _an_, form the genitive like the nominative; leabhar m. _a book_, n. p. and g. p. 'leabraichean'--When the nominative plural is twofold, the genitive is so too; as 'fear' n. _a man_, n. p. fir, or sometimes feara, g. p. fear or feara.

Cu m. _a dog_ has its g. p. con; caora f. _a sheep_, g. p. caorach; sluagh m. _people_, g. p. sluagh or slogh.

_Dative._ The dative plural is formed either from the nominative singular or from the nominative plural. If the nominative plural ends in a consonant, the dative plural is formed by adding _ibh_ to the nominative singular; as, crann m. _a tree_, n. p. croinn, d. p. crannaibh; mac m. _a son_, n. p. mic, d. p. macaibh. If the nominative plural ends in a vowel, the final vowel is changed into _ibh_; as, tobar _a well_, n. p. tobraiche, d. p. tobraichibh.

2. Monosyllables ending in an aspirated consonant, which have their nominative plural like the genitive singular, form their dative plural like the nominative plural; as, damh _an ox_, g. s. and n. p. daimh, d. p. daimh, not damhaibh; fiadh m. _a deer_, g. s. and n. p. and d. p. feidh. So sluagh m. _people_, _host_, g. s. sluaigh, n. p. and d. p. sloigh. Nouns ending in _ch_, of three or more syllables, form their dative plural like the nominative plural, rather than in _ibh_; as, coimhearsnach m. _a neighbour_, d. p. coimhearsnaich rather than coimhearsnachaibh; phairiseach m. _a Pharisee_, d. p. phairisich rather than phairiseachaibh. {51}

_Vocative._ The vocative plural is like the nominative plural, terminating in _a_, but seldom in _an_; as, fear m. _a man_, n. p. fir or feara, v. p. _fheara_; oglach m. _a servant_, n. p. _oglaich_, v. p. _oglacha_. Except perhaps monosyllables which never form their nominative plural in _a_, nor their dative plural in _ibh_; as, damh m. _an ox_, n. p. daimh, v. p. dhaimh; a shloigh, Rom. xv. 11.

The irregular noun Bean f. _a woman_, is declined thus:

_Singular._ _Plural._ _Nom._ Bean Mnai, mnathan _Gen._ Mna Ban _Dat._ Mnaoi Mnathaibh _Voc._ Bhean. Mhnathan.

SECOND DECLENSION.

Cealgair, mas. _a deceiver_.

_Singular._ _Plural._ _Nom._ Cealgair Cealgaire _Gen._ Cealgair Cealgair _Dat._ Cealgair Cealgairibh _Voc._ Chealgair. Chealgaire.

Clais, fem. _a gully_.

_Nom._ Clais Claisean _Gen._ Claise Clais _Dat._ Clais Claisibh _Voc._ Chlais. Chlaise.

_Formation of the cases of nouns of the second Declension._

_Singular Number._

_General Rule for the Genitive._ The genitive of polysyllables is like the nominative; of monosyllables is made by adding _e_ to the nominative; as, caraid m. _a friend_, g. s. caraid; aimsir f. _time_, g. s. aimsir; tigh m. _a house_, g. s. tighe; ainm m. _a name,_ g. s. ainme; im m. _butter_, g. s. ime; craig f. _a rock_, g. s. craige. {52}

_Particular Rules for the Genitive._ 1. Feminine nouns in _ail_ and _air_ drop the _i_ and add _ach_; if the nominative be a polysyllable, _ai_ is thrown away; as, sail f. _a beam_, g. s. salach; dail f. _a plain_, g. s. dalach; lair f. _a mare_, g. s. l[`a]rach; cathair f. _a seat_, g. s. cathrach; nathair f. _a serpent_, g. s. nathrach; lasair f. _a flame_, g. s. lasrach. To these add c[`o]ir f. _right_, g. s. c[`o]rach or c[`o]ire.

2. Monosyllables characterised by _oi_ drop _i_ and add _a_; as, feoil f. _flesh_, g. s. feola; t[`o]in f. _bottom_, g. s. t[`o]na; sr[`o]in f. _the nose_, g. s. sr[`o]ine or sr[`o]na.

3. Monosyllables characterised by _ui_ change _ui_ into _a_ or _o_, and add _a_; as, muir f. _the sea_, g. s. mara; fuil f. _blood_, g. s. fola or fala; druim f. _a ridge_, g. s. droma. Except s[`u]il f. _the eye_, g. s. s[`u]la; cuid f. _a part_, g. s. codach or cuid.

4. A few feminine polysyllables in _eir_ form their genitive like monosyllables; as, inneir f. _dung_, g. s. inneire; suipeir f. _supper_, g. s. suipeire.

5. The following dissyllables seem to have formed their genitive like monosyllables, and then suffered a contraction. Sometimes the characteristic vowel is retained, and sometimes it is thrown away, the final _e_ of the genitive being converted into _a_, when requisite to suit an antecedent broad vowel.

Amhainn, f. _a river_, g. s. aimhne, _contracted for_ amhainne Aghainn } Aghann } f. _a pan_, g. s. aighne, aghainne Banais f. _a wedding_, g. s. bainse, banaise Coluinn f. _the body_, g. s. colna, colla coluinne Duthaich f. _a country_, g. s. duthcha, duthaiche Fiacail f. _a tooth_, g. s. fiacla, fiacaile Gamhuinn m. _a steer_, g. s. gamhna, gamhuinne Gualainn f. _the shoulder_, g. s. guaille, gualainne Madainn f. _morning_, g. s. maidne, madainne Obair f. _work_, g. s. oibre, obaire Uilinn f. _the elbow_, g. s. uillne, uilinne

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6. The following nouns form their genitive by dropping the characteristic small vowel; athair m. _a father_, g. s. athar; mathair f. _a mother_, g. s. mathar; brathair m. _a brother_, g. s. brathar; namhaid m. _an enemy_, g. s. namhad. Cnaimh m. _a bone_, g. s. cnamha; uaimh f. _a cave_, g. s. uamha. Mil f. _honey_, has g. s. meala.

7. A few monosyllables ending in a vowel have their genitive like the nominative; as, ni m. _a thing_, ti m. _a person_, r['e] m. _the moon_; to which add righ m. _a king_.

_Dative._ The dative singular is like the nominative; as, duine m. _a man_, d. s. duine; madainn f. _morning_, d. s. madainn.

_Vocative._ The vocative singular is like the nominative, as, caraid m. _friend_, v. s. charaid; mathair f. _mother_, v. s. mhathair.

_Plural Number._

_Nominative.--General Rule._ The nominative plural is formed by adding to the nominative singular _a_ or _an_, written _e_ or _ean_ to correspond to a preceding small vowel; as, piobair m. _a piper_, n. p. piobairean; aimsir f. _time_, _season_, n. p. aimsirean. Some nouns suffer a contraction in the nominative plural; as, caraid m. _a friend_, n. p. c[`a]irdean; naimhaid m. _an enemy_, n. p. naimhdean; fiacail f. _a tooth_, n. p. fiaclan.

_Particular Rules._ 1. Some nouns, whose last consonant is _l_ or _n_, insert _t_ in the nominative plural; as, tuil f. _a flood_, n. p. tuilte; smuain f. _thought_, n. p. smuaintean; coille f. _a wood_, n. p. coilltean; [`a]ithne f. _a command_, n. p. [`a]ithnte. The _t_ is aspirated in dail f. _a plain_, n. p. dailthean; sail f. _a beam_, n. p. sailthean.

2. Some nouns in _air_, chiefly such as form their genitive singular in _ach_, retain the same syllable in the nominative plural, and insert _i_ after _a_; as,

Cathair, f. _a seat_, g. s. cathrach, n. p. cathraichean. Lasair, f. _a flame_, g. s. lasrach, n. p. lasraichean. Nathair, f. _a serpent_, g. s. nathrach, n. p. nathraichean.

{54} So also cuid f. _a part_, from the g. s. codach, has the n. p. codaichean; athair m. _a father_, n. p. aithrichean; mathair f. _a mother_, n. p. maithrichean. To which add amhainn f. _a river_, n. p. aimhnichean; uisge m. _water_, n. p. uisgeachan; cridhe m. _the heart_, n. p. cridheachan.

The following nouns form their nominative plural irregularly; duine m. _a man_, n. p. daoine; righ m. _a king_, n. p. righre; ni m. _a thing_, n. p. nithe; cliamhuinn m. _a son-in-law_, or _brother-in-law_, n. p. cleamhna.

_Genitive._ The genitive plural of monosyllables and masculine polysyllables is twofold, like the nominative singular, and like the nominative plural; as, righ m. _a king_, g. p. righ or righre. The genitive plural of feminine polysyllables is like the nominative plural only; as, amhainn f. _a river_, g. p. aimhnichean. Suil f. _the eye_, has its g. p. s[`u]l.

_Dative._ The dative plural is formed from the nominative plural by changing the final vowel into _ibh_; as, coluinn f. _the body_, n. p. coluinne, d. p. coluinnibh; cridhe m. _the heart_, n. p. cridheacha, d. p. cridheachaibh.

_Vocative._ The vocative plural is like the nominative plural; as, duine m. _a man_, n. p. daoine, v. p. dhaoine.

Final _a_ or _e_ in all the singular cases of polysyllables is occasionally cut off, especially in verse; as, leab _bed_, teang _tongue_, coill _wood_, cridh _heart_.

_Of the Initial form of Nouns._

In nouns beginning with a consonant, all the cases admit of the _aspirated form_. In the vocative singular and plural the aspirated form alone is used, except in nouns beginning with a lingual, which are generally in the primary form, when preceded by a lingual; as, a sheann duine _old man_. Nouns beginning with _s_ followed by a mute consonant have no aspirated form, because _s_ in that situation does not admit of the aspirate. In nouns beginning with _l_, _n_, _r_, a distinction is uniformly observed in pronouncing the initial consonant, corresponding precisely to the distinction of primary and {55} aspirated forms in nouns beginning with other consonants. This distinction has already been fully stated in treating of pronunciation.

The general use of the singular and plural numbers has been already mentioned. A remarkable exception occurs in the Gaelic. When the numerals fichead _twenty_, ceud _a hundred_, mile _a thousand_, are prefixed to a noun, the noun is not put in the plural, but in the singular number, and admits no variation of case. The termination of a noun preceded by da _two_, is the same with that of the dative singular, except when the noun is governed in the genitive case, and then it is put in the genitive plural[38]; when preceded by fichead, ceud, &c., the termination is that of the nominative singular; thus da laimh _two hands_, da chluais _two ears_, d[`a] fhear _two men_, fichead l[`a]mh _twenty hands_, ceud fear _a hundred men_, m[`i]le caora _a thousand sheep_, deich m[`i]le bliadhna _ten thousand years_[39].